Windows 10: Windows 10 subscriptions aren't happening. Here's why

I would like to see for instance this kind of subscription option, keeping on my mind that Windows 10 is meant to be used and gives the most with an MS Account making OneDrive a viable to store my stuff. Based on O365 Home subscription, one subscription = 5 licenses:

Windows 10 & 1 TB OneDrive

• Unlimited re-installs on max 5 registered device
• 24/7 phone support
• No need to subscribe Office 365 if Office Online is enough, yet enough online storage for all user data
• If the user also wants Office 365 and Office desktop apps, this would be with a reduced price with an additional 1 TB OneDrive storage

Ideally this would be used with pre-installed OEM Windows; I buy a new laptop with pre-installed Windows 10, which is free for me to use the full lifetime of that laptop, but at any given time I could upgrade to Windows 10 subscription, kind of "releasing" the OEM license, converting it to a reusable retail subscription license which would allow me to have it installed on 5 devices as I want to. Buy a new PC but all your 5 licenses have been used, no problem: unregister one of old licenses / installs, register the license on new PC and so on.

In my opinion a totally acceptable price for that could be $99 a year (Windows 10 subscription, 5 licenses, 5 devices, 1 TB OneDrive) or $169 a year (Windows 10 subscription with additional O365 subscription, 2 TB OneDrive, 5 licenses, 5 devices).

I would subscribe this in about 15 seconds later I had learned about it being possible.

 

I've got all the licenses I need so $100 p/a for phone support and one TB of OneDrive space?

Considering 1TB of OneDrive (office online only) is currently $60 p/a it would have to be pretty good phone support *Wink

To charge a subscription they'd need a new really essential app or service (like Office is already). Unfortunately I can't imagine what it would be or I'd patent it....

 

I could purchase a 1TB HDD for less than a subscription to OneDrive. *Wink
Amazon.com: WD 1TB Black My Passport Ultra Portable External Hard Drive - USB 3.0 - WDBGPU0010BBK-NESN: Computers Accessories

 

Same here, not just you if that happens Windows would be a thing of past.Microsoft is successful just because of Windows and probably due to this model.

 

Now, your adding all kinds of extra's to it. I see your point, if its geared like office 365 is. It still doesn't add up for me. I already have Windows 10 free for the life of the device on my 4 devices (PC's). The extra OneDrive storage isn't something I need. I could likely find a use for it if I had it, but I'm not paying for something I don't really need. How many devices are you likely to buy that don't have Windows already pre installed and already licensed? I build a new desktop every now and then, but not near often enough to have to worry about having 5 licenses in a pool to play with. I have a bunch of MSDN keys to play with anyway. Even if I didn't, I'd just do the one time purchase for that one new desktop PC. You have some valid points, but with all the free upgrades out there, I don't see to many takers. And most of those that didn't do the free upgrade, likely never will upgrade to 10.

 

If it was the only option, and it became retroactive , by by Microsoft for me.

 

It might of course be English not being my native language and me therefore explaining this badly, but it looks that you totally missed my point.

Looks that you, too missed my point.

You have now Windows 10 for life of those devices on four computers. Your free upgrade licenses are not transferable. In the concept I told in my previous post you could convert those licenses to freely transferable, reusable ones, not caring about on which device you use them.

For the lifetime of you, not the lifetime of those devices.

 

Then why have a subscription when I can easily go out and purchase a copy of 10 and transfer it as much as I like to any new PC?? Home would be around 110 dollars and that's a one time fee.. wouldn't a subscription be an annual charge?? And if I don't use office or OneDrive why should I have to pay for them??

 

I saw that, but how often would you transfer a license, really? And why? Odds are that new device you just bought is already licensed for Windows 10. So why pay a fee to relicense it? Then how do you sell the one you just unlicensed? For sale with no OS? If you restore the original license, and it was windows 10, what was the point of relicensing it in the first place, just to have it in your group of 5? I really don't see the whole point of this unless its a device that doesn't have Windows on it to start with. I actually just see that model as complicating things and being a big headache for Microsoft. What is you license tied to, product key, hardware ID? Do a clean install and the embedded key is used automatically with no prompt. If it has a Digital Entitlement its using a generic key. Are you going to have to do a change key to make it totally yours? Sounds like a big PITA to me.

 

This conversation is pointless. If you do not see any benefits in subscribing software (or in this case OS), there's nothing I can say to change that. Let's just say this: I would never again go and buy an Office 2016 install DVD with a one time price for each PC, to install it on every PC I need it. I rather subscribe it, as I have done for years now.

I am as unable to see the benefits in buying a retail Windows 10 license for each PC I need to as you are to see the benefits of a subscription.

Today's price for Windows 10 Home for a single PC at Microsoft Store is $120 (Microsoft Store - Shopping Cart). Comparing that to my concept I told about, I would need $600 to get it to five computers, with less features (no OneDrive).

I'd rather pay a $99 annual subscription, getting it for 6 years with the same money. In six years quite a lot can be changed, the cost of a single Windows can be much more than today's $120. The subscription price will also be higher but I am sure I would gladly do the same decision again.

Subscription over one time pay for me.

 

The average lifetime of my computers is about two years, three at max, then the technology has advanced (my personal subjective opinion) enough to justify letting the old machine retire and getting a new one.

Your mileage may vary.

 

I don't have the finances to be replacing my devices that often. And what I do on my PC's doesn't require new hardware at that rate or replacement. For me, the subscription plan would just be wasted money.

 

I for one would ditch Microsoft for good if they started some crap like that. I would only use apple for everything then.

 

What did you just say? Are you implying that people didn't have to pay $50 for Windows 8.1? If I recall, this would be the exception to them not charging for updates.

 

They didn't if they were already running Windows 8.0. Windows 8.1 is a free upgrade/update for anybody running Windows 8.0. And Windows 10 is a free upgrade for anybody running Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. Updates for Windows 10 are also free for the life of the device.