4 ms·
Why do you think they don't know this will be annoying but intend to do it anyway to shift revenue sources? My personal opinion is: Microsoft told us they see
by xenadu02 5y ago
Why do you think they don't know this will be annoying but intend to do it anyway to shift revenue sources?
My personal opinion is:
Microsoft told us they see Windows 11 as the "last" version. From now on Windows is a service that pushes continuous updates. The OEM deals are still generating revenue but the strategy shift means no more selling retail upgrades.
It makes total sense that Microsoft would now prioritize adding new revenue sources. I would expect more "parterships", ads, telemetry/tracking, and so forth. The money is just too juicy and Windows is slowly transitioning to be a cost center instead of revenue center which makes the pressure to find revenue even higher. Plus with PC upgrade cycles getting longer and the overall PC market somewhat leveling off (days of 50% yoy growth are long gone) revenue was going to stagnate no matter what.
Microsoft employs a lot of smart people. They know users don't want any of this. The desire to find new revenue is a higher priority. Anyone not on-board with the "Windows client versions are now a 'marketing channel' and 'partnership opportunity'" will leave or find themselves reorg'd to "align business priorities".
Is writing some new feature going to move the needle after the OEMs fill the system up with spyware/adware? It isn't going to increase PC sales by 20% this year so it isn't going to generate more OEM license sales and zzzzzzz (look the VPs already fell asleep during your presentation).
Is fixing bugs going to get kudos, or just create more support tickets as your bug fix accidentally breaks some old garbage "business critical" software relying on the broken behavior? It sure isn't going to sell more copies of Windows since that isn't something MS does anymore.
But putting ads in Explorer and generating $50m in new revenue? Now that will get you a promotion and bonus!
- bondarchuk 5y agoDidn't they say 10 was the last version, too?
- andi999 5y agoThey did.
- gruez 5y agoAFAIK it was a random windows dev that said that, not some official company communication/promise.
- t-writescode 5y agohttps://www.pcmag.com/news/windows-10-the-last-version-of-windows https://www.pcmag.com/news/windows-10-the-last-version-of-wi... > Microsoft's developer evangelist Jerry Nixon made the announcement at the company's Ignite conference in Chicago last week. That's a bit more than "a random dev".
- gruez 5y agoI'm not sure about you, but "developer evangelist" sounds pretty rank and file to me. Searching his name he's apparently now a "Senior Software Engineer" on linkedin (can't click in, getting a login wall), which supports this.
- t-writescode 5y agoThis person, as an evangelist, spoke at an official event run by the company. That's why I think they're special.
- gruez 5y agoYou'd think that something as important as "we won't ever launch more editions of our most popular piece of software ever" would be disseminated more widely and across more channels than one "developer evangelist" interview in a conference? If that's real (ie. some sort of position that senior management actually approved), that is. I don't doubt he thought he was telling the truth, or that there was a general sense within the organization that windows 10 was going to get continually updated rather than having new editions every 3 years. Windows 10 did adopt this model for 6 years. But painting it as some sort of official promise from the organization seems tenuous.
- anothernewdude 5y agoAnd now 10 is the last version.
- thaumasiotes 5y ago> Microsoft told us they see Windows 11 as the "last" version. Really? It's hard to see how they could say that without getting laughed out of the room, considering they said the same thing about Windows 10.