Windows 8.1 to 10

[vitaraq18]

If I get the upgrade will my windows 8.1 key turn into a windows 10 key, then am I able to perform a fresh install for when I build my new PC at Christmas.

 

[USAFRet]

Yeah, but I'm trying to guess what will happen after that first year.. if 3-5 years down the road I want to build another PC, will I be stuck with 8.1 then, or will they still let me upgrade to Windows 10?

After July 29 2016, the free upgrade from 7 or 8.1 goes away. After that, for a new PC, you'll have to buy a new OS for it.
They're not giving you unlimited free OS's for however many devices you want.

 

[dproberts]

Yeah, but I'm trying to guess what will happen after that first year.. if 3-5 years down the road I want to build another PC, will I be stuck with 8.1 then, or will they still let me upgrade to Windows 10?

After July 29 2016, the free upgrade from 7 or 8.1 goes away. After that, for a new PC, you'll have to buy a new OS for it.
They're not giving you unlimited free OS's for however many devices you want.

I understand that. However, my 6-year old PC with OEM Windows Vista (upgraded to 7.0 as it was purchased right before the Windows 7 release date) is eligible for the Windows 10 update, 6 years later. It's strange to think that a full retail version of 8.1 might need to stay at 8.1 even 2 years from now if I switch it to another device, since the point of the full retail version is to be able to port it to another computer.

Just to clarify - my understanding is that Microsoft is headed towards a "subscription based" service where your device is frequently upgraded with newer software for free, but older versions are left unsupported and vulnerable to security issues. So, it seems like I could be headed towards a scenario where MS says "your full retail version of 8.1 does allow you to port your software to a new computer. Unfortunately, your 2 or 3-year-old software is now unsupported."

If that's the case, I might as well just save my $20-$30 and buy the OEM version, and by a new OEM version of whatever's available several years from now, which is probably exactly what MS wants everyone to do anyway.

 

[USAFRet]

Even with persistent comments and rumors, Microsoft has categorically stated, in no uncertain terms, that Windows 10 will not turn into a subscription model.
Of course, that may change in years to come, but as of today, no.

Your Windows 10, whether upgraded from a current 7 or 8, or bought retail, will continue to be upgraded, 'forever' for free.
Does this include an eventual Windows 11 or 12? Who knows.

The free upgrade to 10 from an existing 7 or 8 is only applicable until July 29 2016. If you want the free upgrade, do it before then. Otherwise, buy it.

Absolutely unknown if a current retail Win 8.1, then upgraded to Win 10, will allow that particular Win 10 license to be used on a whole different PC.
I've not seen any comments from MS on yea or nay for that.
They have specifically said that you can reinstall on that particular PC again and again. But nothing, so far, about a whole different PC.
They have said OEM becomes OEM, Retail becomes Retail.
They have also emitted verbiage to the effect of "for the life of this device".

Let us wait and see what the actual licensing says, after it is actually released.

 

[gangrel]

As far as being able to upgrade from Win 10 to Win 12 or whatever they call it, down the road...I like speculating. I think the reasons they're being this liberal with the upgrade are several and varied, but

a) We know Win 8 is...let's say, not universally loved. A very quick web search led me to an article showing Win 7 has about 4x the market share of Win 8/8.1, and that Win 8 has a lower market share than XP (!). It's probably fair to say that MS is writing Win 8 off, that they are admitting to the blunders, and that the upgrade to Win 10 is, for all intents and purposes, apology and compensation.

b) With Win 7, they want it dead. It's a great deal harder to manage patches for 2 different code bases. And I think WIn 10 may be preferable even to Win 7 for those needing to upgrade from Win XP, but haven't due to legacy program requirements. Not sure how large a segment this latter part is; XP is apparently the OS of choice in many embedded environments like ATMs, and changing OSs there is quite probably a tad more difficult.

Now, there's certainly been a pattern over the last several releases of alternating successes and bombs. If the pattern continues, then in 2020 or so we might see the same liberal upgrade policy for Win 12. If MS gets its act together, then we probably won't.

 

[utgotye]

I'm not sure you can say that or not. I like Win8/8.1 just fine once I get of or hide as much of the touch-optimized, Mero BS as I can, including the start menu, which was and is my, and most others', biggest beef with it. Get rid of that stuff and it's better than Windows 7 in many ways.

Like Vista, assumptions made by Microsoft as well as assumptions made by the public, many of who have never used the product, as evidenced by Windows 7's (6.1) success and the Mojave project, have created a bad reputation from which there is no recovery.

 

[gangrel]

The market share isn't my opinion.
http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10&qpcustomd=0

I believe even Vista had better market penetration before Win 7 came out. The initial reviews of Win 8 were AWFUL; I'll grant that the reviews of 8.1, especially with Update 1, have improved. Old prejudices die hard, tho, and people don't WANT to change their ways radically, unless there's a clear advantage. So it started with negative momentum, it hasn't picked up any, and there's no reason to suggest it would have. Clearly, no one with Win 7 is likely to upgrade to 8 at this point. So, they basically need to reboot the process and come out with the new version, with a clean start.

And what you and the reviews are suggesting is, there's some good stuff inside Win 8.1...but it's essentially buried because so many refuse to look past the UI negatives. The UI controls how they interact; they don't see the lower-level stuff. Office has had this criticism at times as well, when they changed the UI radically. I know I've had the "where the HECK is...it used to be so obvious!" reaction in Excel more than once.