Is Microsoft’s Windows 10 Free Anymore? All The Need-To-Know Info About A Monthly Fee For Windows 10 Upgrade
It’s no big surprise that Microsoft has been pushing a “free” Windows 10 upgrade hard lately. The new OS has a bunch of useful new features and feature improvements, but it may not be free much longer. In fact, far from it. The tech giant may start charging a monthly fee to Windows 10 users. Here’s everything you need to know about when and how Windows 10 may no longer be free.
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Show Me The Money
The cost of Windows 10 will depend upon the edition you’re running. DigitalTrends.com reports that the standard Home edition will cost $120, with Windows Pro costing $200, and a $100 charge for upgrading from Home to Pro edition. There is some good news, however — as Windows Report will tell you, those who own legit copies of Windows 7 and 8 can still grab Windows 10 for free until July 29, 2016. Additionally, the monthly surcharge applies only to Enterprise editions of the operating system.
Forrester Finds Windows 10 Can Reduce Security, IT, and Productivity Costs https://t.co/JP9RGQt03f
— Buffi (@DevOpsRant) July 14, 2016
What Does This All Mean?
If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 10 yet, now may be a good time to decide whether you’re comfortable paying for a subscription. If the answer is no, there are plenty of solid Microsoft competitors out there. For instance, the Apple Macintosh and Google’s Chromebook offer relatively comparable performance and features without a monthly fee. For the foreseeable future, these companies seem to have no plans to charge for using their OS.
Double Trouble
Microsoft also currently charges a monthly fee of $6.99 for Office 365, a suite consisting of programs like PowerPoint and Word. If you’re subject to the fee for using the Enterprise edition of Windows, that could add up pretty quickly. Unless 365 is something you’re willing to pay for, you might consider sticking to Apple’s iWork suite (free when you purchase an iOS device), or Google Docs (free all the time). All three programs offer cloud-based as well as local solutions for typing documents, making presentations, maintaining spreadsheets, and much more.
So, What’s The Big Deal?
If you’re debating about whether or not to pay the piper, it can be helpful to know what Windows 10 can do for you and/or your business. The new OS comes with a host of new features, including a long-awaited grave for Internet Explorer in the form of Microsoft Edge. A handy, built-in program dubbed Steps Recorder can also be used to record your screen to share later. Some uses of this might include showing colleagues how you did something or helping make classrooms more interactive for students.
The New Windows 10 Enterprise Still Costs Money
Microsoft will unleash a new version of Enterprise in the fall. As ExtremeTech.com reports, this new edition will be called Windows Enterprise E3, and will cost businesses $7 per month per employee. As it stands, everyday users will be immune to the price increase. In the meantime, Microsoft is also experimenting with interesting new tech like Skype chat bots, holograms, and virtual reality. The Microsoft HoloLens are a pair of special goggles that let you work with computer programs in 3D. Skype Chat bots are here now, and can interact with you directly to do anything from looking up song titles to analyzing a photo and describing it back to you.
What’s The Verdict?
So, should you start (or continue) using Windows 10? The OS isn’t bad overall; it offers solid performance, a clean and accessible design, and easy ways to surf the web and use programs. Sharing between apps (programs) is easy, as is syncing content to and from a mobile device. If you’re okay paying the upgrade fee, Windows 10 is definitely something worth checking out if you haven’t already.
[Image via ymgerman/Shutterstock.com]
