Microsoft promotes online safety during Internet Safety Month

June is Internet Safety Month, and as part of the effort to help protect children from the more negative (and potentially dangerous) aspects modern digital life, Microsoft has taken the initiative with a post on their Microsoft on the Issues blog outlining several key issues that parents and guardians should be aware of as well as providing several resources for further reading on the subject.

Of most concern are issues relating to impersonation, hacking, online bullying and sextortion and while Microsoft praises the benefits that technology and the Internet provides, the company is fairly open about the fact that, “people – especially parents and children – need to be aware of and guard against risky situations.”

The blog post reassures readers that exposing children to technology isn’t a danger in itself but there are practices that can put some people at more risk than others and that, “risks intensify if children are online, are uninformed and are unsupervised”.

In a recent Prevention and Awareness Joint Law Enforcement/INHOPE Conference at The Hague, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation’s Michael Sheath reportedly spoke about these issues and the dangers of “The Dark Web” and said in a presentation that, “If you want to reduce (online) risks for children, engage and educate children and their parents” and that emphasized that, “Prevention activities have value.”

Microsoft shares the following five basic tips for parents and caregivers;

• Get involved in kids’ online lives
• Start (and continue) talking openly about appropriate – and inappropriate – online behaviors
• Ask (tough) questions that may make parents or kids uncomfortable
• Listen closely and openly to the responses, and
• Get help from technology.

The blog post also provides three genuinely informative (and easy to understand) fact sheets on general online safety, sexting and how to use Microsoft’s numerous services such as the Bing search engine, Xbox gaming consoles and Windows devices safely with children.

Are you a parent or caregiver? Does online safety concern you? How do you keep your kids safe? Share your advice with others in the comments below.

Source : winbeta

Install Windows 10 Free

Windows 10 upgrade will allow clean installs on the same device for free

 

People who upgrade to Windows 10 for free during the first year of its release will be able to erase and restore their devices later and keep the free operating system. 

Gabe Aul, an engineering general manager for Microsoft’s operating systems group, said in a tweet that people who upgrade a device to Windows 10 during the first year of its existence will be able to perform a clean reinstall of Windows 10 on the same device “any time.” It’s good news for upgraders who are concerned about what will happen to their devices a year after its July 29 launch. 

ADVERTISING

Also, people won’t need to hold onto their Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 product key in order to perform the restoration. Their devices will reactivate themselves after being upgraded to Windows 10, Aul said.
 
That functionality will be underpinned by a Windows 10 feature that will allow people to reinstall the operating system and hold onto their files—or delete the files entirely and start fresh. Aul went on to say that the same deal will apply to people who restore from a .ISO disk image file rather than using the built-in reset service. All of that is good news for users, since performing a clean installation can sometimes help alleviate problems with a troubled computer. 

However, people who plan to do significant hardware upgrades to their computers may still want to do so before the Windows 10 release. There’s still a question of how generous Microsoft’s upgrade policy will be, and whether the same activation will apply to a device that received a major upgrade like a new motherboard. 

It’s not yet known how much Microsoft will charge for an upgrade license to Windows 10 after the promotional period expires. Getting a new license to the software will be costly, though: Windows 10 Home retails for $119, while the Pro version of the operating system will cost $199 new. 

Microsoft’s permissive upgrade policy makes sense not only from a customer service standpoint but also because the company wants to get as many people as possible on Windows 10. Windows chief Terry Myerson told an audience at the company’s Build developer conference in April that Microsoft wants 1 billion devices running Windows 10 by the end of its 2018 fiscal year. 


Source : pcworld

Microsoft launches low-cost Internet in rural Kenya

An initial trial of the technology in Kenya had been first announced in early 2013; however, the project is finally beginning to progress. (Image Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft is aiming to connect rural residents in Nanyuki, a market town in Laikipia County in central Kenya, with low-cost wireless Internet. The move aims to deliver affordable Internet service and connectivity to central Kenya as a means of providing service to under-served regions of the country.

According to Microsoft: “The Internet service is made possible by utilising TV White Spaces, the unused portions of wireless spectrum in the frequency bands used for television broadcasting.”


