Windows as a subscription

I have the feeling that M$ will release the new OS as a subscription.
I see it as a global movement of the software's companies.
We first saw the antivirus as a subscription as they have to be updated daily.
Now you have Office 365, Windows Enterprise, Macrium Reflect, and many other brands selling their software as a subscription.

Time will tell.

Personally I don't think they will as Office 365 and OneDrive, even Edge are available on Apple and Android. So they'd be pushing customers away from Windows IMHO. The only stalwarts you have left would be gamers but then you have the likes of Steam producing the Deck that's Linux based and we don't know yet how that will develop in the future.
Business' are, of course, a different kettle of fish.

In the Elevenforum there has been a discussion about this, about 10 pages long, including a poll.
Maybe it's worthwhile to read that:

Luiz,

We've been seeing those unsubstantiated rumours for a decade.


Subscriptions are a very logical payment method for software that provides extensive user support; it makes the revenue flow match the incursion of costs.
Much specialist commercial software has been subscription-based for a very long time.


Merry Christmas,
Denis

I think they may have learned their lesson with Office 365. For a while it was not possible to purchase a perpetual license of Office Home as Microsoft tried to force you to switch to office 365, and people simply chose to stay with he last available version of office and not upgrade. Microsoft eventually relented.

I think the Subscription version may be for the cloud editition.

I cannot see the point in guessing what may or may not happen, it will all be revealed soon (possibly)

I don't mind change, I could switch to Linux for instance, though I'd rather not.

Betonhaus said:

I think they may have learned their lesson with Office 365. For a while it was not possible to purchase a perpetual license of Office Home as Microsoft tried to force you to switch to office 365, and people simply chose to stay with he last available version of office and not upgrade. Microsoft eventually relented.

I think the Subscription version may be for the cloud editition.

Click to expand...

I'm quite pleased to still have two owned copies of Word 2013 in my Microsoft account. Which I use and am happy with. I only really need word. But also now have the Pro Plus office owned in my Microsoft Account - so can't see I'll be needing any 365 in the future and really don't like the idea of it. I hope Word 2013 continues to work for a long time!

Presumably MS gets money from the laptop manufacturers for using Windows? They had so much hassle with licence fraud in the past that I can't see them starting to charge for using Windows again.

365 is worth the money just for the 6TB of Onedrive space, getting the Office apps for all the Familiys PCs is just a bonus.

A Guy

I concur that Win12 will more than likely be a subscription-based service. It just feels like Microsoft is leaning that way based on my research.

Time will tell, but in the meantime, there is no harm in speculating. I do believe that Windows 12 will be subscribed to, or maybe an ISO will be released for the peons.

Or, we can just go elsewhere for our Windows OS. Eh?
Microshaft is not the only act in town!

If the same Windows 10/11 key can be used in Windows 12, then everyone would buy the key (for new computers without digital license yet) and install wither Windows version. For all of us that have already a digital license in our computers, we can either upgrade for free and activate with that digital license, or clean install Windows 12 and activate automatically with that digital license. In all cases we have the full Windows 12 OS, why pay for subscription? Subscription would make sense for a cloud version of Windows 12 accessible online from an old computer that would not otherwise be capable of running Windows 12. Microsoft could detect your OS and allow using Windows 12 only from a Windows 7 or higher computer. Not Linux or Mac OS, so they would ensure they keep their user base even if they use their cloud edition. It would be great that an old 32-bit computer could run the cloud version of Windows 12 and use its applications. Even better if you could install any desktop application or game in your cloud PC. Not only Windows Store versions.

I'm so sick of reading about licenses, keys and MS, , I could scream!
They are NOT the only act in town! Or don't you know that yet? Wake up and smell the roses!!!

I've suspected that windows would eventually be subscription only since 10 was released for free (they literally tried to force it on us). Windows 365 is a step in that direction. Those willing to pay subscriptions for apps will have no problem with this.