When Microsoft introduced Windows 7 back in 2009, the software giant didn’t need to persuade customers to upgrade — they leapt at the chance. Back then, upgrading to the latest and greatest version of Windows was a no brainer. When Microsoft introduced Windows 7…
When Microsoft introduced Windows 7 back in 2009, the software giant didn’t need to persuade customers to upgrade — they leapt at the chance. Back then, upgrading to the latest and greatest version of Windows was a no brainer.
Fast forward to today, and Microsoft is in a very different position. Windows 10 is a huge improvement over its predecessor, Windows 8.x, and yet it’s struggling to gain market share. Figures from NetMarketShare , and Microsoft itself show adoption of the new OS has stalled. That’s got to be hugely frustrating for Microsoft, especially when you consider the number of tricks it has pulled to force users to upgrade.
SEE ALSO: Why you shouldn’t rush to install the Windows 10 Creators Update
It’s Free!
The carrot, which came before the sticks, was Microsoft’s smartest move — making Windows 10 a free upgrade for users of Windows 7 and 8.1. The software giant flubbed this move at the time though by stating it would be a free upgrade “for the first year” and then talking up “Windows as a service,” which made many people think they would eventually need to shell out money on paid subscriptions, à la Office 365. Thankfully, that never came to pass.
Naturally, for many Windows users, Microsoft had us at “free”, and the OS got off to a great start, helped by the Get Windows 10 (GWX) app which simplified the upgrade process.