An initial trial of the technology in Kenya had been first announced in early 2013; however, the project is finally beginning to progress.

The program is part of Microsoft’s broader 4Afrika Initiative, which is aimed at improving the continent’s global competitiveness. The project has since rolled out 15 Wi-Fi hotspots near Nanyuki, including: the Matanya shopping centre, Burguret Dispensary, Male Primary School, Male Secondary School, Gakawa Secondary School and Laikipia District Community Library, local reports on the topic reported.

The move is expected to enable Kenyans, within Nanyuki, to access the internet as well as stream content, while connected to the service.

Source : - itnewsafrica

Microsoft's time-accelerating Hyperlapse tech is now an app for Windows phones, Android

When Instagram's Hyperlapse app was released last year, people rushed to try its cool time-lapse effects. Well, Microsoft was working on its own technology, and it's now available for Windows phones and Android.

Officially, Microsoft Hyperlapse is a beta for Android and a preview for Windows desktop machines; it's a full-fledged app for Windows phones. On the Windows and Android mobile platforms, the app allows you to capture and lapse video captured with the smartphone's camera, while on Windows PCs, the app serves as a time-lapse editor for video captured on GoPro cameras and other devices. Essentially, the Windows app is the hyperlapse editor that Microsoft disclosed last year.

A hyperlapse takes video shot over a period of say, fifteen minutes, and compresses it down to just a minute or so. The result, of course, is that the video accelerates through what would normally be a lengthy movie at a speedy clip. You've probably seen the technique used when cameramen record video of the stars slowly moving overhead at night, ships moving through a harbor, or a building being built. Microsoft's app allows you to record at different speeds, however, so you can vary the effects.
Here's a hyperlapse video shot with the new app:

But there's another aspect to the Hyperlapse app technology: stability. The app actively smooths the video as it's compressed, so that a job through the park or a skateboard ride down a hill doesn't produce a video that bounces all over the place

For Windows, you'll need Windows Phone 8.0 and one of the following devices: the Lumia 435, 530, 532, 535, 630, 635, 636, 638, 640, 640 XL, 730, 735, 830, 930, 152, or the HTC One M8.
Android users will need to use supported phones running at least Android 4.4. Microsoft says that the apps are being released without official support, if that makes a difference to you.

Why this matters: Microsoft Lumia owners have always taken pride in owning one of the best cameraphones on the market, but they're also aware that Windows app support is typically lacking. With the new Hyperlapse app, Microsoft Lumia owners can add to their stable of camera apps (and there are quite a few already!) with the neat—if somewhat gimmicky—hyperlapse technology.  


Source : - pcworld

What if Windows went open source tomorrow?

Thinking out loud about Microsoft making Windows an open source project is a great way to get your friends and colleagues wondering seriously about your mental health. It’s an idea strange enough to sound practically paradoxical, like “hot ice” or “short Pink Floyd songs.”

It’s intriguing for the same reason, however – and people both inside and outside of Microsoft have begun to openly consider the potential upsides and downsides of such a move.

The company has been working to thaw its relations with the free and open source software community for several years now. In that time, Microsoft has made real strides, releasing its .NET build engine, JavaScript tools, and more as open source. Linux runs on Azure, and Azure CTO Mark Russinovich (@MarkRussinovich) recently made waves by stating, outright, that an open source Windows was “a possibility.”

But it’s not a big one, by most estimates. Network World contributor and SUSE employee Bryan Lunduke’s estimation that Microsoft releasing Windows’ assets and code via something like the GPL “would, in all likelihood, happen at the exact same moment that all volcanoes on Earth turn into waffle cones filled with chocolate ice cream” seems to be where the smart money currently is.

The fact that this has even the slightest chance of ever happening boggles the mind.
Network World contributor and SUSE employee Bryan Lunduke

“The fact that this has even the slightest chance of ever happening boggles the mind,” he said.            

Why in the world would Microsoft do this?

