Microsoft continues to surprise us just when we start believing we’ve seen it all from the software giant. In a move that has literally left us bamboozled, but extremely optimistic for the company’s future, Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users, licensed or not, when it launches this summer. Read on for further information.
After years of battling with software piracy – particularly pirated versions of Windows – Microsoft is willing to just roll with the trend this time around, by offering the upgrade to all qualified PCs running genuine, or non-genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.
Microsoft’s Windows Chief, Terry Myerson said, “We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10.” Speaking to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson said “Anyone with a qualified device can upgrade to Windows 10, including those with pirated copies of Windows.” This could literally mean that over a million PCs running Windows 7 or 8 will be getting free copies of the new Windows 10 OS this summer.
Microsoft, with the release of Windows XP, introduced software activation for its OS for the first time, but the security measure was conveniently countered. The activation methods, of course, continued to evolve with subsequent OS releases, but the measures were effectively deleted each time. Microsoft is finally letting users have their way, given that in 2011 former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had said that out of ten Microsoft software users in China, only one is actually paying for it. This issue further stems to countries like India, Russia and Brazil as well.
The Microsoft spokesperson further said that the company is going ahead with this move believing that with time, Windows users will realize the advantages that a properly licensed installation of Windows brings to the table. There’s also the issue where small retailers sell new PCs to users with a copy of Windows that is not genuine, which causes trouble down the road when a new version is released, but hopefully, with Windows 10, such users shouldn’t hit any sort of roadblock when the time for upgrade comes.
Windows 10 will debut this summer, When launched, the new OS will be available in 190 countries and 111 languages.
Are you excited about Windows 10? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
(Source: TheVerge)
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