3 ms·

> Yes you can't get it legally as a regular end user That's why it's not mentioned, it's not a product for "normal users", the audience described in the post.

Melatonic 3mo ago
You can get it legally. Just gotta find a smaller VAR and convince them to sell you a single seat for testing purposes
- jasomill 3mo ago
  It's not cheap, but getting it legally is easy, and you don't need a VAR. Specifically, you can buy a single-seat Microsoft 365 E3 subscription directly from Microsoft for $432/year, which includes a license for a single user to use Windows Enterprise, including LTSC, on up to 5 PCs (along with other stuff, mainly Office). https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/e3 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/e3 (click "try for free")
haunter 3mo ago
But that's also kind of the point too: Windows Lite exists but MSFT is "gatkeeping" it to enterprise users only. Probably because they are paying for it.
- CamperBob2 3mo ago
  Not even enterprise customers are allowed to use LTSC. Only hardware OEMs. It's asinine. They could charge $1000+ for LTSC licenses, but my data and digital sovereignty is apparently worth even more to them.
  - wjnc 3mo ago
    Economically, you would probably be the only customer (stated willingness to pay can differ from market outcome ;) paying that amount. Your stated willingness to pay has little relation to the true value of our data and digital sovereignty to Microsoft. A funny estimate is possible though. MSFT 2750 G$ market cap and 550 M business users. That’s 5 k$ per user. Grossly misrepresenting everything (AI bubble, other cashflows, …) but it is a ‘directionally right’.
    - aaronsung 3mo ago
      Indeed there are much more customers than you could imagine in the non-profit/ government sectors paying for that. There are a lot of compliance regulations regarding to data governance that force them to use a clean and lite LTSC version of Windows.
      - CamperBob2 3mo ago
        Complete BS. No one is using LTSC outside of embedded applications.
  - VitalKoshalew 3mo ago
    That's incorrect. Windows LTSC rights are included into Windows Enterprise E3 subscription as well as a VL (EA, MPSA etc.) perpetual license. [1] 1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/windows-licensing https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/windows-...
    - CamperBob2 3mo ago
      That's incorrect. The article merely addresses availability, not licensing. "Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC is designed for devices that have strict change-management policies with only security and critical bug fixes." There is no way for anyone, enterprise or otherwise, to license LTSC for conventional use on their own PC. LTSC IoT is the successor to Windows CE, strictly licensed for embedded applications like kiosks, ATMs, slot machines and the like. When you do license LTSC for a device, you obtain the .iso the same way as all other volume-licensed versions. That's all the article at your URL is talking about.
  - liamwire 3mo ago
    Seconding the correction that LTSC is not restricted to hardware OEMs. I work for a multinational construction materials company and we image LTSC machines day in day out.
    - CamperBob2 3mo ago
      Not legally, you don't. Not unless this has changed drastically since Windows 10.
      - liamwire 3mo ago
        We were doing LTSC for Windows 10 years back as well, so I'm genuinely curious about any resources on this. We're very by-the-book and I'd be incredibly shocked to find we're actually in violation of any laws/ToS.

Melatonic 3mo ago

You can get it legally. Just gotta find a smaller VAR and convince them to sell you a single seat for testing purposes

jasomill 3mo ago
It's not cheap, but getting it legally is easy, and you don't need a VAR. Specifically, you can buy a single-seat Microsoft 365 E3 subscription directly from Microsoft for $432/year, which includes a license for a single user to use Windows Enterprise, including LTSC, on up to 5 PCs (along with other stuff, mainly Office). https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/e3 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/e3 (click "try for free")

haunter 3mo ago

But that's also kind of the point too: Windows Lite exists but MSFT is "gatkeeping" it to enterprise users only. Probably because they are paying for it.

CamperBob2 3mo ago
Not even enterprise customers are allowed to use LTSC. Only hardware OEMs. It's asinine. They could charge $1000+ for LTSC licenses, but my data and digital sovereignty is apparently worth even more to them.
- wjnc 3mo ago
  Economically, you would probably be the only customer (stated willingness to pay can differ from market outcome ;) paying that amount. Your stated willingness to pay has little relation to the true value of our data and digital sovereignty to Microsoft. A funny estimate is possible though. MSFT 2750 G$ market cap and 550 M business users. That’s 5 k$ per user. Grossly misrepresenting everything (AI bubble, other cashflows, …) but it is a ‘directionally right’.
  - aaronsung 3mo ago
    Indeed there are much more customers than you could imagine in the non-profit/ government sectors paying for that. There are a lot of compliance regulations regarding to data governance that force them to use a clean and lite LTSC version of Windows.
    - CamperBob2 3mo ago
      Complete BS. No one is using LTSC outside of embedded applications.
- VitalKoshalew 3mo ago
  That's incorrect. Windows LTSC rights are included into Windows Enterprise E3 subscription as well as a VL (EA, MPSA etc.) perpetual license. [1] 1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/windows-licensing https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/windows-...
  - CamperBob2 3mo ago
    That's incorrect. The article merely addresses availability, not licensing. "Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC is designed for devices that have strict change-management policies with only security and critical bug fixes." There is no way for anyone, enterprise or otherwise, to license LTSC for conventional use on their own PC. LTSC IoT is the successor to Windows CE, strictly licensed for embedded applications like kiosks, ATMs, slot machines and the like. When you do license LTSC for a device, you obtain the .iso the same way as all other volume-licensed versions. That's all the article at your URL is talking about.
- liamwire 3mo ago
  Seconding the correction that LTSC is not restricted to hardware OEMs. I work for a multinational construction materials company and we image LTSC machines day in day out.
  - CamperBob2 3mo ago
    Not legally, you don't. Not unless this has changed drastically since Windows 10.
    - liamwire 3mo ago
      We were doing LTSC for Windows 10 years back as well, so I'm genuinely curious about any resources on this. We're very by-the-book and I'd be incredibly shocked to find we're actually in violation of any laws/ToS.