Windows 10 Now On 500 Million Devices, Up By 200 Million in a Year (arstechnica.co.uk)

At Build developer conference in Seattle today, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 is now running on 500 million monthly active devices. From a report: Little over a year ago, the company said that the operating system had reached 300 million systems. As the operating system nears the end of its second full year on the market, it's clear that it's going to fall a long way short of the company's original estimates. At launch, the ambition was to reach 1 billion devices over the first two to three years of availability, but this estimate assumed that Windows 10 Mobile would be a going concern, selling something of the order of 50 million or more devices a year.

Comments

Forced upgrades.

[gfxguy]

It's pretty easy to hit that milestone when you force people to upgrade without their consent. Don't get me wrong - I have Windows 10 on both my desktop (dual boot) and personal laptop; I have it on one of my work laptops (the other is Windows 7/Linux dual boot). I'm probably one of the few people who like it, but I don't pretend like what MS didn't wasn't disgraceful.

Re:Forced upgrades.

[sexconker]

The point is to have games and whatever other Windows-only critical applications you need when you need them, but to get away from Windows and it's "telemetry" whenever you can. With Windows in a VM, you can block the forced updates and spying. Windows as a host OS will subvert your attempts to block these things, and you'd have to run an external firewall. By running Windows in a VM, the external firewall is simply on the host OS.

Re:Forced upgrades.

[chipschap]

Well, I use my computer mostly for working purposes, I run Linux, I'm no fan of MS, and I'm not a video/computer gamer, but I have to say you're making an unfair judgment.

There are people who enjoy computer games. There is nothing wrong with that. No doubt you, Mr. AC, enjoy some forms of recreation. What would make your choice better than someone else's?

If a person enjoys a video game, more power to them. If that person needs to run Windows to enjoy a particular game of choice, that's a valid decision. Yes, it comes with some downsides, but it's nonetheless valid and who are we to say it's not?

I don't and won't run Windows, but if someone else chooses to run an OS different from mine, or chooses a recreation different from mine, that's their business and their right.

Statistics on VOLUNTARY installations?

[Rick Schumann]

Sorry but I can't take this seriously considering the source; anyone have a link to statistics concerning voluntary installation of Windows 10? From a credible non-Miscreant-o-soft source only, please.

Yay!

[thegreatbob]

It's absolutely amazing what you can accomplish when you could not care less about people's choice in the matter.

Oh fuck off

[ilsaloving]

It is now virtually impossible to get anything *other* than Windows 10 on computers. Newer machines with Kaby Lake or Ryzen processors effectively *force* you to get Windows 10. Microsoft is figuratively holding a gun to people's heads and saying, "You use Windows 10, or nothing at all."

In other news, taco sales are through the roof! The fact that it's now mandatory for people to eat Tacos for dinner every day has *nothing* to do with it.

Assholes.

Comment

[WallyL]

Cheap grab for attention/points/karma/laughs:

Hello, Windows developer. Please select one of the following options for the new Windows "Free" Initiative:
( . ) Free as in freedom
( . ) Free as in beer
( X ) Free as in herpes

^ Thank you for your selection. Have a nice day!

Re:Comment

[Tough Love]

( . ) Free as in freedom
( . ) Free as in beer
( X ) Free as in herpes

(x) Free as in convicted sex offender on parole