Microsoft gives up on charging for Windows in China

[Borg 386]

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 gives up on charging for Windows in China - TechRepublic

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you Borg 386 for the information.
Microsoft sure does have some strange new business ideas.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yep I guess you really can't blame them Microsoft or any company has no weight in China.

 

[Layback Bear]

Let me see how this works.
A billion Chinese steal Windows 7.
Microsoft will give those billion Chinese a copy of Windows 10 free hoping they won't steal any other Microsoft products.

Lots of luck with that.

 

[ThrashZone]

I suppose Microsoft will soon learn it's not an easy job making sure apps are safe or will they care :/

 

[Borg 386]

Microsoft sure does have some strange new business ideas.

You got that right.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Seems pretty sad

I found this today and find it really galling when one thinks of them taking away the ISO's some of us came to depend on in Greg's tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html even though it is able to circumnavigate it - it still makes for a lot of extra work.

See this and weep Microsoft gives up on charging for Windows in China - TechRepublic

 

[whs]

Let me try this: If it is OK for Chinese to steal the OS why is that not OK in other countries. I think that is the real danger. Pirates all over the world will feel a warm rain.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok I didn't know this was already being discussed sorry Borg.

But it remains not a mystery to me at least because who in their right mind would dare confront the Chinese for virtually thieving Windows. I could say more but I won't because it gets me riled up and don't need the extra stress eh?
What really does get up my nose when they can do this yet if you or I want a simple ISO for downloading because we have lost the original disk or lets say download we are now relegated to the position of buy it or go without.

I know Greg's tutorial goes to great lengths for us to use any Windows install disk but heck why should we have to when it is being given away for nix - it is discrimination in anyone's language and for want of a better way of putting it . Plus as Jack said good luck with the other M$ products they will shortly follow.

Personally I think M$ has been slowly going down the gurgler for some considerable time now and it is a shame it has lost it's way (in my mind) not to mention a slap in the face for those of us who have stood by their products over the years, and also those who have put in decades of work to keep it going - some of our very own come to mind in that respect.

 

[Layback Bear]

Microsoft seem to think that going to cloud use is going to protect their products. I don't think so.

Go to the Security section on this forum and read about all the clouds that have been and are being hacked.

The Chinese will just hack the clouds and start fraudulent accounts. Install their own records and COA to state they are legal and payments have been made and use the cloud like a legal user would. Will it be more hacking work for them, absolutely. But they don't care.

Counterfeiting is a major portion of China's GNP.
They counterfeit every thing.

The last time I checked a month or so ago in the U.S.A 80% of coounterfeit products coming into the country were from China. We are talking Billions and Billion of dollars.
Counterfeiting is a way of life and doing business in China. Has been forever.
I really don't believe they are going to change because they get a free copy of W-10 that they were going counterfeit anyway.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Have to agree with everything you said Jack out here I would hazard a guess at 99.9% of products are either made there or are made with materials form there.

As for the cloud I haven't even liked the sound of it from day one and I will not consciously use it because it sounds so hairy fairy to me. Plus even if I were to use it like you say only a matter of time like everything else it will fall like the wall. I have no doubt that any system will ever keep up to the hackers and suchlike and anyone that does just risks their data whatever that may be.

It is in some respects quite depressing to think that a few (we) have created a monster far bigger and more destructive in some ways than the coming of the atomic bomb.

 

[Urthboundmisfit]

...What Jack said.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yep I did say I was agreeing

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

There's already discussion on this on W10 Forum.

However if Ms is shifting towards subscription and cloud based models then it makes sense --sucker people in (like the Banks with New customers) and once they are suckered charge them an arm and a leg for SERVICES which are much harder to Pirate.

I don't think that will be a very successful business model at least for Non corporates and HOME users-- but to the NAY sayers here on Windows 10 -- I'm trying it and have been quite impressed so far - any Win 7 user would not have any trouble using it (unlike Win 8).

True there are some glitches - but it's in still in TEST mode and while the start menu is still a bit of a hodgepodge it is at least useable -- and of course things like custom toolbars, shortcuts and desktop icons work as before.

