Microsoft just announced some great news on Wednesday. The upcoming Windows 10 will be available for free for a large portion of existing current users.
At a Windows 10 event in Microsoft's Redmond headquarters, executive vice president of operating systems Terry Myerson announced that the company will provide free upgrades to Windows 10 to all users running Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and Windows Phone 8.1 users for the first year after Windows 10 is made available. He did not mention Windows 8 but users who have that version can upgrade to Windows 8.1 for free to get Windows 10 when it rolls out "sometime" in 2015.
It was not clear, though, what he meant about free upgrades being made available during the first year of Windows 10. Some speculate that Microsoft could continue to monetize its operating system using a subscription-based model similar to Office 365 after the free first year expires. Others think it means customers who want to upgrade to Windows 10 after the first year has lapsed will have to purchase the OS separately or as the platform running on a new device.
"This is more than a one-time upgrade: once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device - at no cost," Myerson says in a blog post as a follow-up to his onstage announcement, which sounds like Windows 10 will be free forever for customers who upgrade within the first year.
Myerson shares his vision for a unified Windows 10, which he sees more than just an operating system but as "one of the largest Internet services on the planet." Windows 10 takes a big leap forward by aiming to become a platform that is compatible with all sorts of devices, from traditional desktop computers to mobile devices and even devices with no screens. For instance, if a user switches from his PC to his Surface tablet, he will still be using Windows 10, but the interface will change to conform to the device's form factor.
This, Myerson says, will be a boon for developers who want to reach a wide range of audiences without having to develop separate apps for multiple form factors. Microsoft believes it can encourage developers to jump onboard the Windows platform by developing a single app that can be used for all sorts of devices.
Figures collected by Net Applications show, as of December 2014, 56 percent of all computer users around the world use Windows 7. Another 9 percent run Windows 8.1 and 4 percent run Windows 8. This means developers have a potentially huge audience by creating apps for Windows computers alone.
"And just like any Internet service, the idea of asking, 'What version are you on?' will cease to make sense - which is great news for our Windows developers," he says. "With universal Windows apps that work across the entire device family, developers can build one app that targets the broadest range of devices - including the PC, tablet, phone, Xbox, the Internet of Things, and more."
