Why is Windows 10 suddenly free?

At midnight on January 22, Beijing time, Microsoft released a preview of its new operating system, Windows 10. Win10 is the first operating system in Microsoft's history to provide free upgrades, and will support seamless synchronization and collaboration between PCs, tablets, mobile phones, and Xbox One gaming platforms for the first time. It will assume the role of an interconnected medium for all Microsoft ecosystems, which means that Microsoft's Windows operating system will usher in a new era of multi-platform interconnection.

After the failure of Win8 and Win8.1, Win10 has shouldered the heavy responsibility of Microsoft's revival to a certain extent. Most importantly, this free upgrade shows Microsoft's courage and determination to announce its transformation to the world.

Industry insiders believe that Microsoft's free model is also a gamble, hoping to get more devices to install their systems. Microsoft will make up for this loss in the future by selling online versions of Office and cloud services.

“The wool comes from the pig”

Microsoft skipped Windows 9 and upgraded directly from Windows 8 to Windows 10. For this new start, Microsoft Windows has made remarkable product innovations. The new version of the system includes: a new browser Spartan, integrated voice-operated assistant Cortanna, separate desktop and tablet operation mode Continuum, and the first free upgrade and support for multi-platform collaboration in history.

Regarding the upcoming Win10 operating system, Microsoft Executive Vice President and head of the operating system department Terry Myerson said that within one year of the release of Win10, all current Win7 users, Win8.1 users and Windows Phone 8.1 users can upgrade for free. This is the first time in Microsoft's history.

Microsoft, which was founded on software, has made its operating system its main source of profit since its inception. Terry Myerson said that the reason why Microsoft allows users to upgrade for free is that it hopes to run Windows on as many devices as possible, and then make up for the lost income by selling valuable services such as Office software on the Internet or in the cloud.

This is a typical "wool comes from the pig" Internet thinking. Obviously, after trying for the past few years, Microsoft has also learned the "Internet thinking" to grab users for free.

This move will undoubtedly greatly increase users' enthusiasm for upgrading the system, and Microsoft is expected to get rid of the quagmire of slow system user upgrades. Most importantly, on the basis of free upgrades, Win10 will support PC, tablet, mobile phone and Xbox One gaming platforms.

In other words, once users use Windows 10 in the future, the information, settings, and interactions of their PCs, mobile phones, tablets, and Xbox One will be interconnected in a three-dimensional manner. Users will be able to synchronize their schedules, personal files, contacts, messages, related settings, etc., and enjoy a smoother experience when switching between devices.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said: "The cross-platform mobile experience is very important, and this is our main work in the future. We hope that people will fall in love with Windows in their daily lives."

This means that Microsoft's Windows operating system will usher in a new era of multi-platform interconnection, which is very attractive to developers.

It is understood that Win10 is expected to be officially launched in the fall of 2015.

Nadella’s responsibility

Win10 is the first operating system released by Microsoft CEO Santia Nadella after he took office in February 2014. Last October, Microsoft released a developer preview of Win10. Analysts said that Win10 will become the core of Microsoft's mobile strategy, upgrading Microsoft's entire ecosystem to the next-generation platform, and to a certain extent shouldering the responsibility of Microsoft's revival.

Before this, the Windows ecosystem fell into a vicious circle. Most newly shipped PCs were equipped with Win8, but most users still preferred Win7.

Data from market analysis firm Net Applications shows that as of December 2014, Win7's market share was 54.57%, while Win8's market share is currently only 3.28%, and Win8.1's market share is 8.3%.

In order to get rid of the "haze" of the Win8 era as soon as possible, Nadella did not hesitate to abandon Win9 and upgrade directly. In fact, during Nadella's tenure, Microsoft has implemented a number of bold adjustments, including free mobile versions of Office for iPhone and iPad, and free Office365 education version for students in the United States, China and other countries. He also proposed a large-scale layoffs around the world under the "mobile first, cloud first" strategy.

IT commentator Sun Yongjie once commented on Nadella's layout after he took office: "Compared with Ballmer, who is too straightforward, the rational Nadella knows how to please Wall Street better. His slogans of 'mobile first' and 'cloud first', as well as his open and free strategy, are very much to Wall Street's liking."

However, Sun Yongjie believes that neither the free mobile Windows and Office nor the NET open framework will bring substantial commercial benefits to Microsoft in the short term. For example, the application attributes of mobile devices and their proportion in Microsoft Office's overall revenue will not have a substantial impact on Microsoft even if it is free to suppress its competitors. Perhaps while Microsoft is increasing its presence in the mobile market, implanting Office into its competitors' platforms will have a real advertising effect.

Sun Yongjie said that the slogans such as "mobile first, cloud first" are just the layout, and whether they can really bring benefits to Microsoft remains to be tested. "Nadella actually gave Ballmer's strategy a coat of openness and freeness. Microsoft still has many challenges ahead, such as the real rise of mobile and the real market leadership of enterprise services. These are all tests for Nadella."

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.