Pirating is never going to go away until the whole OS is given away FREE. Even at 15 USD a pop pirating would still exist -- note while a lot of Chinese don't earn that much there are PLENTY that do - probably earn more than ME and I'm not badly paid !!!. The middle classes who have computers etc probably earn as much as similar to those in the USA - especially if you take account of the enormous cost of living differences. From experience though as a Westerner visiting Shanghai you'll be approached in about 2 micro secs flat by people offering you all sorts of "Pirated" goods !!!!!

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Layback Bear]

The Chinese were probable working on a counterfeit Windows 10 already.
Now all they have to do with their free Windows 10 non genuine is counterfeit the COA. Saves they a lot of time and work.

Clouds will slow down the counterfeiting for a while until the clouds are hacked.
Yes it will be harder to do and take more time. The Chinese don't care. Counterfeiting is a major business in China. The Chinese counterfeit everything worth selling.

I think one should remember, counterfeiting is a way of life for people, business and government in China.
Profit margins are much larger with selling counterfeits.

The attitude is simple.
The Chinese don't consider counterfeiting as any thing wrong or something they shouldn't do. It's a way of life and has been for ever.

P/S Counterfeiting make the Chinese billion and billion and billion of dollars every year.

 

[badcrc]

Free Window 10 upgrades, pulling the Digital River iso's and Windows 7 piracy are related. Without going into too much detail, by providing the DR downloads Microsoft were actually facilitating piracy. Forget dodgy torrents - what most pirates (in the West + East) did, was get a clean copy of Windows 7 from DR, and apply a certain well known hack that emulated OEM SLP. These pirate installs show as genuine and are undetectable from the real thing (just ask Noel). Systems that have been pirated using crude file tampering are the only ones that flag up as non-genuine. The OEM hack probably explains why now, only retail serials qualify for an iso download.

When MS states the number of pirate systems in China, they are not counting failed activations, they are estimating the number of pc's in China and comparing that to the number of licences sold. Shortfall = pirate OS's - it's millions.

Microsoft say pirated Windows 7 in China (and possibly elsewhere) will qualify for a free Windows 10 upgrade, but what they really mean is 'we can't actually differentiate a machine that pretends to be a Dell, HP etc from a real Dell, HP etc - so everyone gets the free upgrade'.

Windows 8 has a different activation method to its predecessor, and the above OEM hack no longer works, but whichever way you look at it - there's more to activation, piracy, Digital River and free upgrades than meets the eye.

> my $0.02

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

Most of the successful pirating of Ms products is actually done by "Bollixing" the KMS servers -- "Pseudo" KMS server activation using a local host is the method of choice -- the disadvantage is that some AV software will flag it as malware but people then chose to ignore it. All these KMS activations work for 180 days and then the process is repeated. A similar system (or even the same) is done for Office as well.

Now you can't really do that with a Subscription service unless you have people working for you at the remote cloud servers.

The KMS activation methods also work for Office 2013 and Windows 8.1 -- if you don't believe it just download a LEGAL copy of Windows 8.1 - disconnect from the internet, install in a VM, download the "activator" from a torrent and see what happens.

I'm not advocating Piracy -- just explaining how you can test the validity of "Non Ms activations" - but do it in a VM.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Layback Bear]

I think I understand what Microsoft is trying to get done. You all know I like things simple so here goes.

You can't give candy to a candy loving baby and think that will stop them from wanting more candy. They will just sneak into the candy jar and take more.

 

[Borg 386]

Microsoft's Windows 10 is free for pirates? The bait-and-switch

There are two possible motives for allowing pirated versions of Windows to be upgraded for free. Microsoft appears to be going through a transition in terms of the Windows business model. It's also possible that Microsoft could pull the plug on those pirated versions of Windows 10 at some point in the future.

Hook 'em

It's a tried and true strategy that has worked for centuries. It's a twist on the classic "puppy dog close." Give consumers enough of a taste to get them hooked, and then turn them into paying customers.

Shut 'em down

There has also been some speculation that with Windows 10, automatic updates may not be optional for customers. Reading the fine print of what Microsoft described for the free upgrades, it seems like updates might be a condition of using the OS.

Microsoft's Windows 10 is free for pirates? The bait-and-switch - TechRepublic

 

[ThrashZone]

Love speculation it keeps everyone's blood circulating