Just to clarify. If you bought a device. The maker aka you paid a fee.
Person above either using water market version or pirated it but more likely got it pre installed
Either they don't understand windows economics with that stupid "comment"
People like you is why they do this shit in the first place. The entitlement of wanting products for free basically forces companies like Microsoft to become the huge advertisement pushing cunts that they are now.
sadreality@kbin.social 11 months ago
Hyperreality@kbin.social 11 months ago
Windows 10 was a free upgrade from 7/8. 7/8 was a free upgrade from XP. I mean, XP was installed on something, but I certainly haven't paid for windows in decades.
Apparently it's still a thing:
https://www.techspot.com/news/100334-microsoft-closes-windows-7-11-free-upgrade-loophole.html
And if you think about it, why would I pay for windows, given it's loaded with spyware? I'm already paying to use it with my data. No different than using google software.
TheFerrango@lemmy.basedcount.com 11 months ago
Windows 7 and Windows 8 were definitely not free upgrades
Hyperreality@kbin.social 11 months ago
No?
I seem to remember there being a free upgrade for the visually impaired. I'm a wanker and wear glasses, so I ticked the box and started downloading. Apparently others also used this as a loophole.
sadreality@kbin.social 11 months ago
If you think that "private customers" have not paid for it... There is not much to discuss here chief
narc0tic_bird@lemm.ee 11 months ago
They do it because of greed and the everlasting thirst of large companies to grow bigger and bigger.
They literally gave Windows 10 and 11 away for free if you had Windows 7 or 8.
Many if not most people pay for Windows in the form of licensing costs included in the price of a device, mainly laptops. Most laptops come with Windows preinstalled, and Microsoft earns with every laptop sold with Windows preinstalled. People building their own PC and getting an OEM key for cheap off of eBay or pasting a one-liner into PowerShell are the minority.
Do you really expect people to go out of their way to purchase a retail Windows license when they already have a perfectly valid and activated version of Windows preinstalled on their device?
And now that Windows 10/11 is a nice mix of adware, bloatware, nagware and spyware, do you really think it’s worth $199 (for the “Pro” version)?
It’s a business model Microsoft deliberately chose. Guess what? They were doing just fine before doing what they do now, despite of a few “software pirates”.
I’d happily pay even a subscription fee for Windows if Microsoft didn’t try to shove their crap down my throat every chance they get.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I wouldn’t pay a subscription fee for windows without the bullshit, but that’s partly due to the value of their competition. Without the bullshit though I’d likely be ok with buying a new version every major pc upgrade or if the new edition offered a serious value improvement. Otherwise I’d hold on until such a situation. The move from 10 to 11 was whatever until I got the ads. I’d also probably consider linux every time I have to pay to upgrade. But their bullshit converted me to give it a second chance and I won’t go back. Linux happens to stand on its own merit now.
dustyData@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It’s never morally wrong to steal from a mega corporation.
grue@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Nah, failure to enforce consumer protection and anti-trust law is why they do this shit in the first place. It doesn’t matter if you paid for it or not; even when you do pay, they exploit you anyway because they can.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Yeah cars are one of the most expensive things you’re likely to buy, pull subscription bullshit, and spy on you like crazy, sometimes including your sex life. I pay about a gaming pc of cash upfront for my phone and still get spied on and advertised to by its os.
And yeah I bought windows a year or so ago because I bought a new motherboard and needed an os and didn’t know linux was this good now. About a hundred bucks and it comes with all this bullshit that drove me to linux