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People Are Obtaining Windows 7 Licenses For the Free Windows 10 Upgrade

jones_supa writes: Windows 7 has quickly started increasing its market share of desktop operating systems, nearing 61%. If you're wondering why this is happening when Windows 10 is almost here, the reason is this: Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade for those running Windows 7 and 8, and the new OS will have the exact same hardware requirements as its predecessor, so the majority of PCs should be able to run it just as well. Because Windows 7 was launched in 2009, a license is more affordable than for Windows 8, so many users are switching to this version to take advantage of the Windows 10 free upgrade offer.

107 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. 10th post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Used to be 7th post.

    1. Re:10th post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The 9th post has been removed to prevent confusion with the 95th and 98th posts.

    2. Re:10th post by OhSoLaMeow · · Score: 1

      This is the "Me" post.

      --
      They can take my LifeAlert pendant when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
    3. Re:10th post by flappinbooger · · Score: 1

      This is the "Me" post.

      sorry your post seems to be buggy and annoying I think I'll just skip it.

      --
      Flappinbooger isn't my real name
    4. Re:10th post by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      I only read every other comment.

    5. Re:10th post by flappinbooger · · Score: 2

      I only read every other comment.

      BAM!

      --
      Flappinbooger isn't my real name
    6. Re:10th post by doccus · · Score: 1

      I don't know that I've enjoyed reading such a witty thread since, oh, I don't know.. '95?

    7. Re:10th post by doccus · · Score: 1

      I don't know that I've enjoyed reading such a witty thread since, oh, I don't know.. '95?

      ... Just glad there's nothing about ME in it...

    8. Re:10th post by antdude · · Score: 1

      Or the 7th Guest.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  2. Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Nice theory, but it's not 'the reason' unless it is proven to be. What about the people replacing XP or Vista? And the disappointed 8.x users switching to 7?

    1. Re: Assumptions are the mother of all ... by mattwarden · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Technically the reason is the reason regardless of whether you have yet proved it is the reason.

    2. Re: Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      lol. I purchased several with the express intent to not upgrade.

    3. Re: Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Tx · · Score: 1

      That is sound reasoning.

      --
      Oh no... it's the future.
    4. Re: Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Funny

      Technically the reason is the reason regardless of whether you have yet proved it is the reason.

      A very reasonable statement.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    5. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      I expect it is more from the Small business white box community. Yes they still exist. So they save money by getting Windows 7 Licenses and upgrading to Windows 10 by the time they sell their PC's.
      I expect technically this would be against some agreement with Microsoft. But these guys are such small fries. The the cost of investing and fighting for it is more then then small pocket change these companies have for profit. If it were a Dell, HP or Lenovo doing this, that would be a different story all together.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    6. Re: Assumptions are the mother of all ... by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      OK.
      So you may had good reasons to stick with Windows 7. My place at work is using Windows 7, the UI change to windows 8 would cause way too much issues. Also we just migrated a few years to windows 7. And there was a huge compatibility issues that needed to be address... I do expect it is much easier to go from Windows 7 to Windows 10, as this time we didn't jump from a 32bit OS to a 64 bit.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    7. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If I could find a good high-end laptop that came with vanilla Windows 7 instead of 8 and all the pre-installed extra junk, I would be throwing money at the supplier and begging them to sell me one. That has far more to do with avoiding more recent versions of Windows and their kindergarten, touch-obsessed UIs than it does with wanting a cheap upgrade when 10 ships.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    8. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by ITRambo · · Score: 1

      Dell, HP, and ThinkPads all still come with Windows 7 Pro preinstalled. Check NewEgg or Amazon for the Windows Pro laptops. A good one can be had starting at under $600, which should be more durable than the cheaper consumer grade laptops are.

    9. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      exponentially is a rate of growth, not a total number. If windows 7 licenses sales were really low, exponential growth is quite possible, and can even be below a linear regression for a short period of time.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    10. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by PRMan · · Score: 1

      Or you can just wait a month and get one with Windows 10. Has all of the speed improvements of Windows 8 and most of the Fisher Price stuff is gone and you can easily delete everything else (tiles in the Start Menu) and make it look and act like Windows 7,

      --
      Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
    11. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Blaskowicz · · Score: 1

      Laptops from taiwanese motherboard brands may offer the option too (MSI, Asus, Gigabyte) and are interesting on their own right too (thick enough laptop so there's cooling, VGA + HDMI + ethernet instead of just HDMI, no stickers..)

