On 1/22/2015 1:52 PM, Roy wrote:


If Windows 10 is to be given out FREE, then we should be able to go
to a computer outlet such as Staples or The Source and get a FREE
disk with the software and no questions asked.

When it's being given away for free, the recipients can take it or
leave it.

There has to be a
catch somewhere.

Google doesn't charge for Android, and it's the main OS in the mobile
market. Apple doesn't charge for updates to their OS, and it's the
second-biggest OS in the mobile market. Windows still dominates in the
office environment - for now. Thing is, the younger folk use their
mobile devices and thus are more prone to choose an OS that they're
familiar with. Once they get into positions of power, they will very
likely not choose Windows. Thus, Microsoft has to expand their user
base to include mobile users. Their first incredibly clumsy misstep in
that direction was Windows 8. They alienated their long term
desktop/laptop users and corporate clients stayed away in droves. They
learned their lesson, and Windows 10 is supposedly going to be a more
nuanced second attempt to familiarize the users of both mobile and
desktop/laptop devices with one OS that will be usable (with minor
changes) on both types of hardware. So they think they have a better
product, well, now the second challenge is getting the critical mass
of adopters to it. Since they're playing the long game, the smarter
approach is to give it away (at first) in hopes of reaching that
critical user mass. Microsoft's future may be at stake.