Windows 10 : Last version of windows?

Must have been an OLD article (they have been saying that for over a year!)

Who knows - you are asking for people to predict the future? hah

It means you have asked volunteers on a peer-to-peer public worldwide volunteer-based web forum to be a psychic hotline . . . And tell you what reality will be in a month, year, decade....

While it certainly seems Microsoft is taking the same approach that has worked for Apple with versioning and such and going more towards the SaaS model when it comes to the operating system - only time will tell if it works out.

M$ switched to build numbers

Win-10 is a generic description.

Well, we cannot really say if this is the last OS. But yes we are planning a different approach starting Windows 10.

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2015/01/21/the-next-generation-of-windows-windows-10/

Also, we have changed the way we release updates to the OS. We are moving into a Build release model other than the traditional service packs. You will find this blog interesting.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/plan/windows-10-servicing-options

Is Windows 10 really free and do I have to pay for it after the first year has passed?

Windows 10 will be free for the first year to all Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Phone 8.1 users. This means, as long you upgrade within the first 12 months (July 29th 2015 to July 29th 2016), you will not have to pay for Windows 10 at all.

Wow, thats cool, but does that mean, I will have to pay for Windows 10 after the first year?

No. Its a promotion to get as many users to upgrade their existing Windows 7 PCs and Windows 8.1 devices to Windows 10. Once you upgrade within the first year for free, its yours forever at no additional cost. As Microsoft Program Manager for Windows Terry Myerson described it:

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 additional charge.

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

I heard Microsoft representatives mention they are moving to a servicing model for Windows 10, does that mean Windows 10 is going to require a subscription?

No, Windows 10 remains a perpetual license, which means, you can upgrade to Windows 10 and use it forever without it expiring or going into any reduced functional mode.

Are you saying there will be no more versions of Windows after Windows 10?

Microsoft is moving Windows to a servicing model with Windows 10. The days of major revisions or what are called big bang releases are no more. As Microsoft Program Manager for Windows Terry Myerson described it:

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

Why is Windows 10 free, is there some catch?

No, its not a catch. We are computing in different times. Windows 10 is free so app developers can standardize on one platform and reduce the fragmented market of different versions and editions of Windows that have been an issue in the past. When everybody is on the same platform, it means better quality apps, a healthier ecosystem and more advances in hardware and software innovation.

Will I have to pay for updates and fixes for Windows 10?
No, updates, fixes, security updates, features all remain free.

What does lifetime of the device mean?

The logical conclusion is as long as the machine is operable, Microsoft will continue to support it with updates. So, if the machine still works 5 or 10 years from now, revisions and updates to Windows 10 will be made available to it. Please note that Windows 10 uses the same life cycle policy of 5 years mainstream support and 5 years extended support.

Although Microsoft has said that, it can't possibly be literally true.

Almost certainly what they mean is that they will not give a different names to future versions of Windows. So the next version could be called 10.1, 10B, 10 SR2, or something like that.

But who knows whether they will change their minds about that. Microsoft has never been consistent in their naming conventions. They went from numbers (1, 2, 3, 3.1) to years (95, 98) to names (XP Vista) and back to numbers (7, 8, 8.1, 10). And  note that although almost everyone thought the version after 8.1 would be called 9, Microsoft decided to call it 10. Also note that rather than calling it 9 or 10, they could have decided to call it 8.2.

Wait and see. Nobody here (and maybe even nobody at Microsoft) knows for sure what the future will bring.