madnomadtoo (imported) wrote: Mon Apr 23, 2018 4:17 am MS says that Windows 10 is it. No new versions, just upgrades to Windows 10. Perhaps in the future the "10" will be dropped.
MS will always see income from new computer purchases that come with Windows, but apparently the income from established users upgrading to the next version has reached a dead end.
So, how much longer before Windows becomes a "subscription" service, a la Office 365? You will only receive updates and fixes if you pay annually. Or, heaven forbid, your system times out without a subscription, reverting to a restricted, crippled version, in which case the "subscription " fee becomes ransom.
Might this happen, just before the world comes to an end, or am I entertaining fantasy?
Correct, end-user upgrades have become an increasingly smaller part of Microsoft's income. For many people new version of Windows = new computer. Its one reason why they no longer care about end users upgrading (hence no Windows 11), the other big reason is The Microsoft Store.
Microsoft now makes their money from:
- The Microsoft Store, as more and more Apps get into it. Works similar to the Google/Android Store and the Apple Store. Microsoft takes a big cut, like 30% of the purchase price, for any Apps in the Store.
- its X-Box division
- the sale of new devices (any that have Windows 10 pre-installed, the manufacturer has paid Microsoft a fee for the Win10 license)
- business services. For medium to large businesses (anyone under "Microsoft Software Assurance" plan) both Windows and Office is already a yearly subscription.