    12. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      +1 to that. We're still buying Win7 machines, with no intentions of ever installing Win10 on them.

    13. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 2

      But the screenshots I've seen of Windows 10 still mostly look flat and/or garish, and it seems to be more a case of trying not to make the visuals too much worse than what is already available via Windows 7 than actually trying to be better. Another example is the icons, which have gone from being widely ridiculed to being... well, slightly less widely ridiculed... in all of the reviews I've come across, and with considerable justification if the examples I've seen myself were representative.

      It's not just the visuals that put me off, though. It's also the fact that I use a traditional desktop PC with multiple large monitors, and I want an OS and software that work well in that kind of environment. I saw a review the other day of the new preview release where literally every screenshot that had substantial content in it also included the word "tap" somewhere, with obvious concessions to touchscreens that just don't make sense for a desktop workstation. This was one of the big problems with Windows 8, and it seems like with the Surface tablet hardware and Windows 10, Microsoft are doubling down on touchscreens. #donotwant #haverealworktodo

      I'll wait to see what people say when Windows 10 actually ships and we're not just talking about preview releases and educated guesswork, but so far the signs don't seem promising. Windows 7, on the other hand, is tried and tested and works just fine on the numerous computers I use it with today, so as I said, if I could buy an approximate equivalent with newer and more powerful hardware right now, I'd be right in there. Sadly, I'm in the UK, and what you can pick up over here is quite limited compared to what you can get in say the US.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    14. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, I'm in the UK, where the selection is much more limited.

      For example, Dell UK's web site lists exactly one laptop with a 17+" screen and SSD, and it is also a touchscreen and comes with Windows 8.1.

      HP do at least promote the Windows 7 option (via Win8 downgrade rights) for the high-end ZBook laptops on their site. However, the pricing on those tends to make the closest equivalent Retina MBPs in specification look cheap.

      Also, Microsoft UK don't seem to have any high-end devices at all within their Signature Edition range, so it's invasive crapware city all the way with a lot of the big name brands, even on their expensive, high-end models.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    15. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by flappinbooger · · Score: 1

      I was going to say look to Lenovo but, that would be redundant.

      --
      Flappinbooger isn't my real name
    16. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by maxwells_deamon · · Score: 1

      This week they have shipped two new beta builds which have made more improvements that the last 3 months. I have not seen the "tap" any where in the last few months except when they really mean tap/click. Just use the mouse

      It even works ok on machines that have a frame around the monitor and no keyboard/mouse as a touch screen. Windows 8 on a touchscreen with a frame around it was a disaster. On my windows 8.1 machine i never use the touchscreen except for testing.

    17. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      -Corporate users have been the biggest holdbacks for XP. My company didn't complete their XP->Win7 migration till the end of last year, with no plans for 8 / 8.1 / 10. As a whole Win 7 has a large corporate uptake while Win8 / 8.1 doesn't. I suspect there's still XP->Win7 migration going on in the corporate world.

      -Anyone looking for a free upgrade to Win10, although my understanding any "non-genuine" version will be eligible, pirating Windows 7 is more bullet-proof than Windows 8. Windows 7 has Daz Loader based SLP based activation, vs. Microsoft toolkit based KMS only for 8/8.1.

    18. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by DG · · Score: 1

      Is there any place where the supposed speedups and other improvements are demonstrated?

      Win7 is a pretty good OS. 8/8.1 are horrid. I'd like to see the benefits clearly shown somewhere before upgrading.

      --
      Want to learn about race cars? Read my Book
    19. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      False assumption: Windows 10 will not require an annual subscription to operate. HAND.

    20. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1

      I don't need to install an alternative shell. I've got one that works just fine out of the box. It's called the Windows 7 UI.

      FWIW, it's not the start menu I'm bothered about. Since Win7 I hardly use it anyway, I just have my regular applications set out in the task bar and use jump lists probably 90% of the time I load one. This gets me to anything from a spreadsheet I worked with recently to a shell on a remote server I use regularly with two clicks and is one of the cleanest UI set-ups I've ever seen in an OS GUI.