Broadly speaking, to gain all the traditional advantages of open source software – community developed code that has more eyes out for bugs, goodwill from developers, and potential user base growth, thanks to favorable ($0) pricing on the base product.

Michael LaVista is the founder and CEO of Caxy, a Chicago-based web and UX design firm that uses open source software. He said that a newly opened Windows code base would have its advantages.

“One of the huge benefits of the open source community approach is that issues are spotted quickly and patched quickly,” he said. “The downside is seeing what’s in there. This is old news, but some source code was famously leaked and it had some unfortunate comments in it. Who knows how much is still in there[?]”

Others were also at pains to highlight the double-edged nature of going open source. Jono Bacon, who used to be the community manager for Ubuntu, said that open source projects differ even among themselves in their balance of efficiency and openness.

“Open source provides a wonderful opportunity to broaden your engineering base, but there is a cost in terms of development efficiency,” he said.

Bacon held up Debian as an example of a project heavily focused on openness and collaboration – everyone has a voice, everyone can contribute, but democracy can slow down decision-making. By contrast, he said, Canonical administered Ubuntu rather differently – still open, but with the company making most of the major design and development choices.

“If Microsoft were to build Windows as an Open Source project, I suspect they would take the Canonical approach rather than the Debian approach,” he told Network World.

In essence, the open source Windows would be a Linux distribution, developed by a community but guided from above by Microsoft.

And if that guidance is sufficiently hands-off, the company could win itself a lot of brownie points among developers. While the days of the company’s near-total hegemony over personal computing are long past, many still remember that time less than fondly.

An open source Windows would be an even bigger deal than the recent opening of the .Net framework, argues LaVista.

“Right now I’d argue most startups won’t use .Net for a variety of reasons including cost, but also that it’s ‘corporate,’” he said. “Open source changes the model from top-down to community. That’s a huge shift but a huge opportunity.”

That appeal to startups and smaller businesses could prove more fruitful than a renewed focus on the enterprise market, LaVista added.

“I think the enterprise market is largely stuck,” he said. “There would be a huge switching cost.”

Why in the world wouldn’t Microsoft do this?

Obviously, reasons No. 1 and 1a are money and uncertainty. Despite rapidly declining revenue figures for Windows, Microsoft still makes billions of dollars from OEM and personal license sales.

And even though not all of that money would vanish if Windows were to become available for free, the transition to a services and support revenue model could be a difficult one.

That said, the transition could be made, according to Bill Weinberg, senior director of open source strategy for Black Duck Software, a software and consulting firm in Burlington, Mass.

“[H]owever Redmond would choose to monetize a FOSS Windows, it has additional revenue sources in its adjunct product lines, most notably [Microsoft] Office and other applications,” he told Network World.

More to the point, however, it’s the fact that Microsoft simply isn’t prepared to operate as a benevolent backer to an open source version of Windows that makes the possibility so remote. Weinberg highlighted that the task of building the infrastructure to support a project of such scale is massive.

“It took Linux a decade to build its behemoth development and support network,” he said. “And the success of the Linux OS can be attributed to a unique mix of developer enthusiasm, timely corporate sponsorship, choice of license and good will.”

Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, underlined the point with authority, saying that the range of infrastructure required might surprise even Microsoft with its extent.

An open source Windows, he said, would need a formalized governance structure, a legal framework for handling patents and certification programs and the like, a social coding infrastructure, and code structured for for collaborative development – for starters, anyway.

“We have no doubt the developers who write Windows are talented but how does the code look under the covers?” Zemlin asked. “Is it architected in a way that is modular to enable mass collaboration?”

OK, so where does that leave us?

Pretty much right where we started from. The upshot is that there are some intriguing potential upsides for Microsoft in open-sourcing Windows – developers would love it, the user base could get broader, revenues are generally headed south anyway, so why not throw the doors open and possibly even get a better-designed piece of software into the bargain?

But there are at least as many downsides, which make the prospect of it happening anytime soon wildly unlikely – the scope of the undertaking, from an organizational and coding standpoint, would be massive even by Microsoft’s standards. The benefits might not be worth the extraordinary amount of work.

