Microsoft Extends Free Windows 10 S-To-Pro Upgrade Deadline (betanews.com) 93
BrianFagioli shares a report from BetaNews: Windows 10 S is a really great idea in theory. By limiting the operating system to applications from the Windows Store, it could make users safer. After all, it should limit the potential of malware since users can't download and install questionable things from the web. Of course, this will only be successful if there is a good library of apps, and I am sorry to say, the Windows Store is a failure in that regard. The biggest selling point for Windows is legacy program compatibility. Once you take that away, there isn't much left. Thankfully, the company is giving complimentary upgrades from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro until the end of 2017. This will allow a person or organization to easily recover from mistakenly buying into Windows 10 S if it doesn't meet their needs. Today, however, as a sign of weakness, Microsoft extends this deadline. Buried at the end of a blog post about Surface Laptop colors, Microsoft drops the following bombshell: "For those that find they need an application that isn't yet available in the Store and must be installed from another source, we're extending the ability to switch from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro for free until March 31, 2018. We hope this provides increased flexibility for those people searching for the perfect back-to-school or holiday gift." Why do I say this is a sign of weakness? Well, if the Windows 10 S experiment was going well, Microsoft would have no need to extend the deadline. In other words, if users were truly buying into and enjoying the "S" experience, we wouldn't see such an announcement. The fact that the company seemingly tried to hide this news is quite telling too. Ultimately, it signals a lack of confidence in Windows 10 S.
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that's right, my DAMN balls for you to suck
On that note, "S-To-Pro" may have dangerous connotations for the Portuguese-speaking...
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Not until Visu-app Studio (Score:3)
Except you can't app apps with Appdows 10 S. Currently, you need Visual Studio to app an app, and that isn't an app in Windows Store. This in fact makes macOS and Android appier than Appdows. Xcode is in Mac App Store, and AIDE is in Google Play Store.
Unless and until some sort of "Visu-app Studio" makes it up to Windows Store, AP Computer Science courses will continue to "need an application that isn't yet available in the Store and must be installed from another source."
"Microsoft extends blowing-it-out-its-ass period" (Score:1)
Windows 10 Sucker edition ought to be good enough for anyone who enjoys being lightly screwed.
Upgrade! (Score:3, Funny)
From an OS that sucks to one that sucks a little less.
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For me Windows is kind of like Democracy. It's said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. Windows seems the same to me. It's the worst operating system, except for all the others I've tried from time to time.
Wild animals? (Score:2)
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Extending a deadline for something that benefits the customer is NOT a sign of weakness. If anything, it's a positive measure, no matter the reasons behind it.
Yes, the Windows Store sucks donkey balls. I am using it (well, my kids are, I installed maybe 3 apps), it's a mess. So Microsoft knows this and offers customers a way out of that lock-in, because that way out means the customer is kept happy.
But if they didn't offer such free upgrade they would have been roasted for THAT reason.
Damned if you do, damn
Re:Wild animals? (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's try a real experiment, Microsofties.
You offer Win10 Enterprise under Win7's upgrade model: All telemtery can be disabled by the Administrator, every update can be selectively accepted and/or rejected at the discretion of the Administrator. And every update is fully documented as it was 5 years ago. Consumer-tier crap like Cortana and the app store can be opted out of by GPO as configurable by the Administrator. Single licenses of this Win10 Experimental can be purchased for around $200 without the involvement of a VAR.
You wanna see what the consumer adoption of that would be? Or is Nadella still a fucking coward who refuses to sell users the right to control their own hardware?
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Good points but you can do that NOW by GPO and you can buy retail Win 10 pro, just sayin.
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FYI you can easily disable Cortana and excess data collection metrics upon installation of Windows 10 creators edition. Infact, you have to OPT IN with Cortana asking you for permission to do her job. No really I just installed it fresh on a tablet.
I do not understand the hate for the app store. Don't use it. I see what Microsoft was thinking as the appstore if properly supported can be a god send for children and even clueless users to install apps like Netflix, games, Hulu, and even VLC (yes it's on ther
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FYI you can easily disable Cortana and excess data collection metrics upon installation of Windows 10 creators edition.
You seem to be defining "excess data collection" differently than I do. I define it as "any data collection that I don't want to happen." The creator's update does not allow me to eliminate excess data collection.
Win98 (Score:2)
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And Pinball!