      The thing that annoys me about the Win8+ GUIs is how dumbed down and in-your-face they are. Huge areas of bright colours (yay for eye strain), boxy styles where you never quite know what you can click (sorry, tap) until you try, clumsy icons that don't really tell you anything anyway, and everything all spaced out so fat-fingered people with tablets don't accidentally reformat their disk instead of sending an e-mail. For someone using a keyboard and mouse with good screen(s), all of this is moving backwards. If I wanted dumb UIs for simple stuff, I'd buy an iPad and use web apps instead of desktop applications.

      I do realise that some of this related primarily to what was then called the Metro UI in Win8 and some changes have been made since then. But from what I can see so far with Win10, it looks like they're pushing the overall UI theme even more in that direction, even if the default method of interaction looks more like a traditional desktop again.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    21. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by GigaplexNZ · · Score: 1

      Lack of mainstream support pretty much just means that new features won't be backported. Most businesses operate on a 3 year cycle, as long as they start migrating to a newer OS for new machines by 2017 then there shouldn't be a problem.

    22. Re: Assumptions are the mother of all ... by FirstOne · · Score: 1

      lol. I purchased several with the express intent to not upgrade.

      Same here, actually a number of my clients XP legacy apps have 16 bit installers, ergo no go Win 7 natively. These apps are installed in XPvirt boxes under Windows 7. I have no idea if Win 10 pro will support XPvirt boxes or if support for them will shortly disappear thereafter in some sort of forced update..

      My advice to any business owner, would be to avoid this latest Win 10 release like the plague, they still don't have a stable build and it's less than 1 month before product release. I feel that using Win 10 is a high risk proposition at best, let someone else be the guinea pig.

    23. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1

      And should I also put the bigger screen, full size keyboard and mouse in my bag and carry it with me every time I visit a client on-site?

      Taking a portable computer with a big screen with me is better than taking a portable computer with a small screen with me, for exactly the same reasons that having a big screen (or more than one) on my desktop is better than having a small screen on my desktop. Yes, it's balanced out modestly by weight and power issues, but carrying a bag that weighs an extra pound from the train/car to the client's office/facility is hardly a burden for any reasonably fit adult.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    24. Re:Assumptions are the mother of all ... by doccus · · Score: 1

      Naw.. I absolutely despise Vista, but I got a a legit builders disk for $30 so I jumped on it. -unfortunately it's 64 bit only, which would be fine but there's lotsa compability issues with it. I'm on a really tight disability pension so just can't afford one and a half C notes for "7". That's what it is here, STILL, in Canada. I've got a lot (a smokin' whole lot) of digital Pinball games that just run on PC formats i.e. Dos, or Windows

    25. Re: Assumptions are the mother of all ... by toddestan · · Score: 1

      Windows 8/8.1 dropped XP Mode, so I seriously doubt they'll bring it back for Windows 10. Especially since Microsoft doesn't update the XP VM anyway.

      On the other hand, you should be able to use the 32-bit version of Windows 10 and run your 16-bit installers natively just fine.

  3. Enable the 'act now' crowd by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Part of this approach is simply that the offer allows people that are considering new hardware to go ahead and do it, and not wait for W10. In the past, many would hold off as a new OS was on the horizon. So its not necessarily all about saving $$.

    1. Re:Enable the 'act now' crowd by wvmarle · · Score: 1

      Much more reasonable than the theory that many people would rush out to shops to buy a Win7 license just to be able to get Win10 later.

      Basically no-one every buys Windows as separate retail copy. It comes bundled with a new computer. It is interesting of course how Win7 is still gaining market share.

  4. For me it's the reverse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    With affordable/budget computers soon to be secure boot locked to windows 10+ ONLY(no more linux etc). I am buying a few older'' computers to keep options open.. Ditto with a Windows 8.1 tablet, TW802 that I like, once Win10 rolls around forced windows updates, etc..Bad enough I can't run OLDER OS's on that, so buying now to avoid forced updates (and at least for now, linux is a possibility).

    1. Re:For me it's the reverse by moronoxyd · · Score: 1

      With affordable/budget computers soon to be secure boot locked to windows 10+ ONLY(no more linux etc).

      Many Linux distributions are totally fine booting on a computer with activated secure boot, using a boot loader that was signed by Microsoft.

