5 ms·

Sort of? I've been building PCs for about 20 years, and when doing it for others, I'd have them buy a license. For myself, the only time I can recall buying a W

Sort of? I've been building PCs for about 20 years, and when doing it for others, I'd have them buy a license. For myself, the only time I can recall buying a Windows license was for Windows Home Server and WHS 2011. I got a free Windows 7 Ultimate license, which I have now upgraded through 8/8.1 to 10 Pro. But yes, a mainstream Windows user pays for a Windows license, either through a direct license purchase, or through the baked in price of a machine. Most users did not pay to upgrade machines from 7/8/8.1 to 10, but that was a bargain with the devil, as it made it easier on the decision-makers at Microsoft to find other ways to make money off of Windows 10 users.

drcongo 5y ago
What a horror story, thanks for the comprehensive answer.
sharken 5y ago
Part of setting up a Win 10 machine should include disabling telemetry, even though it's not easy. https://winaero.com/how-to-disable-telemetry-and-data-collection-in-windows-10/ https://winaero.com/how-to-disable-telemetry-and-data-collec... It probably won't be long before the Windows 11 version is here.
thaumasiotes 5y ago
> Most users did not pay to upgrade machines from 7/8/8.1 to 10, but that was a bargain with the devil Bargain with the devil? Most users didn't pay to upgrade machines from 7/8 to 10 because they had nothing to gain from the upgrade. You only bargain to get things that you want.
- reissbaker 5y ago
  Er, no, they didn't pay because Microsoft offered the upgrade for free. They did upgrade, they just didn't pay to do so. Hence "a bargain with the devil."
  - thaumasiotes 5y ago
    And I'm saying that, if the upgrade had cost money, they wouldn't have done it. Look at the number of people who upgraded from 7 to 8.
    - neogodless 5y ago
      Most people want the new and shiny even if a select few prefer the stable, safe choice. Mainstream preferences overwhelm the tech savvy. Already I see forum threads on Slickdeals where people are talking about how important it is for any computer you buy to be Windows 11 ready...

drcongo 5y ago

What a horror story, thanks for the comprehensive answer.

sharken 5y ago

Part of setting up a Win 10 machine should include disabling telemetry, even though it's not easy. https://winaero.com/how-to-disable-telemetry-and-data-collection-in-windows-10/ https://winaero.com/how-to-disable-telemetry-and-data-collec... It probably won't be long before the Windows 11 version is here.

thaumasiotes 5y ago

> Most users did not pay to upgrade machines from 7/8/8.1 to 10, but that was a bargain with the devil Bargain with the devil? Most users didn't pay to upgrade machines from 7/8 to 10 because they had nothing to gain from the upgrade. You only bargain to get things that you want.

reissbaker 5y ago
Er, no, they didn't pay because Microsoft offered the upgrade for free. They did upgrade, they just didn't pay to do so. Hence "a bargain with the devil."
- thaumasiotes 5y ago
  And I'm saying that, if the upgrade had cost money, they wouldn't have done it. Look at the number of people who upgraded from 7 to 8.
  - neogodless 5y ago
    Most people want the new and shiny even if a select few prefer the stable, safe choice. Mainstream preferences overwhelm the tech savvy. Already I see forum threads on Slickdeals where people are talking about how important it is for any computer you buy to be Windows 11 ready...