Windows 10 will be free to all Win 7 and 8.1 users, but there’s a catch

Microsoft just announced that all users running on current Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1, and Windows 7 PCs and devices will be upgraded to the Windows 10 operating system, but there’s a catch.

In a press conference, Microsoft says that the new OS will be available as an upgrade to qualified Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 hardware for free only during the first year after the OS is released to the public. A footnote in the Windows website suggests that the Redmond Giant is still figuring out pricing for the new platform once the first year free period expires. Several versions are excluded in the upgrade, such as the ill-fated Windows RT.

*It is our intent that most of these devices will qualify, but some hardware/software requirements apply and feature availability may vary by device. Devices must be connected to the internet and have Windows Update enabled. ISP fees may apply. Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 Update required. Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise outside of this offer. We will be sharing more information and additional offer terms in coming months.

Windows 10 now features a more streamlined start menu and taskbar, UI overhauls to the settings and Control Panel, ability to expand the start menu to full screen, more security and privacy options, and deep Cortana integration on the PC. Project Spartan, the new successor to Internet Explorer, is also unveiled at the event.

In the version tailored for smartphones and tablets, you are now able to change the backgrounds, live tiles are now shown with more real-time information, and unification with the desktop OS is achieved in the form of universal apps such as Photos, Videos, Music, Maps, People & Messaging and Mail & Calendar, and the integrated app store, bringing in a more seamless experience.

For its next-generation gaming console, Microsoft aims to make gaming on the XBOX One a more social and interactive experience. A new keyboard shortcut, Windows+G, will give users the function to record their games directly to share to their friends and followers in XBOX Live. Gamers can now enable XBOX game streaming to Windows 10 devices later this year.

The Redmond Giant also demonstrated its new Windows Holographic software, enabled via default on Windows 10, as well as a new hardware called Microsoft HoloLens. This enables the consumers to create and view objects and animations in 3D space.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes that Windows 10 can bring in their vision of consumers choosing Windows as an innovative experience and loving it, rather than needing it, and Windows 10 will be a key component in realizing that vision as it is the core to all software it will build. “Windows 10 is built for a world where there are going to be more devices on the planet than people,” he said.

The next Technical Preview for Windows 10 on the PC will be available for free to Windows Insiders in the next week and for the first time on phones later in February. Insider reports expect the new OS to be ready and arrive to consumers by late summer or early fall this year, along with the new Microsoft Lumia flagship devices.

Photos: Windows website, CNET