Thursday, May 14th 2015
Microsoft Reveals Windows 10 Variants
Microsoft revealed the six variants in which its next operating system, Windows 10, will ship in. The company decided to unify the Windows 10 brand across its PC, workstation, and handheld platforms. For PCs, workstations, and tablets running x86 processors, the lineup will include the Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Education, and Windows 10 Enterprise.
Windows 10 Home has everything a home and small-business user could ask for (including PC gamers and enthusiasts). It will include the Edge web-browser (so your post-install waltz to Chrome or Firefox websites is a few seconds faster), Microsoft Cortana voice-based assistant, richer Bing integration, Microsoft Hello face-recognition software, and support for biometric login methods. Gamers get DirectX 12 out of the box. Users of Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 8/8.1 get a free upgrade to this edition.
Windows 10 Pro adds features for power-users, such as advanced data protection, remote- and mobile-access, additional cloud features, and remote management for medium-sized businesses. Users of Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Windows 8/8.1 Pro get a free upgrade to this edition.
Windows 10 Education is a brand new SKU designed for schools, colleges, and universities. It will come with features to meed the needs of educators (teachers, management, exam-controllers, computer labs, etc.,). This edition will be sold through specially priced volume licensing to entire counties, groups of institutions, and universities.
Windows 10 Enterprise will be designed for desktops and workstations in a very-large enterprise environment, in which individual machines are expendable, and user data is centralized and portable between machines. It will come with advanced networking, data-security, and remote management features.
In addition, Microsoft is readying two variants of its operating system for smartphones and tablets - Windows 10 Mobile, and Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise. Windows 10 Mobile will be targeted at consumer smartphones, and will have a rich feature-set for communication, social-networking, and productivity; while Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise will be designed for devices given by companies to their employees, with access to privileged information and services.
Unfortunately, and breaking tradition, Microsoft didn't disclose box-art, marking Windows' transition from optical disc media, to one that's distributed by any which way possible, while Microsoft only sells licenses (keys). The company already gives away ISO disc images and USB flash drive install media creation tools for Windows 8.1 on its website; while selling licenses.
Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro, will be offered as free-forever upgrades to users of equivalent variants of Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1, if they upgrade within the first year of Windows 10 launch. Those using pirated Windows 7 may find the upgrade "free," but Microsoft has a slew of anti-piracy measures in store, which kick in after the upgrade.
Microsoft could dramatically change the way it monetizes Windows, in the near future. Gone will be the static $100-ish licenses, and the company will sell Windows as a service, much like Office 365. You choose your desired variant, and pay for using it, monthly or annually. We imagine unpaid installations suffering a worse fate than merely not getting software updates - the OS could become unusable after a "grace period," until you pay up.
On the upside, the monthly or annual fees for each edition could end up quite cheap. Also, the version will no longer be relevant. Microsoft will keep adding big new features every so often (which you normally expect from new versions that require you to buy new licenses). Windows will sell a lot like Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Windows 10 will be released in July, in 111 languages, and in 190 countries.
Windows 10 Home has everything a home and small-business user could ask for (including PC gamers and enthusiasts). It will include the Edge web-browser (so your post-install waltz to Chrome or Firefox websites is a few seconds faster), Microsoft Cortana voice-based assistant, richer Bing integration, Microsoft Hello face-recognition software, and support for biometric login methods. Gamers get DirectX 12 out of the box. Users of Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 8/8.1 get a free upgrade to this edition.
Windows 10 Education is a brand new SKU designed for schools, colleges, and universities. It will come with features to meed the needs of educators (teachers, management, exam-controllers, computer labs, etc.,). This edition will be sold through specially priced volume licensing to entire counties, groups of institutions, and universities.
Windows 10 Enterprise will be designed for desktops and workstations in a very-large enterprise environment, in which individual machines are expendable, and user data is centralized and portable between machines. It will come with advanced networking, data-security, and remote management features.
In addition, Microsoft is readying two variants of its operating system for smartphones and tablets - Windows 10 Mobile, and Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise. Windows 10 Mobile will be targeted at consumer smartphones, and will have a rich feature-set for communication, social-networking, and productivity; while Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise will be designed for devices given by companies to their employees, with access to privileged information and services.
Unfortunately, and breaking tradition, Microsoft didn't disclose box-art, marking Windows' transition from optical disc media, to one that's distributed by any which way possible, while Microsoft only sells licenses (keys). The company already gives away ISO disc images and USB flash drive install media creation tools for Windows 8.1 on its website; while selling licenses.
Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro, will be offered as free-forever upgrades to users of equivalent variants of Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1, if they upgrade within the first year of Windows 10 launch. Those using pirated Windows 7 may find the upgrade "free," but Microsoft has a slew of anti-piracy measures in store, which kick in after the upgrade.
