Slashdot Mirror
PSA: Windows 10 Is Still Free For Those Who Use Assistive Technologies (theregister.co.uk)
BarbaraHudson writes: When is a deadline not a deadline? The Register is reporting that the Windows 10 upgrade is still free for 7/8.1 users. [Microsoft] had previously said that those who use assistive technologies would continue to be eligible after the July 29th deadline had passed, and I pointed out in a story last month that Microsoft hadn't figured out yet how they would be able to tell who would be eligible. Looks like they never did figure that one out. [The Register reports:] "Microsoft's year-long Windows 10 free upgrade offer ended over the weekend, but it's still possible to secure Redmond's finest -- even the new Anniversary Update -- for the low low price of 0.00 in whatever currency you prefer. The free upgrade is reserved for those who use assistive technologies, the many features that magnify text, offer text-to-speech or otherwise assist those who don't see or hear with the perfect acuity. But The Register browsed the site and found no checks before downloading. It looks like it's open to anyone."
Ever think about keeping your mouth shut?
Now they're going to close the tap for sure...
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
For those who can't find the link, it's beside the title.
Also, I still haven't "upgraded" ...
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
If you didn't accept Microsoft's many attempts to install Windows 10 and didn't fall for the tricks, why would you willingly install it now? Why would you open yourself up to the advertising and spying? That's like building a wall around your country's border and then willingly allowing Muslims to enter. It just doesn't make any sense.
They're not trying very hard to make people pay for windows 10. From the free versions for OEMs making tablets to the insider program open to the public to the arrrrr me matey win 7 keys flipping into valid installs to this. When you think about it windows is still the only mainstream OS that costs money. OSX, *nix, Android, IOS are all free to the owners of the hardware. It's almost like microsoft wants to make windows free but the shareholders or someone higher up (bill gates maybe?) is against it happening across the board.
On the fence about what? I just cloned my HDD, did the downgrade to Windows 10, did the rollback, wiped the drive, then put the original back in.
If Windows 10 ever becomes critical to run a game I care about or it becomes less of a train wreck, then I can still reinstall for free at that time.
going to test the older installer with a 7 key clean install.
Yeah, my "assistive technology" consists of a 32 inch, 1080 TV and a cell phone running VNC viewer, both not commonly considered assistive technology.
it's still possible to secure Redmond's finest for the low low price of 0.00 in whatever currency you prefer
Nice! So, free Xenix then? I didn't even know they were still supporting that any more.
OSX & IOS are not free to owners of just any hardware, they're used to sell the underlying hardware.
Android is the closest comparison to the new direction Microsoft appear to be taking, using market dominance to profit off user data.
Their motivation has changed. They still want Enterprise to pay for it, but they want consumers to use it, thereby subjecting themselves to telemetry, data mining, and OS-level advertising. MS has decided that consumer data is worth more than consumer money. They're obsessed with users as a commodity now; that's why they bought Skype and LinkedIn. They don't care about those services, they want the users.
The Win10 deadline came and went as almost everyone suspected, and with this change in consumer strategy they have zero incentive to raise the "price". I expect them to start moving up the non-enterprise end of life dates on previous versions instead. Win7 support ends in 2020? Not so fast, it's 2018. If you miss that deadline, pay $119 for the "safety and security" of Win10.
Of those the only hardware company there is apple and I doubt IOS and OSX are paid off by the hardware. It would be the app stores that come with the OS that generate them more money. microsoft is the odd one out here where they should be pushing the app store out to as many windows users as possible but they still put up that barrier with a OS that officially still costs money.
That makes sense by upselling but the 'crap' versions of windows still cost money.
Installers with clean 7 keys never worked. You need to install 7, then perform an upgrade to migrate the key.
not the 1st installer but the 2th one does.
Then wipe and install 10 again with no key, then activate. The PC's reservation will stick and the online activation will work. (And yes, this officially sanctioned if that matters to you.)
Just don't change any hardware between the wipe and reinstall of 10.
Users are finding assistive technologies are being turned on automatically in older versions of Windows.
they want people to use the appstore. they want that %%%% cash.
what most people miss is that trying to figure out how to make people use the store and monitoring how much people user the store and what mouse click the interaction flow with the store stops is the reason for 98% of the tracking in win10. they think that tracking will provide them with some secret super insight into why people aren't using the windows appstore.
enterprise they want to shell up a monthly cost. and to still use the store and store apps. you cannot disable the store appx applications entirely without breaking some core windows functionality. functionality like uh, the start bar, wifi selector, settings.
I feel bad for the sysadmins trying to configure win10 to be secure only to have everything washed out by every goddamn windows install and by how broken the group policy stuff in windows 10 actually is. it doesn't really matter that they're disabling some of it for widows 10 pro because it is so much broken you might just as well not bother with it. sure, disable one driver from the group policy. it's still going to be on the quick access links anyways. uninstall it. it's still going to get installed next time you update. and if it can't install onedrive again then the update will fail.
