I'm enrolled, the only worry I have is how will reinstall on the same device be handled?

Let's say in august I upgrade from windows 7 to windows 10.

Next august, my system dies and I reinstall it (same hardware).

Presumably I can't follow the same path of upgrade unless they provide me an upgrade key as part of the process in a couple of months time?

Should I press the button?

Thanks for letting me know about it. I pressed it. I look forward to getting past Windows 8.1.

I totally agree with the Metro app stuff. I hate it. I still use Windows 8 in exactly the same ways I used Windows 7, I just refuse to do anything in any of the shitty Metro apps.

Me three.

My interpretation of the "free update" based on what I've read (I am not a lawyer):

It's like a Black Friday deal. If you spring for the upgrade (you must own a legal copy of 7 or 8) before a year has passed from release (July 29th) then it is yours to keep, just as if you bought an update SKU from Amazon or Best Buy or whatever. If you do not 'purchase' the upgrade for free before the time limit is up, you must pay for it. If you need a new copy of 10 (non-update) then you must pay for it.

Any patches/service packs/updates past then will be the same price no matter if you take the 'free' option or buy a copy. (I say "price" because nothing prevents MS from going the Apple "pay for .1 updates" route, even though they didn't do that for 8)

I am also going to guess that this is an OEM-like license, in that the upgrade will not work on a separate system - so no transferring your free copy to a new computer when you upgrade (whenever that happens).

My understanding is thus:

They have a huge piracy problem and to try to resolve it, they're giving it away for free for the first year. If you own Windows 7 or 8 (whether "genuine or non-genuine"), you will get the notification and be able to upgrade to 10 for free. (An example source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2898668/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-software-pirates-too.html.)

In regards to the OEM-like upgrade, I'm not sure what you mean. Most store-bought PC's come with the key sticker (not sure about 7/8, but in their case you can get it from the System screen.) My bet would be that if you have the key for your original OS and the key for your free copy of Windows 10 upgrade that you would be able to install and upgrade (though, it wouldn't surprise me for it to be as you stated.) I've personally never run into a situation where I couldn't transfer a copy of Windows to a different PC (I have several keys from laptops/desktops that customers have donated to me after I've built them a new computer and they bought a newer OS and I've been able to install those on other computers/VMs.)

I'm excited for it. I love 8 and from what I've seen they've taken the best parts of 7 and the best parts of 8 and put them together.

In regards to the OEM-like upgrade, I'm not sure what you mean. Most store-bought PC's come with the key sticker (not sure about 7/8, but in their case you can get it from the System screen.) My bet would be that if you have the key for your original OS and the key for your free copy of Windows 10 upgrade that you would be able to install and upgrade (though, it wouldn't surprise me for it to be as you stated.) I've personally never run into a situation where I couldn't transfer a copy of Windows to a different PC (I have several keys from laptops/desktops that customers have donated to me after I've built them a new computer and they bought a newer OS and I've been able to install those on other computers/VMs.)

I'm excited for it. I love 8 and from what I've seen they've taken the best parts of 7 and the best parts of 8 and put them together.

OEM licenses will not let you transfer the license to a different machine. Retail licenses let you move your copy from one machine to another. This is generally enforced when you try to register your copy, as an OEM key will already be flagged as in use with a particular hardware setup and therefore the server will deny your authorization request if the hardware differs.

(I do not know if Win10 will use such a license for the upgrade, just stating it as one way they might justify the free cost)

In regards to the OEM-like upgrade, I'm not sure what you mean. Most store-bought PC's come with the key sticker (not sure about 7/8, but in their case you can get it from the System screen.)

Win7 had stickers too, but Win8 got rid of them. You can still get it from the System screen though.

Now, they store the OEM key in the BIOS itself, so you can do a complete reinstall even with new harddrives, and Windows will just read the key from the BIOS.
Usually you can't just use OEM keys on any computer except the original (even before Win8), but there are occasional exceptions and sometimes tricks around it.

* Older hardware not working on newer versions due to driver support is unfortunate, though something that happens with every new version of an OS. Do the pre-upgrade checks detect that they aren't supported? It's not them deciding to remove a feature, it's that your hardware isn't supported.

* I still have universal search in Windows 8, not sure what you mean here?

* DVD was removed because of software patents - it means everyone would have to pay for software patents even if only some people use it. Alternatively you can download something for free like VLC (which is hosted in a country where software patents don't apply). As someone who isn't a fan of software patents, I approve of this.

* "Previous versions" in the GUI has been replaced with File History, but I wasn't aware Shadow copies was removed altogether? My backup system still works with shadow copies (or claims to, at least).

* I haven't noticed any changes with my printer options between 7 and 8, but I'll have to double check.

I hope you don't play games, if you're shocked by a full screen. True, full screen isn't for everything (and I'm sure I remember threads here a few years ago where some people were claiming running everything full screen was the One True Way of the future, which I disagreed with, and it seems MS does too), but Windows Store apps will run in ordinary resizable windows in 10 anyway, so this is not a reason to stay with 7. And in fact it never was, as 8 doesn't stop you from running Windows 7 apps, the Windows Store apps are in addition. (Personally I use Windows Store apps where full screen isn't a problem - games, video, information/website-wrapper apps; everything else I use classic apps as before. No need to complain about anything.)

I'm also hoping i can burn a dvd of my windows upgrade, so that i don't have to download 3gb again in the future if i reinstall, and can just use my burned DVD and legitimate license keys that the upgrade process would give me....

I'm also hoping i can burn a dvd of my windows upgrade, so that i don't have to download 3gb again in the future if i reinstall, and can just use my burned DVD and legitimate license keys that the upgrade process would give me....

Microsoft mentioned they'd have Win10 ISOs for download, and you should also be able create recovery discs.

Microsoft mentioned they'd have Win10 ISOs for download, and you should also be able create recovery discs.

Please god can they officially support USB flash drives this time around?

I haven't *owned* a computer with a disk drive in a good 5 years.

In regards to the OEM-like upgrade, I'm not sure what you mean. Most store-bought PC's come with the key sticker (not sure about 7/8, but in their case you can get it from the System screen.) My bet would be that if you have the key for your original OS and the key for your free copy of Windows 10 upgrade that you would be able to install and upgrade (though, it wouldn't surprise me for it to be as you stated.) I've personally never run into a situation where I couldn't transfer a copy of Windows to a different PC (I have several keys from laptops/desktops that customers have donated to me after I've built them a new computer and they bought a newer OS and I've been able to install those on other computers/VMs.) I'm excited for it. I love 8 and from what I've seen they've taken the best parts of 7 and the best parts of 8 and put them together.

OEM licenses will not let you transfer the license to a different machine. Retail licenses let you move your copy from one machine to another. This is generally enforced when you try to register your copy, as an OEM key will already be flagged as in use with a particular hardware setup and therefore the server will deny your authorization request if the hardware differs.(I do not know if Win10 will use such a license for the upgrade, just stating it as one way they might justify the free cost)

Ah, I didn't realise that. What really constitues OEM then? I've always bought "OEM" from Newegg and never had a problem installing it on different PCs (at different times; for example one of my 7 copies was "OEM" and I used it on my PC and then installed it on a friends PC when I bought 8.)

As an aside, since tone doesn't show in text, this is a serious question - I've been buying "OEM", but it seems I may be wrong. If this is more of a Server thing, then my only install experience is with SBS. Thanks!