Long, sticky summer ahead: Win 10 will be with OEMs by 31 August

Microsoft's been saying Windows 10 will ship ”in summer”*. And now it looks like the company has chosen the last day of summer** to launch Windows 10. We're basing that assertion on this page at online retailer Newegg.com, which has listed Windows 10 as going on sale on August 31st. At the time of writing, and in this screen …

[Anonymous Coward]

UK Prices?

“10 Home – OEM” version is listed at US$109.99 and a “10 Professional – OEM” version looks like setting you back $149.99.

I know US pricing excludes tax, but it will interesting to see how much they want to rip off us Brits this time,

[Simon Sharwood, Reg APAC Editor]

Re: UK Prices?

FWIW I checked Newegg UK and Australia. No prices there.

[Defiant]

Re: UK Prices?

Convert and add tax and it will tell you the same price as windows 8

[unitron]

Yeah, but how much for the retail boxes?

[Anonymous Coward]

They oughta

Or perhaps Redmond agrees with analyst outfit IDC's prediction that Windows 10 won't put a rocket under PC sales, so doesn't care when or how it emerges.

If it merrily trashes people's systems, even just a few, they may have a disaster on their hands. When you mix an OS upgrade with older kit, the blow-ups can be spectacular even if 95%+ have nary an issue.

Here's hoping it all goes well. I don't need the phone calls, thank you very much.

[John Brown (no body)]

system requirements:

"A Microsoft account and Internet access"

So an MS account is a requirement now?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: system requirements:

If it's anything like 8/8.1 you will need access to the 'net to activate.

Nothing unusual there unless you have a corporate licencing server for your needs.

After that you can create an offline login with 8/8.1, which I think you should do.

I don't know if that will be an option in W10 but it would seem daft not to have the option.

I Think MS should make the 'offline' account a bit more obvious as internet access is not always a given.

My router is playing up at the moment but I have taken the time to create offline accounts for all my Windows devices.

[JP19]

Re: system requirements:

"So an MS account is a requirement now?"

Wouldn't surprise me at all. Win 10 like Win 8 is still all about what Microsoft wants not what the customer wants.

[Phil Kingston]

Re: system requirements:

You don't have to buy it.

[Ole Juul]

Re: system requirements:

You don't have to buy it.

That, in fact, is one of its more endearing features. Have an upvote!

[hplasm]

Re: system requirements:

"You don't have to buy it."

Don't want to steal it either.

[Paul Shirley]

Re: system requirements:

"You don't have to buy it."

... but won't be setting much support for win8.x after it launches. Win7 is trickier for them to kill but you can expect neglect. With an endless flood of security patches hitting my win8.1 box not buying won't be an option for long.

[Wade Burchette]

Re: system requirements:

"Cloud first, mobile first" means "Customer last".

And it is looking like Win10 is nothing but Win8 with a Metro start menu and even bigger invasion of privacy. The things people are asking for -- a proper and customizable start menu, an option for Aero, the return of F8, a proper backup -- are not forthcoming.

Still, all that is forgivable. What is unforgivable is the desperate attempt to take away our privacy. OneDrive and Cortana do not work unless you surrender your privacy. The recommended "express" set up is full of tracking and ad features. Bing search is built in tighter than Internet Explorer ever was. When you search for programs, files, and settings on the start menu, it searches with Bing first then your computer. This anti-privacy crusade Microsoft (and all other business) are waging is unforgivable. It is the reason why Windows 7 is still superior. I would write my member of Congress, but I don't have enough money to bribe him. (And if you believe that any political party is immune to lobbyist bribes, I have a bridge to sell you. Neither political party cares about me. P.S. My representative is a democrat, not a "big business loving" republican.)

[The Original Steve]

Re: system requirements:

Not sure about the other two examples, but Win7 style backup and start menu are definitely possible in Win10. Start may not be exactly the same as Win7 out the box but you can make it so via settings or GPO.

[a_yank_lurker]

Re: system requirements:

MS has been in panic mode for several years now. W8 is a prime example. The defacto requirement that PC users had to have a touch screen was idiotic even if tablets and phones require touch screens. All it did was alienate customers and when you have a practical OS monopoly alienating customers is not a smart move. "Burn me once shame on you, burn me twice shame on me".

[Ketlan]

Eek!

