4 ms·

Is this in prep to just make Windows free and make money from advertising instead? To deal with pirated windows or those who don't want to pay? Or use those ill

• toyg 5y ago
  Like those items were impacting MS in any meaningful way - they've not really been significant since the introduction of online activation. No, it's just an attempt at finding new revenue streams for something that is in the process of being commoditized. Linux/Android/ChromeOS (yes yes, spare me the pedantry) are free and increasingly good enough to fully replace the traditional OS for most tasks, which puts pressure on everyone else to squash prices to zero. Apple could commoditize the OS because they sell hardware; MS cannot do it without a significant revenue hit. Their pivot to online services is working, but still, when they finally pull the plug on desktop licenses they're going to feel it. So they're in a perennial quest to find new income sources for that division.
• reaperducer 5y ago
  Microsoft has talked about subscription operating systems for a long time. At least decade, probably more. Perhaps this is the fallback if your credit card on file in Windows expires so that you can still access your stuff when your monthly Microsoft tax comes due.
• shmde 5y ago
  You know that majority of laptops come pre-installed with windows and the price of windows is already added to the laptop MRP ?
  • philliphaydon 5y ago
    Building computers in asia is popular because it’s cheaper than a prebuilt. I’ve seen computers in the shops in Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries which have “activate windows” icon because people don’t pay for it.
• donmcronald 5y ago
  They're probably ruining the perpetual version on purpose so they can sell an ad free subscription version in the future.