Microsoft To Discontinue Free Windows 10 Upgrade

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Microsoft announced on Thursday that it will end support for Windows 10 free upgrade after July 29, one year after its launch.

“If you’ve already upgraded to Windows 10 –- thank you. If you haven’t upgraded yet –- we hope you’ll consider upgrading today,” Yusuf Mehdi, the corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Windows and Devices Group, said in a blog post on Thursday.

“Time is running out. The free upgrade offer will end on July 29 and we want to make sure you don’t miss out.

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After July 29, Mehdi added, customers can get Windows 10 pre-installed on a new device, or pay the full price for a Windows 10 license to upgrade their current system. The consumer-grade Windows 10 Home costs $119, while Windows 10 Pro — which adds some corporate-specific features — runs $199.

The Redmond, Washington-based company, also said that Microsoft announced Thursday that its latest Windows operating system designed to work on laptops, desktops, smartphones, Xbox One consoles and more is powering 300 million devices around the world, a boost of 30 million, for an increase of 11%, in the last five weeks.

Apart from the big number, Mehdi also shared a few other facts related to Windows 10. He noted:

— Over 63 billion minutes were spent on Microsoft Edge in March, with 50 per cent growth in minutes since the last quarter. Microsoft had launched the Edge browser along with the Windows 10. It replaces the much-used but not-similarly-loved Internet Explorer.

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— Cortana, the personal assistant that is part of Windows 10, has answered over 6 billion questions so far.

— There has been a talk that Windows 10 is not great for gamers. But Mehdi says numbers tell a different story. He writes, “People are playing games on Windows 10 more than ever before, with over 9 billion hours of gameplay on Windows 10 since launch.”

The company also said it would introduce an “anniversary update” of the operating system to make it a more powerful educational tool in classrooms.

The goal, according to Microsoft, is to have over 1 billion devices—phones, tablets, PCs, servers and embedded products—actively using Windows 10 on a monthly basis.

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