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Windows 10 Will Be Free To Users Who Test It

Posted by Soulskill on from the free-as-in-beer dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft has been making a big push to change its business model for Windows — likely due to the low/no cost updates you can get for competing operating systems. The company surprised everyone when it said legit copies of Windows 7 and 8 would be supplied with free upgrades, but now they're extending that even further: anyone who tests the Windows 10 Technical Preview will get a free upgrade to the full version of Windows 10 when it comes out. In a blog post, Microsoft's Gabe Aul said, "As long as you are running an Insider Preview build and connected with the [Microsoft account] you used to register, you will receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated. Once you have successfully installed this build and activated, you will also be able to clean install on that PC from final media if you want to start over fresh."

3 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. Because Microsoft laid off their QA team last fall by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's not really all that surprising that MS wants additional testing badly enough to give away copies of Win10 for free to get it. Remember the fact that part of Microsoft's 2014 layoffs included elimination of all the SDETs in the Windows division. Those that were deemed worthy to stay were converted to SDEs and the rest were told to hit the road.

    Needless to say, the result is likely to be exactly what one would expect of canning the entire test team suddenly, if the state of the technical previews has been any indication...

  2. Re:Trialware - not free by neilo_1701D · · Score: 5, Informative

    Then your understanding is wrong. As per Gabe Aul, you own it.

    The "one year" thing is to push people into upgrading sooner rather than later. If you upgrade within the first year, Windows 10 is free for the life of the device (and that includes reinstalls; so long as you have a Microsoft account and your Windows user is connected to that account, you can reinstall on that device to your heart's content.

    If you delay in upgrading past that one year mark, you need to go buy a copy.

  3. Re:So that means it's free to everyone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    only if you install windows 10 preview and give in to the online requirement and link your windows to a microsoft account

    That might be because it's a tech preview explicitly meant for people who are willing to test it. Reporting back information to Microsoft is the entire fucking point.

    Windows 10 RTM will have no such requirement.