[rescue] VirtualBox anecdotes - was Re: A wee bit off-topic

[Glen Hermannsfeldt (Contractor)]

The explanation seems to be here:

http://www.cnet.com/news/windows-10-pirated-upgrades-will-still-be-considered
-pirated/

you can upgrade from a copy that wasn't legally licensed.  You then have a
running copy of Windows 10 that also isn't legally licensed.

Seems that it will, however, run as well as the previous version did, but it
doesn't suddenly become a legal copy.

-----Original Message-----
From: rescue [mailto:rescue-bounces at sunhelp.org] On Behalf Of Dan Sikorski
(snip)

I fully disagree with the above statement.  Windows 10 is being provided as a
free *update* to users who have *already purchased* a previous version of
Windows.  the bMicrosoft Taxb has already been paid, and they will continue
to sell a large number of windows licenses to OEMs.  Ibd hazard a guess that
Microsoft figured out that very few people were ever buying their upgrade
licenses and simply ran whatever version of the OS came pre-installed on the
hardware they purchased.  They also noticed that the market has moved toward
lower initial cost hardware with less upgradeability (largely based on
movement away from desktop PCs to laptops).  So, they are giving up some small
amount of upgrade sales direct to consumers to gain a little goodwill and/or
encourage consumers to ditch older versions of windows that they do not want
to update/support anymore.  In the meantime, they continue to sell OS licenses
to OEMs just as they always have.

Also, this is all concerning the consumer market.  Windows licensing looks
completely different in the business market.
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