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I actually wasn't joking... I wasted a lot of time playing Microsoft Pinball, back when I was a Windows user.
Re:Win98 (Score:4, Insightful)
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In my eyes, maybe a bit of nostalgia Win98 SE was probably one of the best OS's I used.
Over the years Win has bloated badly but I can see what they are trying to do with 10S but it way to reliant on other people providing content into the store.
It is quite hard at times to run my compiled exe's with Win10 Pro moaning all the time about permissions for this and that and it's just way too expensive to get a cert to sign my own code.
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And a search tool that actually works.
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Re: I've been using a bootleg Windows for 20 years (Score:2)
You want windows 10 walled off aka 10 s (Score:2)
You want windows 10 walled off aka 10 s
The need for Win32 apps is too great (Score:4, Insightful)
The same reason Windows RT failed. People buy Windows for the large application install base. Even not being able to run Chrome and be forced to use Edge is enough to not use Windows 10 S.
Free Ebola too! (Score:1)
Microsoft has generously decided to extend their offer of infecting you with Ebola until 2018, in order for laggards to get to experience the unique disease at no cost to themselves.
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Few legs left on the chair (Score:3, Interesting)
With Windows 10 self destructing and thereby loosening their grip on the OS market, Microsoft's solid revenue drivers are down to Xbox, Office lock-in and cloud services. Not the end of the world but it has to be highly unsettling that they constantly get their asses kicked technically. The self-inflicted wounds are just salt on the cut.
What's the next thing they're going to screw up?
Captcha: predict
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The next screw up is basically a continuation of the Windows anal probe 10 debacle and not releasing a Secure Edition that did not pry into the users privacy and only connected to the internet to serve the User not M$ at the users expense both in terms of privacy and cost, controlled windows update as in controlled by the user. Keeping that lame arse bing name going is also pretty stupid, always reminds of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com], windows search, just like an annoying insurance salesman.
The
Surely this is lose lose? (Score:2)
The whole point, as I understood it, with Windows 10 S, was to bring Windows 10 to low spec hardware in an attempt to compete with Chromebooks?
If the only way of competing is to say "Yeah, the OS is crap cus our app store is crap. As a compromise, here's an OS that requires higher spec hardware than you have", surely all you end up with is a crap user experience?
With Windows 10 S hardware and software, you can either have a good Windows 10 S experience, and accept there's no software available (ultimately a
Re: Surely this is lose lose? (Score:2)
The point was to compete with Chromebook in the education sector by selling a light notebook PC with restricted ability to install junk like games not approved by the school administration.
The point is to keep it an education tool and not an entertainment device.
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The point was to compete with Chromebook in the education sector by selling a light notebook PC with restricted ability to install junk like games not approved by the school administration.
The point is to keep it an education tool and not an entertainment device.
I know. It would be amazing if Microsoft invented some way to manage settings in a group environment. Perhaps call it a directory of services and use templates of registery settings as a policy or some sort to allow only store apps installation. Too bad nothing is available to do just that?
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So how does a student taking AP Computer Science do his homework when there isn't a good selection of programming tools in Windows Store by design?
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It's a poorly executed Failure (Score:1)
Windows S should really just be an option at install for Win Pro, called "Locked down for businesses and schools", which lets you edit group policies and what not straight from the installer, that nobody will ever use since they will do one machine, ghost it and paste it on all their computers.
And really, it should allow the option to install softwares from outside the store through an administrative password, so that businesses and schools can still install their "proprietary" softwares. It shouldn't be a
Re: It's a poorly executed Failure (Score:1)
Group policies requires domain membership, doesn't it? That means being connected to a Windows Domain Server and running the 'pro' version of the OS. Which are both substantial and unnecessary expenses for a lightweight notebook for school pupils.
Metro/Windows Store Apps (Score:2)
Metro apps (a highly restricted sandboxed application) were renamed "Windows Store Apps". It is difficult to know from the marketing hype, but I think that the store only supports Metro except for the exceptions, which would make it largely useless.
Desktop Bridge exists (Score:3)
I think that the store only supports Metro except for the exceptions
Then I foresee a lot of exceptions. Windows Store supports both Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, which are the apps formerly associated with the "Metro" name, and Desktop Bridge apps, which use a safe subset of the Win32 API. Thus Win32 apps can be packaged for Windows Store using Desktop Bridge, provided they aren't a web browser, game emulator, programming tool, system utility, companion app for a custom peripheral, or other specialized apps that exceed Desktop Bridge's limits [microsoft.com] or violate Windows Sto [microsoft.com]
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Thanks for the clarification.