      Do you have any source for your claim that that will not work anymore? Otherwise I call FUD.

    2. Re:For me it's the reverse by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Informative

      Many Linux distributions are totally fine booting on a computer with activated secure boot, using a boot loader that was signed by Microsoft.

      Do you have any source for your claim that that will not work anymore? Otherwise I call FUD.

      They were spreading the same crap about Windows 8 machines. I haven't found a machine yet that I can't install Linux onto.

      And there is always Macs - although running a Unix-like OS on a machine that is also Unix-like might be something for the department of redundancy department.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    3. Re:For me it's the reverse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I own a lenovo z50-75, the legacy bios compatibility layer is disabled at the BIOS level. It can only run Linux or Windows 8; Windows 7 can't be installed...

    4. Re:For me it's the reverse by FerociousFerret · · Score: 1

      And there is always Macs - although running a Unix-like OS on a machine that is also Unix-like might be something for the department of redundancy department.

      Correction. OS X is certified as UNIX, it's not UNIX-like. http://unix.stackexchange.com/...

    5. Re:For me it's the reverse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "people" read: idiot morons that buy computers from big box stores, would NEVER put up a stink regarding bios accessibility. I can count on one hand the amount of customers I've met that even know what a bios is, let alone what uefi and secure boot are. You're putting too much faith in the public. That is why Microsoft and Apple get away with shit like this, because they know they're selling to a uninformed mass of children.

    6. Re:For me it's the reverse by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 2

      I haven't yet found one that I can. I've asked several people who claim that there is no problem, how do I get into UEFI setup, to turn it off (or add my own keys)? The thing is, while Microsoft turned around and added a requirement to be able to turn UEFI off (originally, they weren't going to), they also made a requirement that to boot faster, it was not allowed to let people press a key to enter setup.

      Hold the key down before powering on (and keep it held for a second or two after). On a Toshiba the key is F2, and it will definitely get you into the setup. On other brands you could try ESC, Del, F1, F2, F4, F10 or F12. Microsoft seems to think that you can access your BIOS settings with a keystroke. Have a look at their instructions on how to Disable Secure Boot:

      Open the PC BIOS menu. You can often access this menu by pressing a key during the boot-up sequence, such as F1, F2, F12, or Esc.

      Or, from Windows, hold the Shift key while selecting Restart. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options: UEFI Firmware Settings.

      Also, if Windows fails to boot 3 times in a row it will enter the boot menu, from which you can access the BIOS. Try booting, then turning it off three times. I had to do that once when I had a hardware fault once.

      And no, the signed Microsoft Linux that some distros use for setup is not a valid option either.

      Or you could use a distro with a Microsoft signature. Good suggestion. Oh, except for some reason you don't want to run Linux.

    7. Re:For me it's the reverse by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      They were spreading the same crap about Windows 8 machines. I haven't found a machine yet that I can't install Linux onto.

      I haven't yet found one that I can. I've asked several people who claim that there is no problem, how do I get into UEFI setup, to turn it off (or add my own keys)?

      http://www.top-password.com/bl...

      Ubuntu

      https://help.ubuntu.com/commun...

      Mint

      http://community.linuxmint.com...

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    8. Re:For me it's the reverse by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Sounds like a paid anti-MS shill. Especially since Win8/10 both work fine on BIOS only PCs.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    9. Re: For me it's the reverse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Trying to set up a debian (in a dual boot with preinstalled windows running in a secureboot mode), from removable media has been a net loss of time for me. You can call that FUD, fact is I got used to graphical installers that only required a few minutes of attention and no browsing wiki pages.

    10. Re:For me it's the reverse by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      I should have added that I recently bought my sister a new Dell PC. Ordinarily, that PC would have shipped with Windows 8.1, but Dell had a deal on their website where you could "upgrade" (Dell's words!) to Windows 7 for an additional $50. I took that deal, as since I'm the person who would have to support my sister's computer, I didn't want to be bothered

      And a fine deal it is, as Microsoft gets Two OS' worth of revenue. Bles their pointy little heads.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    11. Re:For me it's the reverse by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Do you have any source for your claim that that will not work anymore? Otherwise I call FUD.

      Windows OEM certification documents don't say that it will not work anymore, but rather don't ensure that it will.

