More and more details are emerging regarding Windows 9 (or what Microsoft ever Microsoft decided to call it). Now thanks to the president of Microsoft Indonesia, we know more details. It’s PRICE!!
Indonesian news site Detik.com (via BGR), quotes Andreas Diantoro, the president of Microsoft Indonesia, stating that Windows 9 will be a free upgrade for all Windows 8 users.
So Why does this matter: Users have responded extremely well with high adoption rates to Free operating system update. iOS, Android and most minor OS X updates a free. After the black eye that Windows 9 gave Microsoft, it appears they are wanting to earn some of it user bases trust back.
Taking cues from Windows 8.1, OS X
Quoting BGR, Windows 9 will be available as a free download, much like Windows 8.1, which was a free update provided to Windows 8 and Windows RT available to users through the Windows Store, which seems to be how most are choosing to release their updates as of late. This method was also used to release OS X’s update..
What is still in doubt, is if Windows 9 will be free to users of earlier versions of the OS, such as Windows 7 or Vista. Although a free upgrade for all certainly would go a long way to increasing wider adoption to their product and moving the Windows Store model into wider acceptance. As well as would shrink the number of versions of the OS they would be left to support, making the end of life cycle issues less of a subject.
We certainly will know more after Microsofts September 30’s event.