Do you have a pirated version of Windows installed right now? Don’t be afraid to admit it. Microsoft is letting you off the hook. In a surprise move, Microsoft is offering the upcoming Windows 10 operating system to genuine and non-genuine users.
Late last year, Microsoft announced that Windows users will receive a free update to their OS when Windows 10 rolls out in summer of this year. In an unprecedented move, Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s executive vice president of operating systems, said in a Reuter’s interview that “[they] are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10.” If you’re running a pirated version of Windows, you’ll be eligible to a free version of Windows 10, as long as you have a compatible device.
Microsoft is also working with Lenovo China and Xiaomi to help roll out the new mobile operating system to their phones, another unprecedented move that might see the clash (or lovechild) between the Windows OS interface and the Android-based MIUI.
A sign of surrender? Windows piracy is a rampant phenomenon. No matter what license protection they come up with, software pirates have always figured out a way to bypass Microsoft’s security. And even without meaning to, users sometimes find that the Windows version their laptop came in with is actually illegitimate. Is this Microsoft’s way of saying “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em?”
But how free will it be? It certainly makes one doubt where Microsoft’s revenue stream is heading. But it’s definitely a smart move for one of the biggest operating systems available. Rather than leaving the pirates in the dark, Microsoft is taking them in. This incurs no loss from the company since these pirates don’t generate revenue anyway. With the free versions, Microsoft will be able to take them into whatever their revenue model will be, which may be sales through apps and office suites. Microsoft will still keep their app store open. As long as this doesn’t turn into into a limited freemium model, Windows 10 will spread like wildfire. One OS to rule them all?
UPDATE: Apparently, the versions that the pirates will get will still be flagged as illegitimate. There are no material implications to this that have been revealed yet. More here.
[…] We previously reported that Windows 10 will be free for everyone, including pirates, according to Microsoft. This brought out massive speculation on how Microsoft is establishing their revenue stream with Microsoft eliminating their biggest potential market. Owe it all Microsoft’s executive vice president of operating system, Terry Myerson, who claimed that the free Windows 10 upgrade will be offered to genuine and non-genuine users alike. […]