Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Why Win10 was free for the time-being

Apr 29, 2016 12:10PM PDT

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Why
Apr 30, 2016 3:46AM PDT

Windows 10 was made free so Microsoft can sucker more people into using it because they make more money spying on people this way.

- Collapse -
SsHhhhhhhh....be vewy, vewy quaee-et......
Apr 30, 2016 6:20PM PDT

...do ya hear it?

If you listen vewy, vewy cehfully, you can hear the Windows death knell just starting to ring.....

Now, to be serious, Windows 7 is the very last MS OS that I will ever buy. Linux is looking way, way too good for that!

- Collapse -
Windows 10 was never free. The
May 1, 2016 8:58AM PDT

upgrade from Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 was free. Just like Windows 7 was free is you bought a Vista PC during the free upgrade period. The Windows 7 you have to buy a PC with Vista and register for the free upgrade from the OEM. The OEM then sent you the upgrade to Windows 7 after it was released. Now if you don't have a Windows 7 or 8.1 license you have to purchase a full copy of Windows 10. Also I you buy a new PC the OEM's purchase Windows licenses just like they did with Windows 7 and finally the enterprise version isn't free. The retail version of Windows has been slipping for years in the total revenues for Microsoft.