      Windows RT requirements for OEMs included the requirement that Secure Boot is enabled. *** Potentially bad for linux.
      Windows 8 / 8.1 requirements for OEMs included the requirement that Secure Boot if available must have the ability to de-disabled by the user. *** Good for linux.
      Windows 10 requirements removed the wording that the user must be able to disable secure boot. *** Potentially bad for linux.

    12. Re:For me it's the reverse by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      They were spreading the same crap about Windows 8 machines. I haven't found a machine yet that I can't install Linux onto.

      Surface 2 requires a signed bootloader so that limits your abilities quite a bit, but as for spreading crap there's a bit more info that needs to be considered:

      Microsoft's certification for OEMs have the following requirements:

      Windows RT: Secure Boot enabled.
      Windows 8: Secure Boot optional. If Secure Boot is shipped it MUST be user selectable in the BIOS. If Secure Boot is shipped it must be enabled by default.
      Windows 10: Secure Boot required and must be enabled by default. Wording about Secure Boot being user selectable has been removed!

      That last part is the key. Only a few idiots were spreading FUD about Windows 8 and secure boot. But with Windows 10 the FUD now suddenly leaves you at the mercy of any OEM.

  5. Re:You can still buy Windows 7? by jawtheshark · · Score: 1

    Here for example... I ordered licenses there, they work and from what I gather it is legal (enough) in the EU.

    --
    Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
  6. Re:You can still buy Windows 7? by oobayly · · Score: 1

    Amazon, eBuyer, any [proper] computer retailer.

  7. Article conclusion is quite a stretch by linebackn · · Score: 1

    Wow, this article really pulls a conclusion out of its butt. They look at some vague web statistics, notice that Windows 7 has gone up a tad - likely due to seasonal usage differences or many other things - and then draw a wild conclusion that people are using it to get Windows 10?!

    They are probably getting kickbacks from Microsoft for posting it.

    1. Re:Article conclusion is quite a stretch by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Wow, this article really pulls a conclusion out of its butt. They look at some vague web statistics, notice that Windows 7 has gone up a tad - likely due to seasonal usage differences or many other things - and then draw a wild conclusion that people are using it to get Windows 10?!

      I can only speak for myself, but I bought a Windows 7 license at least partly because I would be able to upgrade it to a Windows 10 license... and partly because I feared that Microsoft would raise the prices or make them unavailable when Windows 10 came out. So a little from column A, a little from column B. Why are you surprised?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Article conclusion is quite a stretch by pla · · Score: 2

      then draw a wild conclusion that people are using it to get Windows 10?!

      I recently helped a local nonprofit upgrade to Win7 for exactly that reason.

      Yes, I can think of plenty of other reasons for people to pick up a Win7 license (as the most obvious, "I just got a new laptop with Win8, help!"), but the average retail customer will realistically just use whatever the computer comes with, and keep it for the life of the machine.

      If, therefore, we see an uptick in sales of an OS you can't even easily get on a new machine anymore (yes, we geeks can still get it, but Granny, not so much) - That means something.

    3. Re:Article conclusion is quite a stretch by j2.718ff · · Score: 2

      Indeed -- if I had to buy some version of Windows today, I'd buy Windows 7. It works, and the UI is pretty reasonable. XP is old and no longer supported. 8 is ugly and I don't want to learn a new UI. I would make the same decision regardless of whether I was planning to upgrade at some future date.

    4. Re: Article conclusion is quite a stretch by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      The evidence does not even hint at the hypothesis.

      What? Why not? Why else would you be seeing a surge in Windows 7 licenses now, when they are harder to get than ever before?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    5. Re: Article conclusion is quite a stretch by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      pretty easy to get in the states from computer shops

      Well, I didn't mean to imply that it was difficult, just that it's slightly less available. What's being pushed in people's faces is not Windows 7.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  8. "simple trick"? by jbmartin6 · · Score: 2

    I am sick of seeing these 'one simple|weird trick' spams everywhere

    --
    This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
    1. Re:"simple trick"? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

      >> sick of seeing these 'one simple|weird trick' spams

      Ditto. Five years ago, I'd say this one slipped through SlashDot's filter. However I'm afraid this is the new normal.

