But what happens when the preview versions stop and we reach RTM? We know the operating system will be free (in the first year) to anyone running a copy of Windows 7 or 8.1, but if RTM is a straight update, like all previous Windows 10 builds, does that mean every Windows Insider will be able to upgrade to RTM for free?
During a Twitter Q&A yesterday, Microsoft's Gabriel Aul was asked if Windows Insiders would be able to upgrade to Windows 10 RTM for free. His response was "Yes”.
That was something of a surprise, and had Twitter buzzing. Did he mean all Windows Insiders would automatically get a working copy of the finished version of Windows 10, with a valid license and activation?
Naturally, no. Aul clarified with a second tweet stating "You'll have to be upgrading from a system with a valid license for 7 or 8.x".
In other words, while a free upgrade would be a nice gift for Windows Insiders who helped shape the operating system, Microsoft isn’t about to give away the OS to absolutely everyone, only existing Windows customers will get a full, genuine upgrade. Which is the smart, and obvious thing to do.
Microsoft does seem to have a knack of confusing customers when it comes to exactly what "free" means. When the company first announced the OS would be free "in the first year" it had a lot of people, myself included, wondering if that meant it would be charging a subscription fee for the OS going forward, as it does with Office 365. Because that was certainly what might be expected from "Windows as a service". It took several attempts to properly clarify what was meant, and even now a large portion of Windows 10 users remain confused as to Microsoft's plans beyond that first year.
~ Wayne Williams
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