Microsoft to unveil new plans to monetise Windows early 2015

[HEXUS]

The tech giant may be a considering a huge shift in how it makes money from Windows.

Read more.

[Corky34]

it's really about becoming a Cloud OS

Not for me it's not.

[LSG501]

Not for me it's not.

or me... I don't mind the option of cloud extras but on a business level I wouldn't trust my stuff being purely in the cloud, surely the recent hacking of apple/sony etc should make people more aware of it's major short coming.

As to MS monetising windows... I will NEVER pay a subscription for such a fundamental part of a computer as the OS, I'll move to linux or stay on an old version. I don't mind paying extra for more features, within reason, as long as they're one time fees. I hate the subscription model that everyone seems to be jumping on with a passion, whoever came up this stupid idea needs to be 'metaphorically' shot.

They don't want to bother putting more adverts in the OS either, we have enough of them when we browse the web (thank you adblock), when we watch tv and it's bad enough having ad in MS apps like the weather app. I have NEVER been influenced by an advert to buy the stuff they're trying to sell, a good product doesn't need an advert to sell well.

[Saracen]

Not for me it's not.

Amen to that.

This seems to be teasing some form of subscription service for Windows as a way to make revenue instead of giving it away to simply maintain market share. Could it be more than just charging for non-essential service enhancements such as extra capacity in OneDrive, Skype calling plans and Office subscriptions?

Well, I can nail my colours to the mast right here, right now.

I have NO interest in OneDrive, free or paid for. Not now, not ever. Nor, for that matter, Skype, even if free, and certainly not on a calling plan.

Nor will I EVER use either Windows, or Office, on a subscription basis. Period.

If that's how Windows, or Office, go, I leave Windows and/or Office. I will continue to use existing versions, offline and air-gapped, while I need to, and that aside, Ubuntu and Open-source software provide a perfectly acceptable alternative for me.

IF one-payment licences continue to be available, offering what I want at a price I accept, fine, I don't mind buying a perpetual licence. I am not, however, subscribing to either Windows or Office, now or ever, regardless of price. And that's that.

[scaryjim]

I suspect device-license Windows will remain: the quote "There are additional opportunities for us to bring additional services to the product and do it in a creative way." certainly suggests that services will be additional to Windows, not embedded within. But it's possible we'll see Windows as an OS stripped down considerably, and initial licenses being cheaper - although not very cheap, if "The one thing I can tell you that we've not had any conversations on is Windows 10 being a loss leader for us" is anything to go by

Of course, large-scale corporate clients will probably be a lot more open to large-scale could-based Windows: where I work a number of our services are already provided as cloud-hosted solutions by MS (and blend pretty much seamlessly with the traditional domain-based services hosted internally). To me the whole cloud OS/value-added services concept seems to target those large corporate clients directly (as I've mentioned previously in relation to ChromeOS and Google's cloud services) - they're already used to paying for the device OS on a subscription basis (through software assurance or similar programs); if that subscription can also include cloud storage, security, Office, back-office solutions etc. you're offering a wider range of services through a simpler (and familiar) procurement process, and you can make those services available anywhere with an internet connection. You're hitting all the right buttons for a large corp with a centralised IT service, there....

[sykobee]

Windows is currently booting.

To speed up booting in the future, you can buy 100 Bootup PowerUps(r) for Windows 10 from the Microsoft Store for only $9.99.

[krazy_olie]

Windows DLC...

[DanceswithUnix]

Additional services...

Not so bad if it is like buying a car where you pay extra for alloy wheels, bit more for climate control rather than basic aircon etc.

Not so good if it is like a budget airline where you can watch the video screen but have to pay extra to hear the sound. Pay a bit more to not starve, and perhaps some more to not expire from thirst.

[The Hand]

You never know at least on the gaming platform front, this might be the spark that starts Steam OS engine so to speak. I've considered tinkering with Linux too and this might push me into finally doing that.

[Biscuit]

I suspect that when they say, 'offering additional services', what they actually mean is, 'integrate paid for services into the core of the operating system and make them damn near impossible to remove'

[spacein_vader]

It could involve MS taking the anti competition rulings to the extreme. Windows 10 could come with a one off licence cost as current versions do, but if you want IE, Media Player, Notepad, Minesweeper etc. etc. each of those has either a subscription or another fee.

I'd be ok with that if the licence is around the £50 mark. I'd quite happily drop Opera, 7Zip, foobar, Notepad++ etc on instead of Microsofts offerings and enjoy the reduced cost and bloat.

[big_hairy_rob]

It's simple. They want us to pay "extra" for things already bundled with windows, such as media player, system tools, DVD maker, games etc......

[Boon72]

I'll wait n see what happens, I'm happy with Windows 7 for the little gaming i use my PC for at the moment. I'm finding more time is spent on my iPad for surfing etc and my work MacBook is used during the day.

We have a Windows 10 machine in the office at the moment and it looks ok, but it'll all depend on the price and offerings as to whether it will be a good upgrade. ( i have W8 on a laptop and barely use that because it's just so awkward to use, just built a W8.1 machine that was a little better but still a bit of a pain to sort out.)

[tigertop1]

As I get older I get savvier and yet more suspicious re cloud computing. As Alan Turing and others proved in WW2 anything said to be secure is just another challenge to those who want to break in. Sorry Microsoft your clouds will one day rain on you.

[Wozza63]

Will not be using it if it is on a subscription service. What would happen if I couldn't pay for a month. My computer gets completely locked down and unusable? Most users unlike myself (and most here) would not be capable of uninstalling it and using Linux instead.

[wasabi]

No interest in cloud as don't want to risk my data being held hostage and the suits snooping in my stuff. I might consider Windows on a subscription though, as long as it is the pure OS nd not some cloud integrated mishmash that requires online authentication to work, defaults to Onedrive for everything and so on. Ideally want to know not just what this year's pricing will be too, but the next 3 years. In work have been caught out once too often with MS enterprise price hikes.