    2. Re:"simple trick"? by Stewie241 · · Score: 3, Informative

      You should see this One Weird Trick for getting rid of weird trick spam.

    3. Re:"simple trick"? by quantaman · · Score: 1

      There was really only one proper link for that post.

      I'm glad you used it.

      --
      I stole this Sig
  9. Alternatively by clickety6 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Alternatively, people have seen that Windows 10 is just as bad as Windows 8 and are hurrying to buy Windows 7 licenses as the only decent version of Windows with a reasonably long remaining support window...

    --
    ----------------------------------- My Other Sig Is Hilarious -----------------------------------
    1. Re:Alternatively by PRMan · · Score: 5, Informative

      Except that Windows 10 is much better than Windows 8. Although I agree that I slightly like Windows 7 better, but not enough to forgo a free upgrade and more years of bugfix support.

      --
      Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
    2. Re:Alternatively by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      People keep saying this and I'm confused. I've run several of the latest Windows 10 builds and there is not a single aspect I can point to as being better than Windows 8.1. When I want a phone UI on my large desktop monitor I'll be sure to install it though.

    3. Re:Alternatively by wvmarle · · Score: 1

      Are they actually buying licenses, or just downloading it from somewhere? OP talks about increasing market share for Win7 - not about a surge in number of licenses sold by MS.

    4. Re:Alternatively by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      How about you ignore the phone GUI then? I mean it is completely optional in Windows 10. The logical conclusion is you must just be a masochist.

    5. Re:Alternatively by StuffMaster · · Score: 1

      The control panel is completely phony. It's horrible.

    6. Re:Alternatively by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      No the PC Settings window is completely phony.
      The Control Panel is a completely different and far more useful beast than that stupid PC Settings app which is still horribly incomplete in comparison.

  10. I did this by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1
    I bought an SDR that only had Windows software to run the thing with the full command set, So I needed a Windows OS. I bought a copy of W7 Pro because I knew it would work, and I could upgrade if W10 turned out to not be a steaming pile of shit.

    Windows 7 works remarkably well in Bootcamp. And Yosemite is only a reboot away.

    This only makes sense, at least for my application.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  11. Err, okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Let's apply Occam's Razor:

    People are buying Windows 7 instead of Windows 8 because the former is cheaper and most people seem to prefer it.

    Sure, they get Windows 10 as well. Woohoo. If it's unusable for the first year, their fallback OS isn't Windows 8.

    1. Re:Err, okay by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Occam's Razor would show that people in general lack the incredible foresight needed in your scenario.

      More likely case: Free upgrade! Did you hear that? Free!!! I must buy this now because I'll get something for FREE.

      Woooooo.

    2. Re:Err, okay by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Sure, they get Windows 10 as well. Woohoo. If it's unusable for the first year, their fallback OS isn't Windows 8.

      converting to a windows 10 license destroys your windows 7 license.

      Sure, you can just ignore the activation prompts, or use one of the deprotection tools, but it's still an annoyance if you want to go back.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  12. Re:You can still buy Windows 7? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    I bought mine on eBay from someone who is part of the Registered Refurbisher program. Since my PC was cobbled together from parts of other older PCs, it seems to apply. I'm about to upgrade the motherboard under it, I'll probably have to get on the phone to Microsoft for that one. I already have to call them for my lady's machine, I upgraded it to 64-bit and it validated, but later it popped a validation failure.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  13. Re:You can still buy Windows 7? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Newegg still has it...where have you been looking?

  14. Or people hate Windows 8 by Culture20 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    People could just as easily be wanting anything "not windows 8" but can't wait to buy a computer until windows 10 is released. That would mean Windows 7 or some other OS. Inertia means Windows 7.

    1. Re:Or people hate Windows 8 by TomH123 · · Score: 1

      It's less than a month away. Is the average person really going to do this just to avoid Win 8.1 for that long?

    2. Re:Or people hate Windows 8 by Culture20 · · Score: 1

      Businesses just ended one fiscal year. There was a flurry of purchases with last year's budget. And maybe a little with this year's.

  15. Re:Same price for Windows 7 and Windows 8. by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 1

    As a Greek, you're paying for someone else's money anyway.

    There, fixed that for you.