'16 GB Graphics card'

Shome mishtake, shurely...

[revdjenk]

RE: Eek!

16GB is the hard drive space required

[Neil Barnes]

Re: RE: Eek!

; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Sprinkle a few of those semicolons around the requirements list and it starts to make sense.

[Neil Barnes]

Re: RE: Eek!

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster;

RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit);

Free hard disk space: 16 GB;

Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver;

A Microsoft account; and

Internet access

I reckon Simon's gone home by now!

[Spasticus Autisticus]

Re: RE: Eek!

16Gb hard disk space? So how long would Win10 run on, say, a 40Gb partition? Does is still use that winsxs shit that gradually fills up the partition until it's unusable?

I gave up Windows many years ago, I do have a laptop with a Win7 partition that I have to use about 10 times a year. I haven't bought a Windows licence since Win98SE - the Win7 licence comes off a PC I found dumped in a lay-by.

[AegisPrime]

Re: Eek!

And only 2GB HD space for an x64 install?

[Major N]

well,i rebooted my 8.1 machine an hour or so ago and a new icon has appeared in my taskbar, so i can sign up for the upgrade when it is available, so expect actual information from MS soon

[Anonymous Coward]

What happened to the talk about the "free" upgrades from 7 & 8?

Those still on, or was that a trial balloon that popped?

[Phil Kingston]

Re: What happened to the talk about the "free" upgrades from 7 & 8?

Users of eligible OSes will be able to upgrade to 10 for free, for the first 12 months of 10's release. Yes, still on.

[Charles 9]

Re: What happened to the talk about the "free" upgrades from 7 & 8?

The editions being priced as of now are enterprise versions not eligible for the free upgrade.

[Jedit]

Re: What happened to the talk about the "free" upgrades from 7 & 8?

Check your taskbar. I got a notification asking me to pre-register for free upgrade this morning.

[Maventi]

It's 2015 and MS is still able to justify charging over US$100 for a desktop OS? Sad times indeed.

[Sandtitz]

Yeah, right...

The article clearly stated that MS hasn't announced any prices and the $150 is a rumo(u)r. I wouldn't be surprised of such a price point though.

Most people upgrading to Win10 from Win7/8 are not going to buy it since the upgrade is free.

But while you're at it, check out the outrageous Redhat prices for their desktop operating systems - for a single year. Would anyone like to comment them?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Yeah, right...

For heavens sake don't knock linux! It's the next big thing.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Yeah, right...

@ Sandtitz

There is no such thing as free, there's always a price to pay somewhere. Have your wallet at the ready.

[nematoad]

Re: Yeah, right...

"...check out the outrageous Redhat prices"

True enough, the prices seem to be a bit on the strong side, but, you don't have to buy Red Hat stuff if you don't want to.

Unless you have a desperate need for the support offered, or a management that insists on running Red Hat you could always run CentOS or Scientific, even Fedora, if you are brave enough.

See with Linux there are alternatives, you are not locked in to a single supplier.

[Winkypop]

New task bar thing-a-ma-jig has appeared. Win7

"Get Windows 10"

Hmmmmm.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: New task bar thing-a-ma-jig has appeared. Win7

In the name of all that's holy, DON'T TOUCH THAT ICON!

Not yet, anyway. It's still a piece of crap and offers no advantage over Win7 unless you actually want a Mobile OS on your desktop.

[Neil Alexander]

Re: New task bar thing-a-ma-jig has appeared. Win7

"unless you actually want a Mobile OS on your desktop"

Your argument is tired and boring. On the contrary, Windows 10 actually goes a long way to restore a lot of the Desktop. Also Windows 10 Mobile is actually based on the desktop operating system now, which is very interesting indeed.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Neil Alexander - Re: New task bar thing-a-ma-jig has appeared. Win7

Your argument is tired and boring. On the contrary, Windows 10 actually goes a long way to restore a lot of the Desktop.

Tired and boring to you perhaps, but I'm being honest. I've really tried to see what is advantageous about Windows 10 for me and have finally come to the conclusion that the many ways in which it differs from Windows 7 are consistent with an attempt to provide the same experience as users currently get from their Mobile (and Tablet) OSs - mainly Android. And that is not something that I want or need from a desktop machine.

