Re: "It is free for the _supported_ lifetime of the device"
I am unsurprised that you posted this anonymously.
> the sheer mangling of the English language in an attempt to make an announcement look sinister
The 'mangling' was adding back the word that Microsoft had deliberately used but was dropped by posters. If it looks 'sinister' then that is what was in the Microsoft statement.
> swollen, self-appointed authoritas
And then you, as a "swollen, self-appointed authoritas", make a definitive statement as if you have a direct brain-feed from Gates. In fact there has been a statement from Microsoft about this:
"""Microsoft's Jim Alkove reiterated the free upgrade for consumers, but a set of guiding asterisks (**) led to the following clarification:
**Details on our device’ supported lifetime policy will be shared at a later time.
"""
http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/microsoft-not-yet-ready-describe-what-supported-lifetime-device-means-windows-10
> There is no subscription model.
Microsoft does have subscription models: 'Software Assurance', 'Office 365'. The question is whether Microsoft's statement that the business plan is 'Windows as a service' will require subscriptions in the same way as 'Office as a service' does.
"""Myerson made it semi-clear in a statement on the Windows blog yesterday…
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." """
http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/windows-service-windows-10-versionless-windows#comment-740411
Microsoft appear to be changing their revenue model from charging for new versions of Windows every few years to a service model where the increments are small and frequent, and the revenue will also be small and frequent.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