    --
    Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
  16. Re:You can still buy Windows 7? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Yep, software resale is legal in the EU, so you can buy used Windows licences. Of course, you can probably just get them for free at the local rubbish dump... Maybe that's why Microsoft stopped printing the key on the stickers for OEM copies. Can't recycle them if the machine is dead and won't give the key up.

    In places where resale isn't legal Windows 7 costs the same as Windows 8 and Windows XP. Microsoft keep the price the same of the lifetime of the product, it's never discounted.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  17. Re:A new record for the Microsoft Slashdot .. by msobkow · · Score: 1

    I see one -- this article.

    Maybe if you went into your options and disabled the Microsoft news checkbox option... :P

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
  18. Win 7 lower priced??? by bev_tech_rob · · Score: 3, Informative

    Because Windows 7 was launched in 2009, a license is more affordable than for Windows 8

    Where can I find it cheaper? Just checked on Newegg for Win7 pricing and it is the SAME as Win 8.1. 6 year old OS .... smh..

    --
    You're messin' with my Zen Thing, man.....
    1. Re:Win 7 lower priced??? by MightyDrunken · · Score: 1

      Easy, wait till Windows 10. It's free!

  19. Re:You can still buy Windows 7? by jawtheshark · · Score: 1
    That is exactly why the stickers are gone, IMHO too. It is rather easy to find XP Pro/Home stickers. Vista stickers happen occasionally. 7 stickers are rare though in residentials dumpsters.

    I don't dumpster dive much more these days, it's not worth the effort.

    --
    Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
  20. Isn't the first taste meant to be free? by Demonoid-Penguin · · Score: 1

    And you call your clients "users".

    1. Re:Isn't the first taste meant to be free? by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

      At the end of the day, we're all whores. So "users" isn't an incorrect statement.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    2. Re:Isn't the first taste meant to be free? by Demonoid-Penguin · · Score: 1

      At the end of the day, we're all whores. So "users" isn't an incorrect statement.

      There's only two industries that call their clients "users" - and prostitution isn't one of them. So no (speaking for myself).

      If M$ want's more users they should consider making that first taste free - perhaps go back to the "give it away to schools" model.

      What am I doing? Need. More. Coffee.

  21. I don't think so - they WANT Win7 by dbIII · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No. I think they are doing what I'm doing and buying Win7 for people's PCs because they want people to have Win7 to give them a desktop instead of a block puzzle with hidden offscreen controls.

    1. Re:I don't think so - they WANT Win7 by dbIII · · Score: 1

      If so someone should seriously work on trying to cut down on the amount of cocaine heading into Redmond.

  22. KMS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    nuff said.

  23. Re:actually by desdinova+216 · · Score: 1

    did you mean require?

  24. Re:Same price for Windows 7 and Windows 8. by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

    Not all humans are on earth

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  25. Can't "buy" Windows 10? by bradgoodman · · Score: 1

    From what I understood - Microsoft wasn't going to outright "sell" Windows 10 - but it was going to be available on a per-year licence type of deal. If this is true - it would mean that these aren't "free" upgrades after all - but maybe a trap in which you'd be required to buy a "subscription" down the road...

    1. Re:Can't "buy" Windows 10? by SScorpio · · Score: 4, Informative

      What you heard is wrong, Microsoft has said time and again that the 7/8 to 10 upgrade is NOT a subscription. After upgrading you will be able to do a full clean install directly to Windows 10 if you want to.

      You are also able to preorder full OEM versions of Windows 10 right now on Newegg.

    2. Re:Can't "buy" Windows 10? by BCtoo · · Score: 1

      No, Home version is $120 and Pro is $200 MSRP
      https://www.microsoft.com/en-u...

    3. Re:Can't "buy" Windows 10? by TomH123 · · Score: 1

      That's just speculation and confusion by the anti-Microsoft folks that are afraid it'll be successful and their OS will become even more meaningless.

  26. It should also be noted... by sudden.zero · · Score: 1

    ...that Microsoft is even offering free upgrades to Windows 10 for pirated Windows 7 versions. http://arstechnica.com/informa... Although, this makes one wonder if this is an attempt to find pirates and prosecute them....

    1. Re:It should also be noted... by StikyPad · · Score: 1

      You can't prosecute someone for possessing/using an authorized copy. You can sue them, but that costs more than you would collect, and in many cases you'd be trying to get blood from a turnip.

