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Microsoft Offers Pirates Amnesty and Free Windows 10 Upgrades

Posted by Soulskill on from the fighting-fire-with-free-gasoline dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft will make Windows 10 available as a free upgrade even to pirated copies of other Windows operating systems in China. Terry Myerson of Microsoft's operating systems unit made the announcement at the WinHEC technology conference in Shenzhen, China, and then told Reuters, "We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10." Microsoft has a history of attempting to tackle massive and rising software piracy rates in Asia and developing countries, and periodically offers low-cost "licence amnesties" to the worst-offending countries, such as Indonesia and Kenya. Update: 03/18 14:59 GMT by S : Microsoft has clarified that the free upgrade will be offered for unlicensed copies of Windows worldwide, not just in China.

22 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. where do I sign up by MancunianMaskMan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Have hokey windows97 license which has been used very occasionally for years despite "Genuine Advantage" warnings. Since I just upgraded my computer can I swap that for shiny new windows10? I'm not chinese BTW

    1. Re:where do I sign up by NotDrWho · · Score: 5, Funny

      Windows 97? Wow, how did you get ahold of that version.

      From a Shanghai street vendor, of course.

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
  2. so, the key to amnesty... by tekrat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is to be overwhelming.

    In the USA, the relatively small number of pirates are treated worse than murderers and rapists, but in China, where piracy accounts for 80% of all desktops, there is amnesty. Go figure.

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
    1. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Microsoft has done this king of thing before. They used to offer Office at over 90% discount to students. No point trying to charge them money they don't have, they will just pirate. Microsoft found a way to turn them into paying customers, which is better than nothing.

      Since Windows 10 has an app market, maybe they will get a few sales too.

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    2. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by NotDrWho · · Score: 4, Funny

      The Chinese people are too big to flail.

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    3. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by Rob+Y. · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No, I think the key to amnesty is for Microsoft to decide that getting an upgrade out everywhere is essential to their business plan. I think the primary purpose of 'Windows 10 upgrades free for everyone' is to get Metro everywhere and jumpstart the WinPhone app store. But I wouldn't be surprised if Windows 10 (and their new 'not IE' version of IE) also forces Bing on you in ways they weren't allowed to in Windows 7 - assuming the clock has run out on the EU's monopoly remedies.

      In other words, the Windows 10 upgrade is free (even for pirated copies) because Microsoft wants to be able to use their desktop monopoly to help their other failing properties. Business as usual...

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      Posted from my Android phone. Oh, I can change this? There, that's better...
    4. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by thegarbz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Is to be overwhelming.

      That's standard modus operandi.

      Embezzle $1m, go to jail.
      Embezzle $100m, get fired as CEO, collect massive golden parachute, go work for someone else for more money.
      Embezzle $10b, get a taxpayer funded bailout.

    5. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Opposite effect. After being able to purchase a copy at $30, I can't fathom paying more than that for future versions, so I pirate it for free. Getting me "hooked" just makes me steal it, it doesn't make me pay 10x what I used to pay.

    6. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why not, everyone else does.

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      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    7. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Microsoft has done this king of thing before. They used to offer Office at over 90% discount to students. No point trying to charge them money they don't have, they will just pirate. Microsoft found a way to turn them into paying customers, which is better than nothing.

      More than 90%. I think my dad got a copy of Office 2010 for $10 when his company did a massive infrastructure upgrade and upgraded their entire system.

      The goal is strictly marketing - if you convince people to use Windows, they'll probably stick with Windows. You may not get much money out of them, but there are long term issues to worry about - namely, platform support. If you want developers to write for your platform, you need to convince them that your platform is worth writing for. If a Chinese user is forced to choose between Windows and Linux, and they start going Linux, it hurts Windows because developers might start writing for Linux instead.

      Microsoft had to lose the mobile battle to figure that part out - that it's no longer "if you build it, they will come." You have to convince them to come.

      Windows is under constant threat - even Microsoft itself is hurting it through competition (i.e., Xbox) removing a reason to use Windows.

      If they can convince people to stick with Windows, they're more likely to stick with Windows and Office in the long run.

      Ask Microsoft how much HP pays them for the Windows license on the Stream 7 tablet ($100 tablet)? It's basically zip. Nada. Microsoft is basically giving away Windows licenses to super-cheap tablets to compete with Android. (Not that I mind, I have an iPad, but picked up a Stream 7, basically because it's a full PC for $100. It's no screamer, but for $100, it's pretty neat that you have access to everything on the desktop, including Steam, a bunch of ancient Windows 3.1 apps I use, etc.)

    8. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 3, Funny

      Remind me again which pirate was sentenced to death

      Jack Sparrow.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    9. Re:so, the key to amnesty... by theArtificial · · Score: 3, Informative

      Just looked at the tablet, and on the Microsoft Store the unit is $79. Pretty wild, how's the screen on this?

      --
      Man blir trött av att gå och göra ingenting.
  3. Don't take it - its a trap by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Don't take it - its a trap! They'll have you locked in and in future you'll pay

    1. Re:Don't take it - its a trap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Then you pirate the upgrade. Come on now.

  4. Funded by the NSA? by Chrisq · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Funded by the NSA? After all we don't want them compiling their own OSs with home grown backdoors instead of American ones

  5. Re:Free is still too expensive by Gaygirlie · · Score: 3, Informative

    How about the first bootup bit where you have to link your fucking admin account to a fucking online account?

    You don't have to. You can just create a local account.

    Second was that abomination of a start screen.

    That's only a bother until you install a Start-menu replacement.

  6. Other OSes have been doing this by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ubuntu has been doing that since the beginning - free upgrade from any version to any version! Even for the pirated ones!

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  7. Re:Free is still too expensive by spire3661 · · Score: 3, Informative

    To be fair, creating a local account is very discouraged, hidden AND you have no access to the Windows Store. You dont get the full OS without an MS account. Its an ok solution to a shit sandwich.

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    Good-bye
  8. Re:I want to get paid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mod me troll, but upgrading for free will not do it for me, I want to get paid to upgrade to W10... even than will think about it

  9. Re:Free is still too expensive by Binestar · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I call shenanigans. You're not going to do anything with a windows 8 machine until you install third party software anyways. What is the issue with installing a third party start menu? If the product is available and does what you want for the price you want (classic shell is free), what's the problem?

    Disk IO is better in windows 8 than in 7
    Startup times are better

    I wouldn't necessarily spend money to upgrade from 7 to 8 on an existing PC, but new PC, I'd just get it with 8.1 to start.

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    Do you Gentoo!?
  10. Re:I want to get paid by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I do not want this deal - my embroidery software requires XP, and the sewing machine will not work with newer software. There is no way I would replace my old "Made in Switzerland" machine, with a modern "made in Korea" one.

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    Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  11. Re:I want to get paid by theArtificial · · Score: 3, Informative

    Poke it into a VM. I've got old hardware that doesn't have drivers supported on the host machine, but work fine through the VM. Should you not want to be tied to a particular machine this is an option you may want to look into.

    --
    Man blir trött av att gå och göra ingenting.