The next generation of Windows: Windows 10

I notice something in these comments which is troubling to me.

Is the following comment meant to suggest Windows 10 will not be transferable to upgraded or replacement equipment?  I suppose someone might also wonder what supported lifetime might mean.

"keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device"

I suppose such details will be in the EULA for the OS, just wanted to see what the current thinking is.

> we will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device,

who determines the "Lifetime" of the device,
       

That's an interesting point. I don't know the answer but what comes to mind as the "Supported Lifetime" would be the manufacture of the device and their specific support policies. If this is true then it would be a supported lifetime nightmare as no one company has the same support / warrantee polices.

If you the useful life of a device as a guide then Computers are by far and away the longest lived. Phones / Mobil devices come and go every year or two as users want the latest and greatest.

J W Stuart: http://www.pagestart.com

Lifetime of the device is what it says, throughout the devices lifetime.

Remember, hardware pretty much caught up with software over the years.

Windows 10 uses similar mimum system requirements as Windows Vista which was released 8 years ago. The only difference between Vista and Windows 10 is memory, Vista had a minimum requirement of 512 MBs, Windows 7 and later requires 1 GB for 32 bit and 2 GBs for 64 bit.

So to put it gently, Microsoft will continue to service the device or PC with Windows 10 til it eventually croaks.

Now you might say, how is Microsoft going to determine this?

Well, Microsoft supported a version of Windows called Windows XP for nearly 13 years. Sure enough, I know that the IBM Aptiva I used from 1999 that originally ran Windows 98 and was upgraded to Windows XP in 2002 is not here with us any more, since it croaked in 2004.

The average life span of a PC is 3 to 5 years by industry standards. Even if you went up to 10 years unofficially, it wouldn't be a big deal either way. Since most persons refresh their PCs every 2 to 3 years. I was shocked when Intel released a report saying 4 year old PCs are due for a refresh right now and this will boost sales of their new Broadwells. I am saying to myself, you are saying my HP Z210 Workstation is obselete? Surely doesn't feel like it. Yet its running Windows 10 like a champ!

Of course, as advances are developed in processor technology, security, web standards, your device might not be able to run the revision of Windows 10 or all of its features that will be available 5 or 10 years from now. Case in point, PAE, NX, SSE2. Some current PC's that support the minimum requirements of Windows 8.1 but not support certain technical requirements have been left behind. It might be a similar case.

Then again, it might not support some newer technologies but can run the fundamentals of the software. For instance, the latest version of OS X has a feature called Continuity, although OS 10.10 supports Macs as far back 2007, not all have the necessary Bluetooth support for Continuity.

But what constitutes a PC as a device? I'd hate to think adding RAM or an HD would mean it's a "new" device...

My best guess would be, it's going to be tied to the CPU and/or MoBo as far as PCs go.

Lifetime of the device is what it says, throughout the devices lifetime.

So to put it gently, Microsoft will continue to service the device or PC with Windows 10 til it eventually croaks.

Now you might say, how is Microsoft going to determine this?

The average life span of a PC is 3 to 5 years by industry standards. Even if you went up to 10 years unofficially, it wouldn't be a big deal either way. Since most persons refresh their PCs every 2 to 3 years.

Thanks Andre, but I do not agree with your first comment, since the referenced quote does not actually say what you assert. 

A supported lifetime could be defined as the Warranty period of a device, if you suggest the support is that of the manufacturer.  If the Support is determined by Microsoft, they could choose any period they might like, such as three years.   Maybe I am a little naïve, but I really do not think Microsoft will supply a fully updated OS for much longer than 3 or 4 years without some type of compensation.

Personally, I will update my homebuilt systems about every 4 years, depending on technology advances, sometimes sooner.  Since you did not address my comment concerning this situation, I will assume I will be required to purchase a new License every 4 years with the new build, or when I change that system enough so it needs to be reactivated. 

Folks who purchase OEM devices will be in a different situation since they are used to buying a new license with the new device. 

I strongly suggest Microsoft include specific examples necessary to cover all possibilities.  Maybe I am trying to read too much into the comment, but it was probably approved by the Microsoft lawyers. ;)

Lifetime of the device is what it says, throughout the devices lifetime.

So to put it gently, Microsoft will continue to service the device or PC with Windows 10 til it eventually croaks.

Now you might say, how is Microsoft going to determine this?

The average life span of a PC is 3 to 5 years by industry standards. Even if you went up to 10 years unofficially, it wouldn't be a big deal either way. Since most persons refresh their PCs every 2 to 3 years.

Thanks Andre, but I do not agree with your first comment, since the referenced quote does not actually say what you assert. 

A supported lifetime could be defined as the Warranty period of a device, if you suggest the support is that of the manufacturer.  If the Support is determined by Microsoft, they could choose any period they might like, such as three years.   Maybe I am a little naïve, but I really do not think Microsoft will supply a fully updated OS for much longer than 3 or 4 years without some type of compensation.

> Thats the problem, you are thinking of Microsoft with the old business model where you pay for a new version of Windows every 3 years with new big bang releases.

Those days are over, Microsoft is basically giving away Windows 10 for free because the operating system has become so comodetized. In addition that, there are new models for monetizing Windows through value added services: Skype, Office, Store apps, Advertising.

This is more than a one-time upgrade: once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device – at no cost. With Windows 10, the experience will evolve and get even better over time. We’ll deliver new features when they’re ready, not waiting for the next major release. We think of Windows as a Service – in fact, one could reasonably think of Windows in the next couple of years as one of the largest Internet services on the planet.

And just like any Internet service, the idea of asking “What version are you on?” will cease to make sense – which is great news for our Windows developers.

Source, Terry Myerson, Microsoft:

http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/01/21/the-next-generation-of-windows-windows-10/

Personally, I will update my homebuilt systems about every 4 years, depending on technology advances, sometimes sooner.  Since you did not address my comment concerning this situation, I will assume I will be required to purchase a new License every 4 years with the new build, or when I change that system enough so it needs to be reactivated. 

See my previous reply. The determinant of whether you will need a new license will depend on if you loose the license you got through promotion when Windows 10 is launched later this year.

Folks who purchase OEM devices will be in a different situation since they are used to buying a new license with the new device. 

I strongly suggest Microsoft include specific examples necessary to cover all possibilities.  Maybe I am trying to read too much into the comment, but it was probably approved by the Microsoft lawyers. ;)

Its still early, we haven't even gotten the new build yet.

At this time, Microsoft has taken build 9879 which was the latest build offline in preparation for next weeks new build. So you will have to be patient until then.

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