Source : - 

Microsoft nixes ActiveX add-on technology in new Edge browser

IE11 support will continue for enterprises -- which rely on ActiveX -- but don't expect that to outlast Windows 7

Microsoft's new Edge browser will discard two of the oldest browser technologies found in the aged Internet Explorer (IE) and replace them with add-ons based on HTML5 and JavaScript.
The new extensions model won't be added to Edge until after the browser debuts this summer as part of Windows 10, however.

Previously, Microsoft had announced that Edge would abandon much of the legacy support of Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) and talked about an alternate add-on model, which implied ActiveX would not be supported. It confirmed the move last week in a blog, adding Browser Helper Objects (BHO) to the now-gone list.

Both are crucial to IE's proprietary add-on and extension framework.
ActiveX controls were analogous to the add-ons other browser makers, notably Mozilla (Firefox) and Google (Chrome), later offered to extend the functionality of their applications. Meanwhile, BHOs were essentially plug-ins that also integrated with the browser. While BHOs became synonymous with browser toolbars over time, they also were used by the likes of Adobe, which built its IE in-browser PDF rendering plug-in using the technology.

ActiveX and BHOs are ancient, harking back to 1996 and 1997, respectively, and have a long history of security and abuse issues. Both are Windows-specific, and so have been relegated to second-class citizenship as a more open, standards-based Internet developed under the aegis of first Mozilla, then later Google and others.

"The need for ActiveX controls has been significantly reduced by HTML5-era capabilities, which also produces interoperable code across browsers," Microsoft noted on its new Edge development blog.
"This is another good example of how Microsoft has been disrupted by the fast-changing industry," said IDC analyst Al Gillen in a podcast recorded during Microsoft's Build developers conference two weeks ago. ActiveX, Gillen added, "locked IE into the past" because of its proprietary nature and early success, which Microsoft felt had to be supported with each new IE to please the mostly enterprise customers who relied on the technology.

Starting fresh with Edge -- which will replace IE as the default browser in Windows 10 -- lets Microsoft shed that legacy support and move to a cross-platform model, Gillen added.
Microsoft plans to replace the dumped add-on and plug-in technologies with extensions crafted in HTML5 and JavaScript. That functionality, however, won't reach Edge until an undisclosed date after Windows 10 releases.

Earlier, Microsoft said that Chrome and Firefox add-ons built from HTML5 and JavaScript would need "virtually no work" to run in Edge.

The withdrawal of ActiveX, BHOs and other old technologies from Edge got scattered applause from the developers during a session at Microsoft's Build conference. But Sean Lyndersay, a principal program manager lead on Edge, said to those cheering, "You must not work in IT."

For enterprises, features such as ActiveX and BHOs will live on in IE11, which also will be bundled with Windows 10 on PCs and larger tablets (but not Windows 10 Mobile). Businesses can use policy settings to mandate IE11 when the user steers towards certain URLs, say those on internal networks or line-of-business Web apps written long ago.

IE11 will be updated for Windows 10, but only with security improvements: It will not be given new features or functionality, indicating again that IE is a dead-end to Microsoft, and will be continued only for legacy purposes.

Like Windows 10 itself, Microsoft plans to update Edge far more frequently than it did Internet Explorer, with changes appearing at a tempo that has yet to be decided. "Is it going to be 45 days or 90 days or 73 days? We haven't quite worked out the exact cadence," said Lyndersay. "But we have the technical ability to update and bring the entire user base along with us on a rapid pace."

Yet IE11 will be supported for the indefinite future. Last year, when Microsoft abruptly told most customers that they had to migrate to IE11 by mid-January 2016, it said that IE11 would be supported for as long as "the operating system for which it is installed," meaning that it would survive support at least as long as Windows 7. That OS exits support in January 2020.
Whether that policy will also apply to Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 -- the latter may have an open-ended support lifetime -- was unclear, but during the Build session it sounded like it would not, and that at some point IE11 will be retired.