Again, from the marketing docs it is hard to know whether Desktop Bridge is just an installer or a crude sandbox. If the latter, no wonder it is not used by MS products.
And how much effort does it really take to make a simple application conform. Their record with One Click and VSTO installers is not good.
Cost Will be an Issue (Score:3)
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There is no need to. A Windows 7 Pro key is very cheap and works just fine for the purpose of upgrading Windows 10 to Pro.
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This is 2017 and unless you have old win7 era hardware you will have problems. USB 3 ports, graphics, wifi /n or later, and even nVme will not work or BSOD. This reminds me of the XP holdouts the fact people are willing to install 8 year old software on new hardware doesn't make sense
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Have you actually read what I have written or have you just reacted to a keyword, like a chatbot? Windows 10 Home and S accept Windows 7 Pro keys. That means you can force-upgrade a lower Windows 10 edition to Windows 10 Pro for a price of a unused Windows 7 (or 8, or 8.1, whatever floats your boat) Pro OEM key that can be bought on eBay for a couple of Euros and this license, once activated, will stay with the machine you have activated it on.
Surprise surprise! (Score:5, Interesting)
As if everyone who had any contact with the Windows Store didn't know this was comming.
I'll tell you why Microsoft is extending the deadline: because Windows Store is a piece of shit, horrible crappy experience that no one should be subjected to and it should've been euthanized together with Windows Phones and Surface RT a long loooong time ago.
Microsoft is trying to escape liability for selling an overpriced underpowered hardware that comes with a OS that makes the entire thing less useful than a smartphone.
I dunno who the shit for brains was that put the Windows 10S monstrosity in practice, but it's insisting on an error that had so much insisting in the past years that I frankly don't even know what to take from it anymore. It's downright cult-like fanatical brainwashed stuff.
If Microsoft went back to the drawing board, started developing an entire other OS from nothing, they'd still have something better today even if it also wasn't stellar by any modern metrics.
And I'm only saying this as someone who had a Windows Phone, and had to deal with that store in the past with a Windows tablet that came with Windows 8. It is worse than Apple Store and Google Play Store in almost everything. In fact, even for novice users I'd recomment Ubuntu over it. Sure, you'll be hard pressed to find some novice level support and help for Linux in general, but at least you'll find something. Windows Store doesn't even have that because no one uses it.
Oh, and that talk about the Store getting better overtime, about it offering a more secure environment, about devs eventually coming to make apps for it, and about it being the future? Microsoft has been preaching that crap for years and years now. Back when Nokia was still it's own company.
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I actually like Windows 10, but the store is the biggest load of crap that I have ever seen. There is nothing useful in it, ... well the Netflix app, but other than that there's nothing useful in it.
Whoever came up with it should be shot in the face with a bucket of their own shit.
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I dunno who the shit for brains was that put the Windows 10S monstrosity in practice
I think Microsoft still dreams about having complete control over all software running on every computer, and taking a cut whenever any software is sold. And being able to disable any software remotely, say if you didn't pay the monthly fee. And putting ads in any software they please, and simply not allowing you to install the tools to remove it. Not to mention banning Chrome for unspecified violations of Windows Store po
My pet goldfish,... (Score:1)
... the only life form without a pro subscription may soon break.
So glad Microsoft approves me using my PC! (Score:1)
Windows 10 S is a really great idea in theory.
I wasn't aware that Microsoft's approval dictating what software I can and cannot use on the hardware I am supposed to own was a good thing. Shall I outsource my critical thinking functions to Facebook, then?
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You can thank Intel, not Microsoft for the hardware support. It is in Intel's best interests to see apps only running on 10 as it encourages conservative businesses hanging on to 7 with old hardware to upgrade == more money.
I wrote a story last week here with Microsoft porting .NET core 2 0 to Linux. No it's not Mono but the real thing. Go to microsoft.com and download it?
You will find Windows 10 much improved if you must use it. Windows 10 creators edition you can disable spyware, Cortana, and other thing
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Correction visual studio 2017 has sweet features for Android under 10.
Also Ubuntu for Windows is interesting too if you use other languages. Python is now included in vs 2017 but if you need a Linux feature you can use sudo apt get install to use packages you want. Xorg still not natively supported yet but I got vim and clang.
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