You're right that Windows 10 goes a long way to restoring the desktop, and I can see myself being able to use it satisfactorily for what I do these days, but that will only be if I can use it without connecting to my Microsoft Account.

If I seem to have a downer on Windows 10 it's not because I'm a Microsoft Hater or an anything-else fanboy. it's because I've tried my best to love it but have found it to be unloveable.

[Jedit]

"In the name of all that's holy, DON'T TOUCH THAT ICON!"

Actually there's no reason not to. According to the blurb, Win10 will download automatically when it's released (3GB) but will not automatically install. So, you can grab your free OS in case MS close off downloads before SP1 is released.

[bombastic bob]

Microsoft Account REQUIRED?

I saw 'A Microsoft Account' in the system requirements. This can ONLY be for ONE purpose, to identify you and target you with advertisements, via the operating system. It is no secret that Microsoft has put "store recommendations" in their new 'start menu', based on how you use your computer. Joe Belfiore announced it at the most recent 'Build' conference, after all. And having a 'Microsoft Account' login means you can be TRACKED wherever you go on the internet. That should set the privacy advocates on fire, even if they don't object to Windows becoming ADWARE. Without this 'Microsoft Account', tracking you would be more difficult, but getting the account means you give permission for Microsoft to target you with ads based on how you use your computer. They're not hiding this, either, they've put it in the 'EULA' for the Microsoft Logon.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Microsoft Account REQUIRED?

I have a MS Account as it's required for some games.

I don't use my real ID so how is that a privacy issue?

Ads aside.

[eJ2095]

Ohh they Tweaking

They got an entire team tweaking the BSOD.

So now depends on the error you get emojs lol

[Anonymous Coward]

ADs or not, the aim is to have you using the app store to buy apps, hence the Microsoft account through which, if you so wish, payment may be taken. The experience will be very familiar to android users.

As well, though, it is essential to facilitate the vision of 'The same Windows across all your devices'. Fine if that's what you want.

If you don't then it is still possible to login and use it without a microsoft account - though I fancy the experience will be somewhat lessened.

I come from the point of view of not wanting my desktop to hook up with everything else, so I see no advantage at all in moving to Win 10. I will stay with 7 until it is no longer viable.

[Novex]

Missing Requirement - UEFI?

Am I right in thinking that a UEFI BIOS is required for W10? If so, then there are probably still quite a few 'old' BIOS PCs out in the wild that could never be upgraded to W10 but run W7 comfortably.

[dogged]

Re: Missing Requirement - UEFI?

> Am I right in thinking that a UEFI BIOS is required for W10?

No.

It's required for the "Made for Windows 10" OEM sticker but not for the OS. Upgrades do not require it.

[dogged]

Re: Missing Requirement - UEFI?

Okay then, somebody downvoted.

Let's see that same somebody justify their downvote with a detailed explanation of where this factual information containing no opinion, insult, snideness, sarcasm or indeed anything except raw data is incorrect which clearly the downvoter believes it is.

OR the downvoter wants readers to think the information is incorrect even though it's not because they have an agenda.

I await the technical explanation with interest.

[dogged]

Re: Missing Requirement - UEFI?

Ah. Just some impotent nerd then.

[Defiant]

Yea right

"16 GB Graphics card"

Someone is extracting the urine

[dogged]

Re: Yea right

Journalism fail.

[sanity hazard]

29th July

http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/06/01/hello-world-windows-10-available-on-july-29/

[CAPS LOCK]

I really don't have the time or patience for all this...

... although actually the money doesn't seem all that bad...

[Ashton Black]

Re: I really don't have the time or patience for all this...

Why? How much are they going to pay us?

[DuncanL]

New install upgrade vs inplace

My ideal plan would be to re-install a fresh version of Win 10 on a shiny new SSD; but taking advantage of the free upgrade from my existing Win 7 license.

Do we know yet if the "free upgrade" will cover this (downloading a full Win 10 ISO and then entering a Win 7 key at some point)? Rather than installing Win7 again onto the SSD just to upgrade it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Too much.

Those without win7 or 8 aren't going to stump up that much cash. They needed to have a proper, full up, version for $20-30 if they really wanted to get the WinXP crowd to take them seriously as an upgrade.

And still too much Metro. I don't want to EVER see that abortion in anything I might upgrade to.

Why not just call it Win8.2 and have done with it?