Microsoft could dramatically change the way it monetizes Windows, in the near future. Gone will be the static $100-ish licenses, and the company will sell Windows as a service, much like Office 365. You choose your desired variant, and pay for using it, monthly or annually. We imagine unpaid installations suffering a worse fate than merely not getting software updates - the OS could become unusable after a "grace period," until you pay up.
On the upside, the monthly or annual fees for each edition could end up quite cheap. Also, the version will no longer be relevant. Microsoft will keep adding big new features every so often (which you normally expect from new versions that require you to buy new licenses). Windows will sell a lot like Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud.
Windows 10 will be released in July, in 111 languages, and in 190 countries.
105 Comments on Microsoft Reveals Windows 10 Variants
Since Windows 8 is basically a service pack for Windows 8.1 that means that after one year you will have to pay for service pack (Windows 10) for Windows 8.1. This is very sad.I have to buy Windows 10 Enterprise to get these features? Why can't Windows 8 Pro have the same features only different licensing?I wouldn't be so sure, KDE looks really great.Apple is even worse especially with their high prices and did you ever think how much would a backup laptop cost you in case your primary one fails? It would cost you minium 900$, for that money you can get a very strong PC.
techreport.com/news/28214/the-curtain-falls-on-windows-media-center
my htpc won't be going to 10.
It was just much easier, because it took no effort on my part, the MyMovies people had done all the hard stuff for me, and the HTPC plugin knew exactly what it was looking for on my server.
Aparently my case is absolutely minority and unmainstream: while I work the whole day I like to watch tv sometimes on my PC, and record some programs. The software that comes with USB TV sticks is so slow, poor and ugly (have had Miro PcTV, Hauppague, Aver... and what not) so MCE was THE option.
Will have to test Kodi etc if my case really is not enough reason for MS to reconsider or bring a newer product.
I've had a retail key for W7pro for 3 years now that I have never had to use.
Windows XP was 1000x harder and more annoying to pirate, by adding the OEM bios key activation method in Vista+ Microsoft lost all chances of stopping piracy with their OS.
Maybe this time MS will do something smart like bind activation to a Microsoft account that can be deactivated and re activated on any one PC at any time.
Eventually, I'm sure MS is making the some obvious observations. People who buy an OEM system expects to use it for the duration of it's life, and OS costs can be internalized by the supply chain (including MS, Intel/AMD, OEM). DIY crowd is niche. Those who go that route will have to think about a pay-per-use type subscription based system for an OS that is always up-to-date, which can make a lot of sense instead of paying a lump-sum for an OS that will become obsolete in a few years and you're left with a dead-end license. You can keep upgrading your hardware as often as you want, and the OS will stay fresh and you'll pay for it only as long as you're using it.
I think it makes sense. It's a different system from what we have now, but I think it makes a lot of sense for the consumer too, as long as they can keep the subscription costs to around $30 per year ($105 for 3.5 years, which is about the average lifetime of previous Windows installations since Windows XP) for the Home edition.
Sure, you're already paying $40 a month for Adobe Creative Cloud, but that is just the basic functions. You want to use the blend tool? Extra $1. You want to actually be able to export your videos to any format other than .mov in premier? Extra $2.
Sure, you're paying $10 a month already for Office 365. But you want to be able to bold parts of your document? Extra $0.50. You want to change the font to anything other than Comic Sans? Extra $0.25 per font.
You're paying $20 a month to use Windows, but you want to open Calc? Extra $1. You want to change your desktop background? $0.25 per background, and you can only use the background you buy off Microsoft's store.
If we let it, it's coming.
And M$ wants W10 on a billion machines. Good luck with that.....
If they say it is subscription based from the start I'll just stay on 8.1 until they fix it or I have to pirate for a new one.
Windows DRM is the one and only way to record premium channels...
Now what the fuck am I gonna do...
I quit using Time Warner's DVR because all they offered in my area was a box with PCM 2 channel audio...
Somebody better come up with something that doesn't require a Goddammed subscription fee to DVR and soon..
This really fucking pissed me off
Of course hackers always will find a way around it but I'm not opposed to it as a general licensing concept.
This is all conjecture, but they probably would still dole out security updates regardless. Feature updates? I doubt it.
I've never actually tried it since I cut my cable TV years ago and just download everything I want to watch.
The only thing new in windows is not much more than just UI changes and removed user features they've added years ago so they can now charge extra for them.
If it does work I'll definitely make a decent thread on it...
I use the HDhomerun Prime (with a Cisco cable card) alongside a Cisco STA 1520 DTA...should work...but I'm thinking the only way you can record premium channels on NextPVR is within Windows...using WDDM..LOL
I'll give it a hot tomorrow
On Topic...I have 1 PC that will likely make the Win10 transition from Windows 8.1 pro...that I bought MCE for......bastards