Solved POLL: Would you pay for a Windows 12 subscription?

I vote NO. One reason was because MS said that Windows 10 would be the last OS and they will make it better with updates. Then they release Windows 11 with silly restrictions and it is no different than Windows 10. Windows 11 is full of bugs just like every other version they released. So what will be the difference with Windows 12?
Thank goodness for these forums to help us resolve some of the bugs we encounter.

cheers

Conjecture and speculation, gets us nowhere. We'll just have to wait and see what MS comes up with.
I'm guessing that Win-12 will be another retail product, like all other versions of Windows.
And for those without deep pockets, there will always be the after market versions of Windows, available for FREE.

And the biggest question of all.... "if someone is happy with Win-11, why would they feel the need to change OS's?" I won't!
I installed Win-11/Pro/64, turned off Windows Updates, customized it to my liking, and now just sit back and enjoy it.
It's probably the smoothest and fastest Windows I've ever had, and totally without any MS interference.

TM

Saw this last night...

The creator of the poll did not list the most obvious answer: ReactOS. At the same time it lists Linux and "Ubantu"[sic] separately even though Ubuntu is Linux.

My answer: I will stick with Windows 11 as possibly the majority of users will do in such case.

Anixx said:

The creator of the poll did not list the most obvious answer: ReactOS. At the same time it lists Linux and "Ubantu"[sic] separately even though Ubuntu is Linux.

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As mentioned previously, by the time hindsight hit, it was past the hour allotted to make any changes. As far as Linux is concerned, I felt it was relevant to list them separately as they are quite diffent IMO. As defined by Ai (because I am lazy);

Linux is a free and open-source kernel that forms the foundation for numerous operating systems, including Ubuntu. Ubuntu, on the other hand, is a Linux distribution that provides a complete operating system package with a user-friendly interface and a range of pre-installed software.

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It's a non issue since MS will never charge for Windows.

BunnyJ said:

It's a non issue since MS will never charge for Windows.

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Is that you Mr Nadella?
Lets say they didn’t and the core base was free, (there’s a possibility) nothing else will be. Already they are trying to force feed OneDrive, Office 365, Paint is leaning toward Ai and token based, every other new thing they might bring with Twelve will probably come at a price. What’s the difference?
No harm in speculating.

antspants said:

Is that you Mr Nadella?
Lets say they didn’t and the core base was free, (there’s a possibility) nothing else will be. Already they are trying to force feed OneDrive, Office 365, Paint is leaning toward Ai and token based, every other new thing they might bring with Twelve will probably come at a price. What’s the difference?
No harm in speculating.

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Well. you can speculate but we've heard this before and MS has never charged a monthly fee for the OS.

Oh and you don't have to use Office 365.

antspants said:

A Windows subscription base would affect many companies, if there was a mass exodus from Windows.

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If Windows 12 becomes a subscription OS, Microsoft would be nuts to not offer conventional licensing to companies.

With the amount of machines at home, and the questionable quality and policies of current Windows, NO, I would definitely not pay for a Windows SUB, even if it was 1€/month. I'd switch to Linux in a heartbeat, and use my Android mobile as a Linux machine, because I can.

I'd even consider a Mac, since they're really good for getting work done.

I read the ghacks article Ghot posted, and the writer indicates a 2025 Windows 12 launch. Others I've read say 2024.

Everything I've read though is that the direction of Windows is towards a web-based model, One Drive, so that you can basically have your desktop available wherever you may be. For myself personally, I don't need that as I have other non-Windows portable devices that provide all the access I need. If they charge for Windows 12, I will just stay with Windows 10 and 11 on the desktops. But, we'll see....

p.s.- I already spend my time across several different OS's , so if I had to drop Windows, the changeover won't come like a shock.

Scramjet said:

I vote NO. One reason was because MS said that Windows 10 would be the last OS and they will make it better with updates.

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Microsoft didn't say that. A Microsoft employee said it. Microsoft never confirmed the statement, but people ran with it as truth.

That comment was actually made by Jerry Nixon, a Microsoft developer evangelist who spoke at the company’s ”Tiles, Notifications, and Action Center” presentation about Windows 10 at Microsoft’s Microsoft Ignite conference in 2015.

Scramjet said:

Then they release Windows 11 with silly restrictions and it is no different than Windows 10. Windows 11 is full of bugs just like every other version they released. So what will be the difference with Windows 12?
Thank goodness for these forums to help us resolve some of the bugs we encounter.

cheers

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Software isn't perfect, it never has been and it will continue to not be. What is the difference between Windows 7, then 8, then 10, and now 11. There are differences. New design choices, new places to find things, new features, out with some of the old and and in with some of the new.

OldMainframeGuy said:

If Windows 12 becomes a subscription OS, Microsoft would be nuts to not offer conventional licensing to companies.

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Sorry, I meant companies that supplied windows based software

I subscribe to things that I get value out of. For example, my family uses Amazon Music unlimited. It costs me like $160 a year. That's way less than I used to pay when i bought my own music. When I bought music, I had to travel to the store, I had to buy something, I had to store it, etc, etc, etc. Sure, someday Amazon could remove a song, album, etc...from their system and i "could" lose access to it. But I think that far out in the future, I've likely got other things I'm listening too and it won't be that big of deal.

A lot of things with a subscription too have to be considered with any extras they come with. For example, I have Office 365. I have the family plan that's $99 a year. Honestly, if it was just for Microsoft Office, I'd probably skip it. I have Office on my work laptop and there are plenty of Office alternatives out there...not to mention the free version of Word and Excel that you can stream via the web for free. BUT, Microsoft includes 1TB of OneDrive space for each user, and they allow 6 users. That's 6TB of cloud storage space...which i really like having access to. So, for me, the $99 for Office 365 is worth it for OneDrive alone. Getting Microsoft Office for me, is just a freebie bonus. And I get a discount on Office 365 via work, so that $99 becomes $69 for the family plan. I'll happily pay that price for what I am getting. I consider it a no-brainer subscription. Others however wouldn't touch paying for Office 365 with a 10ft pole and for them, it may not be worth it.

Thus, at this point, without prices and details, I cannot even speculate on what I might do.

I don't think they will but if so, I will be on Linux in a heartbeat!

TechnoMage2021 said:

I installed Win-11/Pro/64, turned off Windows Updates, customized it to my liking, and now just sit back and enjoy it.

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Not sure that turning off Windows updates is the best choice if you are connected to the Internet in any way on the machine.. Lots of security holes, vulnerabilities go unpatched this way. I work in enterprise IT and while I don't love patching all the time, it's pretty much a necessary evil. Yeah, sometimes stuff breaks and you have to fix it, but you simply shouldn't leave yourself vulnerable simply because it's easier.

antspants said:

As far as Linux is concerned, I felt it was relevant to list them separately as they are quite diffent IMO.

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Then you should list openSUSE and Red Hat. But honestly, Linux distros are not that different.

Neowin's 'subscription-based Windows 12' rumour is actually "Windows 11 IoT Enterprise Subscription"

Anixx said:

Then you should list openSUSE and Red Hat. But honestly, Linux distros are not that different.

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He could have listed all the above.