"We haven't made any statements there," said Charles Morris, the other Edge principal program manager who ran the session along with Lyndersay, while answering a question about IE11's end of support. "We haven't set a marker in the future. But [ending support is] definitely the direction we're moving. We want to provide a transition time for our customers to get off these old technologies, [but] we don't know exactly how long that will take."

After last August's announcement curtailing support for older editions of IE, it would not be a shock if Microsoft did the same to IE11 in 2020 when it retires Windows 7. The move was a repudiation of a decades-old policy and signaled that nothing was safe from the chopping block.

Source : - computerworld

Microsoft is fixing its app problem with the help of Android

One of the biggest complaints about Microsoft'sWindows Phone operating system is the lack of apps compared to iOS and Android, but it looks like Microsoft is trying to rectify this by bringing Android apps onto its own platform.

Rumours have been circling for a while that Microsoft was at one point looking at how it could make Android apps work on Windows 10 Mobile, and Neowin is reporting that the Redmond company is once again testing ways to make this happen.

According to multiple sources within Microsoft, there are already a number of Android apps running on Windows 10 Mobile, though it looks like earlier versions of Windows Phone won't be getting the apps.

It's appening!

Work on making Android apps run on Windows 10 Mobile hasn't been officially endorsed by Microsoft, even though the company is very interested in its results.

The reasons for Microsoft's reticence in the matter could be the legal ramifications of emulating Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile. While app developers might not mind, Google will almost certainly not be keen on the idea.

Another thing potentially preventing Microsoft going public with its Android porting plans is that it's still trying to get its own app ecosystem off the ground. An announcement like this not only makes it look like Microsoft is conceding that it has an app problem, but it could also put off developers from creating native Windows 10 Mobile apps in the future.

This means that we probably won't hear any official word on its plans just yet, but if Microsoft can find a way around the legal implications and threats to its own app ecosystem, it could be onto to a massive winner.

Source :-http://bit.ly/1IGMTJ5

Microsoft Not Rewarding Windows 10 Non-Genuine Upgrades

Last January, Microsoft was making everyone’s day with a free yearlong upgrade forWindows 10, even people who had non-genuine copies of the OS. You knew that was too good to be true people, so they’ve revised their wording to make sure it’s more clear. Basically, if you have a non-genuine version of Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, feel free to upgrade, but that won’t make your copy magically become genuine. You know how they are, and with this huge splash they’re making with Windows 10, they’re going to make sure to lose as little money as possible to pirated copies.

Microsoft has clarified a recent comment about owners of unlicensed versions ofWindows 7 and 8.1 being able to upgrade to Windows 10.

At the WinHec conference in China on Tuesday, Microsoft’s operating system chief Terry Myerson told Reuters that “we are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10.” The remark was aimed at China where software piracy has been a huge problem for Microsoft. But the news certainly brought smiles to the faces of anyone who runs a non-genuine copy of Windows 7 or 8.1 and suddenly thought that an upgrade toWindows 10 would bring legitimacy.

Windows pirates may need to wipe those smiles off their faces. A spokeswoman for Microsoft clarified the upgrade process indicating that the version of Windows 10 doesn’t magically become licensed if you upgrade from an unlicensed version:

With Windows 10, although nongenuine PCs may be able to upgrade to Windows 10, the upgrade will not change the genuine state of the license. Nongenuine Windows is not published by Microsoft. It is not properly licensed, or supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. If a device was considered nongenuine or mislicensed prior to the upgrade, that device will continue to be considered nongenuine or mislicensed after the upgrade.

PC sales may be in a slump and Windows 8 demand has been lackluster, but Windows continues to be one of Microsoft’s core revenue generators, both on the consumer and corporate sides. As such, the company obviously loses a chunk of change anytime a non-licensed version of Windows is installed. Pirated versions of Windows have especially been prevalent in China where around 75 percent of PC software is not properly licensed, Reuters said, citing recent studies.

In 2011, then-CEO Steve Ballmer told employees that Microsoft’s revenue in China represented only 5 percent of sales in the US, implying that much of its software in China is pirated and unlicensed.

So what exactly happens if you run a non-genuine current version of Windows?