  27. Is that really the reason? by roc97007 · · Score: 1

    Or perhaps people are buying copies of Windows 7 because it's better on PCs than Windows 8 and because Windows 10 is still an untested commodity? The article seems to take for granted that "everyone knows" the larger the number, the better the product. That's not necessarily the case.

    A wholesaler with whom I do business still has a few copies of Win 7 Pro. I picked up another one recently for a system I might build in the fall. I didn't do it because I'm salivating over Windows 10, or because I'm trying to Beat The System by buying the cheaper OS that can be upgraded, but simply because Windows 7 meets my needs, Windows 8 doesn't, and Windows 10 hasn't been proven either way, yet.

    And please, I know we can download and evaluate the Windows 10 test builds. I make a living off the things I do using a computer. I don't make a living testing operating systems.

    The article seems designed to stir up Windows 10 buzz. I'm not buying it.

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  28. Just get it for free by ZxCv · · Score: 2

    If you join the Windows Insider program (insider.windows.com) and install the Windows 10 Preview, your preview copy will be updated to the full thing when the GM is released. http://www.redmondpie.com/get-...

    --

    Perl - $Just @when->$you ${thought} s/yn/tax/ &couldn\'t %get $worse;
    1. Re:Just get it for free by TomH123 · · Score: 1

      This is only true if you plan to stay on the insider program and continue to run the latest pre-release version. Basically, the version you get on July 29 will have an expiration date a few months in the future. Each insider release will extend that expiration so you can continue in that mode as long as you like. If you decide not to continue getting new releases you'll hit the expiration date for the release you're on. At that point you'll have to purchase a copy to get on the normal stable released version.

  29. More Than ONE Reason by 4pins · · Score: 2

    I have been reading all the signals from Microsoft (free upgrade, last version, free for life) as them moving to: a subscription model, a hardware tie in model, or both. While I recognize I could be wrong, this has lead me to telling people to cling to their Windows 7 licenses. Get them before they are gone. Just in case!

    --
    I will not mourn that which I never had to lose. - Unknown
  30. Re:You can still buy Windows 7? by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

    Yep, software resale is legal in the EU, so you can buy used Windows licences. Of course, you can probably just get them for free at the local rubbish dump... Maybe that's why Microsoft stopped printing the key on the stickers for OEM copies. Can't recycle them if the machine is dead and won't give the key up.

    In places where resale isn't legal Windows 7 costs the same as Windows 8 and Windows XP. Microsoft keep the price the same of the lifetime of the product, it's never discounted.

    Genuinely curious, in EU are OEM licences legally transferable to another machine? Microsoft's intention is that Retail licences are transferable, but OEM (sticker on a machine) are not.

    Since Windows 8, Microsoft changed their "System Locked Preinstallation" (SLP) OEM procedure, so that the individual key is baked in the BIOS / EFI. It will populate itself when a Widows install disc is used.

    I think the reason for this is that on Windows 7, large OEMs (like HP, Dell, etc) used a generic key for each brand, and this method of activation was the method of choice for pirates (eg: Daz Loader), which proved very bullet proof, so they wanted to get rid of that as a piracy path.

  31. I'm planning to upgrade from 7 to 10 by penguinoid · · Score: 1

    Of course, I'll be upgrading a fresh Win 7 install on an entirely different disk, then probably keep using my original install.

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  32. Is this true? by bjs555 · · Score: 1

    I don't want to spread bad information about the free Win 10 installation but some posts that I've read say that once you convert from Win 7 to 10, you get a new key and your original Win 7 license is invalidated. That is, once you convert to Win 10, if you don't like it you can't reinstall Win 7. Is this true? I hope not.

    1. Re:Is this true? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      That is, once you convert to Win 10, if you don't like it you can't reinstall Win 7. Is this true? I hope not.

      Yes and no. Yes, they're going to convert your license, so the original license will be invalidated. No, you will still be able to install Windows 7. What you won't be able to do is legally re-validate it. But seriously, if you use an activation tool to go back to Windows 7, you think Microsoft will knock on your door and sue you?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Is this true? by toddestan · · Score: 1

      Even if your Windows 7 license is "consumed", if it's the Pro edition, surely you would able to use the downgrade rights to reinstall Windows 7 (or 8)?