14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will release Windows 10 free of charge for Windows 7 and 8.1 users, while devices with small screens will get the operating system either at no cost or with a very small fee, thus cutting the final price the customer has to pay when purchasing them.
This is why IDC says that the tablet industry is very likely to grow this year, explaining that this free Windows 10 offer makes new devices very appealing to buyers.
Despite the slowdown that was recorded in 2014 (sales of new tablets dropped by 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014), IDC believe that this particular side of the market will improve in 2015 thanks to a number of factors, including the free Windows 10 offer.
“Microsoft's new OS, a general shift towards larger screen form factor and productivity focused solutions, and technology innovations such as gesture interface that could be introduced in tablets will help the market maintain positive growth in 2015,” Jean Philippe Bouchard, research director, Tablets, said in a statement.
“Free Windows 10” details
As far as PCs are concerned, the free Windows 10 offer means that users can upgrade their devices to the new OS completely free of charge during the first year after launch.
The offer is valid for those running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on their computers, the company says, and will be up for only 12 months after the new OS version comes out. After that, everyone willing to upgrade to Windows 10 will have to pay a fee, but full details on this are yet to be disclosed.
Windows 10 is very likely to ship in the fall of 2015, and in addition to a PC version, it will also come with a brand new edition powering both small tablets and phones. Windows RT will thus go dark once and for all, so all Microsoft's efforts will be focused on offering a similar experience across all devices.