As Microsoft describes the situation on its Genuine Windows page, you’ll see frequent messages warning you that your copy of Windows may not be genuine. Your desktop will turn to black. You can reset it, but it will continue to turn black until you activate Windows. You can still get critical security updates, though you may not be able to get optional updates or other software, such as Microsoft Security Essentials. But otherwise, Windows and your applications will still be able to function. Of course, this information applies to the existing versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 and not necessarily to the still-developing Windows 10.

Microsoft could certain disable non-genuine versions of Windows from running altogether, at least after a certain period of time. But the company then runs the risk of losing users who may not have activated the software or who may decide to pay for it just to eliminate the annoying messages and darkened desktop.

Windows 10 is slated to roll out this summer across 190 countries and 111 languages. The software will be a free upgrade to users running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

Reference:- http://bit.ly/1GTVxD1

Microsoft's Novel Windows 10 Antipiracy Plan

Microsoft is taking a refreshing approach to piracy. Instead of expending resources to fight a losing battle, the company has decided to give away its upcoming new operating system, Windows 10. Anyone running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1 will be eligible for a Windows 10 upgrade. However, an upgrade to non-genuine software still would be considered non-genuine.

Microsoft this summer will distribute Windows 10 to anyone running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1, regardless of whether the existing OS is a genuine or pirated copy.

Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft's operating systems unit, disclosed the marketing strategy last week at the Windows Hardware Engineering Community (WinHEC) summit in Shenzhen, China.

Microsoft previously announced that it would upgrade users to Windows 10 for free for the first year following its release.

Myerson also announced an accelerated delivery time line for Windows 10 -- it previously was expected that the new OS would not be available until at least this fall.

The timing of the announcement in China is significant. China is well known for being a hotbed of software piracy.

Some 74 percent of all commercial software used in China is pirated, according to BSA, The Software Alliance.

Globally, about 43 percent of software is pirated, BSA found.

"If Microsoft's move really succeeds, it could put enough of a dent into software piracy to improve the company's bottom line," said Charles King, Principal Analyst at Pund-IT.

"That is a worthy goal. I do not see a lot of risks here, since the intended audience is largely made up of noncustomers," he told the E-Commerce Times.

Plan Unfolds

Upgrading to Windows 10 in China will involve the participation of Lenovo, Tencent and Qihu 360. The collaborations will assist millions of customers in China, and spur adoption of Windows 10 worldwide, noted Myerson.

Lenovo will offer Windows 10 upgrade services at 2,500 service centers and select retail stores in China when the new OS becomes available. Lenovo also will build Windows phones that will be available in mid-year 2015 via China Mobile.

Tencent, China's leading social networking and gaming services company, will offer Windows 10 as a free upgrade to its customers on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. The free Windows 10 upgrade pack will include QQ, Tencent Video and Tencent PC Manager. Tencent will create a Windows 10 universal app for its flagship QQ app and bring its most popular PC games to Windows 10 and the new Windows store.

Internet security firm Qihu 360 will provide Windows 10 for free to its customers in China through seamless upgrades.

Smartphone distributor Xiaomi will test Windows 10 and contribute to its future release later this year.

Unanswered Questions

Microsoft's new approach to software distribution does not exactly mirror what Apple and open source operating system developers do, noted Pund-IT's King. For years, Apple did charge for OS upgrades while Linux distributions most often are free.

With Linux, "users typically pay for support," he noted.

"The point is that as PCs continue to become appliance-like devices, the OS is an important issue to fewer and fewer people. That trend is likely to accelerate as computing endpoints become increasingly reliant on cloud services," King explained. "Windows is still hugely profitable to Microsoft, but its customers are mainly OEMs, so taking a softer line with end users makes sense."

What's 'Qualified'?

Whether a computer is "qualified" for the free upgrade to Windows 10 depends on how Microsoft applies or interprets its license. It appears that any device running a pirated copy of Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1 might be able to get Windows 10, but that doesn't mean it would be considered a genuine copy.