Considering all the trouble I went to in order to ENSURE that W10 didn't infect my 'doze box, this news is .... unhelpful.
Now, if I can get WoT working under Linux and a video editor that doesn't make me want to scream and can afford, I'd be done with Microsoft.
(Yes, I know about OpenShot. No, I don't want to change to it. Remember I said I didn't want to scream?)
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
In many parks, one can find evidence that dogs have been at large. Even though their leavings are available free of charge, I have no desire to take any home and put it on my computer.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
The Win10 deadline came and went as almost everyone suspected, and with this change in consumer strategy they have zero incentive to raise the "price". I expect them to start moving up the non-enterprise end of life dates on previous versions instead. Win7 support ends in 2020? Not so fast, it's 2018. If you miss that deadline, pay $119 for the "safety and security" of Win10.
I'm sure we could get more unwanted nagware or telemetry "features" on Win7, but they've never messed with already promised support deadlines. That would make all their corporate/enterprise customers question the validity of their support guarantees, it'd be shooting themselves in the foot in a major way. And I really doubt Microsoft will try to collect money on upgrades, sure they had to put a deadline and try to scare people into upgrading now rather than later but I'm sure there will be loopholes and new rounds to "encourage" people to upgrade. Feels good to get a $119 upgrade for free if you're smart, right? Setting a ridiculously high sticker price and slashing it is the oldest salesman trick in the book.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
>> Windows 10 Is Still Free For Those Who Use Assistive Technologies
Windows is an assistive Technology
aaaaaaa
I dunno man, at least the dog poo doesn't autoinstall yet more dog poop.
They are slowly breaking Windows 7 to "encourage" people to upgrade. New security patches seem to get barely an testing and often cripple performance of the thing they are fixing. Network performance in particular has taken a massive hit over the last year or two. 30 second delays opening network drives, incredibly slow VPNs. A fresh install of SP1 is fine, but after you install the hundreds of megs of updates...
I'm worried 8.1 will go the same way. With a bit of luck the EU will force them to produce a good version of 10 without the spyware and some control over updates.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
The real question: Will the lock screen for the visually impaired end up containing text to speech ads?
Even if you pay for a Win10 license, you still get the Start menu ads, forced telemetry etc. I could kinda understand why when Win10 was for free, but how do they justify showing ads and not being able to disable Windows Store etc. when the user is on a payed for licenses?
OK, I understand that you dislike metric, but using Imperial (7/8) together with metric (8.1) is just plain silly.
Use either one or the other!
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Both a clean install and an update still work and give you a good key!
Yeah, my "assistive technology" consists of a 32 inch, 1080 TV and a cell phone running VNC viewer, both not commonly considered assistive technology.
Lucky you. I can't even follow a hockey puck when standing a couple of feet from my 50" tv. Good thing I'm not a hockey fan.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
The topic is accessibility. One of the features of the latest update is improved accessibility. All operating systems have a long way to go in this area.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
They can't shorten thise dates without incurring a lawsuit. For Windows 7 and Windows 8 they were established when the product was sold. If they tried to cut support off early they'd be in breach of contract.
That is a lot of RAM for a Vista install. I had 4 Gigs which was far more than enough back then. I was thinking you meant 32 Megabytes, but that is very small for the time as most work stations of that period had 1 or 2 gigs of RAM.
Back then with that type of setup, why didn't you use Windows Server 2003 or 2008?
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
This gives Microsoft a PR boost for sacrificing profits for the sake of users in need while taking steam out of piracy by giving a free upgrade to users who are realistically not going to pay. Someone in MS business department more than earned their salary.
REDMOND -- In what is sure to be judged by future historians to be a 'dick move' by Microsoft Corporation, the mega-corps' plans to fool, trick, and otherwise swindle the disabled into 'upgrading' to Windows 10 was revealed. "They don't know any better and generally don't have the mental awareness to realize the consequences of their actions.", says Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, speaking from his command and control lair located under Mt. St. Helens, "They're prime candidates to become part of the ever-growing Microsoft bot-net and data collection platform program, so we here at Microsoft are more than happy to give them a 'free' upgrade, muah ha ha ha!".
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
Perhaps, though some are a lot better than others - iOS is apparently recommended by a lot of groups for the disabled because of its extensive accessibility features (especially the blind). As is OS X. This is because of their general architecture that provides a lot of it "for free" with no developer involvement. So every time Apple makes an improvement, all applications get it as well. Heck, some games even support a lot of the accessibility features, either inheriting what the OS provides for free, or because the developer deliberately added accessibility support.
Windows comes next - a lot of it also comes "for free" if you use standard widgets, but there's fair bit more that one needs to add to be fully accessible
Linux is... laughable, unfortunately. Spotty at best - accessibility is generally provided by the underlying toolkit like GNOME, but no one's actually hooked anything up, because that takes work and is an itch fire a