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Call it amnesty. Call it common sense. Call it whatever you want, but 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 operating system is dead.
No, not dead as in "doesn't matter," but dead in the sense of "not something anyone sells."
Microsoft is now giving away Windows 10 to "re-engage" with the three quarters of the Windows users in China who pirate Microsoft's software. It's doubtful that Microsoft will ever manage to sell them a copy of Windows, but it may lead them to purchasing other software services through Microsoft. That's the plan, anyway.
Microsoft is either a roaring success or an abject failure in China, depending on how you view piracy. While Microsoft has complained for years about the billions upon billions of dollars lost to Chinese piracy and recently has enlisted US state attorneys general to block Chinese pirates, but the reality is that this same piracy made it relevant to Chinese businesses and consumers.
In a world aggressively embracing free and open-source software, Microsoft had a problem: how to sell "pricey" in a country that wanted "free."
www.yahoo.com
No, not dead as in "doesn't matter," but dead in the sense of "not something anyone sells."
Microsoft is now giving away Windows 10 to "re-engage" with the three quarters of the Windows users in China who pirate Microsoft's software. It's doubtful that Microsoft will ever manage to sell them a copy of Windows, but it may lead them to purchasing other software services through Microsoft. That's the plan, anyway.
Microsoft is either a roaring success or an abject failure in China, depending on how you view piracy. While Microsoft has complained for years about the billions upon billions of dollars lost to Chinese piracy and recently has enlisted US state attorneys general to block Chinese pirates, but the reality is that this same piracy made it relevant to Chinese businesses and consumers.
In a world aggressively embracing free and open-source software, Microsoft had a problem: how to sell "pricey" in a country that wanted "free."
Microsoft gives up on charging for Windows in China
Microsoft has tried to stem the tide of Windows piracy in China. It's time to embrace it.
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