"If a device was considered non-genuine or mislicensed prior to the upgrade, that device will continue to be considered non-genuine or mislicensed after the upgrade," Microsoft said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by spokesperson Amanda Cedergren. "According to industry experts, use of pirated software, including Non-Genuine Windows, results in a higher risk of malware, fraud (identity theft, credit card theft, etc), public exposure of your personal information, and a higher risk for poor performance or feature malfunctions."

Hedging Bets

Anything Microsoft can do to convert users of older or pirated versions of Windows into users of new versions of Windows helps the company in a few ways, said Jay Lyman, senior analyst for enterprise software at 451 Research.

"The strategy is a wise departure from charging for an OS upgrade and reflects a very different client software market that is influenced by open source as well as cloud computing, mobile devices and applications," he told the E-Commerce Times.

Microsoft can benefit in three ways, Lyman said. First, it keeps that user a Microsoft user.

"Second, the OS today represents a platform on which to promote and sell other software, such as Office," he continued.

"Third, this is a way for Microsoft to try and replicate the success and proliferation of software that we have seen in open source -- not only with Linux, but more recently with Chromebooks, which are made more affordable and accessible in large part because they ship with open source software," Lyman explained.

Fighting Windows Piracy

Another benefit for Microsoft is stemming the tide of stolen software, suggested King. Software piracy, particularly in developing markets, long has been a thorn in Microsoft's side.

"A contributory issue has been the general lack of interest or will among local authorities to seriously police or prosecute pirates," he pointed out. "Microsoft has attempted similar feints in the past, but it may feel that the combined features of Windows 10 -- including cross-device functionality and an all new browser -- offer a good opportunity to lure OS miscreants into the official fold."

Reference:- http://bit.ly/1GRCngU

Microsoft Windows 10 China Piracy

Why Is Microsoft Surrendering To Piracy In China? MS Offering Free Upgrade To Windows 10 Even To Those Using Pirated Copies

Microsoft has decided that it won’t charge people in China to upgrade to Windows 10, even if they have been running pirated copies of earlier versions of the Operating System (OS).

In a sign that might indicate defeat, Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to its latest iteration of Windows OS, named Windows 10, even to those Chinese users who have been running bootlegged or pirated versions of Windows 7/8/8.1.

While it may be viewed as a truce, common sense or plain defeat to piracy, Microsoft’s decision to upgrade all Windows users in China to Windows 10, even if they’re using pirated versions of Windows, is a clear sign that the financial prospects of the operating system are dead. In other words, Microsoft has realized it is futile to “sell” an Operating System.

Needless to say, piracy is rampant in China. Interestingly, so is the usage of Microsoft Windows OS. While official statistics indicate more than three quarters of the Windows users in China used pirated Microsoft’s software, real-time figures could be as high as 90 – 95 percent. However, it is unlikely that Microsoft will ever manage to sell them a copy of Windows. But, the Redmond-based company is trying to “re-engage” with those who aren’t a part of Microsoft’s family, officially.

Many argue piracy is what made Windows truly popular and Microsoft, a household name in China. Owing to the rampant piracy, local businesses heavily depend on Windows OS, but don’t pay for the same. In fact, many years ago Microsoft’s Bill Gates conceded that piracy was the gift that kept giving to Microsoft in China,

“It’s easier for our software to compete with Linux when there’s piracy than when there’s not. Are you kidding? You can get the real thing, and you get the same price.”

It is self-explanatory. In a world aggressively embracing free and open-source software, Microsoft had an insurmountable problem: How to sell “pricey” in a country that wanted“free”?

Moreover, Google, with its advanced Android OS has shown the world that an excellent and productive Operating System can be free. Additionally, Google has also shown other companies that the real long-term profit lies in offering “Software as a Service” or SaaS at cheaper-rates that vary as per subscription.

By offering Windows 10 as a free upgrade to these people, Microsoft hopes to offer them such paid services later-on. As the world increasingly moves its productivity tools to the cloud, newer operating systems that optimally utilize such services will urge Chinese users to eventually pay to take advantage of the said services. At least, that’s the idea.

[Image Credit | Cybershack]

Reference:- http://bit.ly/1BLoEUe