I never minded Windows 8.1, I had the apps I wanted when using the Metro mode and the desktop was stable. After installing Windows 10 on both my Surface 10 and ThinkPad 8 tablet, which was moth balled until today, I have to say it's a pretty big improvement. I like that their is no longer a desktop when you switch to tablet mode, which is perfect for the small but still very useable ThinkPad 8 tablet, though it is the 4GB model. The Surface Pro 3 is the real treat though, Microsoft has definitely improved their display scaling technology, there is no longer that weird disconnect from apps like Photoshop that used to display it's interface so tiny it was almost unusable unless you were connected to a external monitor. I'm also getting about an hour more of battery with my ThinkPad 8 tablet, I was previously getting about 6 hours, which wasn't so bad but not good either, now though, I'm getting 7:10, I've been using it none stop since I installed Windows 10, used it till the battery was drained, recharged it and used it again until dead, yep it made it to the 7 hour mark once again, this is great news and will start using the tablet once again, I forgot just how cool the little ThinkPad 8 is, still the best Windows tablet under 10", in my opinion.
The biggest let down was Microsoft's Continuum, it's not ready yet. I wanted so badly to play around this, there hasn't been a feature in the last 3 years that has made me more excited. Now I can connect my Nexus 5 to a monitor, mouse and keyboard, it looks and functions fairly well, especially when using Microsoft's new Office apps. A person could seriously get by with just using a smartphone for their every day desktop needs. However I want to use multiple app windows, like a normal desktop OS provides. I also want more apps that are designed for desktop use but also has a mobile mode for when your using the phone. I think Continuum is going to be a big thing and will hopefully revitalize the Windows mobile platform. That being said, even without Continuum, Windows 10 for mobile has added a lot of great features that finally makes it into a platform that I'm interested in, once more, so much so that I will be buying the new Lumia 940 XL when it is released. It definitely won't be replacing my Blackberry Passport anytime soon, as it's still the best phone, in a very long time that I've owned but the 960 should be a great little companion none the less.
I don't get all the hate Vista and 8 got. I've been running 8.1 for about a year and it is pretty much the same as always. Vista was pretty much the same as always. The only real thing to complain about is the shuffling of the deck chairs. Every Windows version relocates and renames settings and makes them harder to find (mostly by spreading them out wider and making you have to read longer labels). The functionality of the OS hasn't really changed much at all in 20 years.
I was glad it could easily be removed and I could return to Windows 8.1. Using 125% DPI in Windows 10 made everything fuzzy. Using Intel Pentium Dell AIO with Intel graphics.
Jusy move it all into something like Lightroom. I have close on 300K images in the product. iPhoto and Photos have been disabled for the removable media I use so I hardly ever see them.
If you don't then just duy yourself a cheap USB HDD and archive it all.
Agreed, Lightroom is a fantastic product, I turned to it after Apeture, I never liked Apples iPhoto or their new one. I don't my photos all jumbled in with each other, I organize everything into folders. Since I also use multiple devices with different OS's I hardly ever use software from the manufacture who develops the system. I need everything working in complete harmony with each other. Plus Lightroom works fantastically with OneDrive, which in my opinion is the best cloud service for photos. Even when using it on the web the gallery displays all relevant information about each photo, which device was used, IOS speeds, light aperture, stop speed, GPS coordinates with a little map. etc.
My take is that Windows 10 corrects many of the flaws, in Windows 8, while introducing a few 'quirks' of its own.
Thanks for that link. I lost interest after the reviewer described the latest utterly pathetic revision to the programs list on the Start menu. The whole system sucked since Windows 95, but it was at least customizable and manageable by moving all the shortcuts around and making your own folder hierarchy. Now it's worse than it ever was. Doesn't anyone at Microsoft even USE their own OS??
It's amazing. They have had decades to correct the architecture of Windows and they have refused to do so just to embrace backwards compatibility. The end result is that any visual and GUI change they want to actually make introduces yet more levels of complexity and abstraction. And more system services!! As if Windows didn't already have enough idiotic system services running.
So Windows 10 is just more of the same, like the last 20-25 years. All promises and little in the way of real, solid, core change. The registry, the start menu, program installation messes, over complicated architecture with tons of crevices to add unwanted third party complication (hard to avoid if you're a non-techie).
No one much was asking for serious change. The only change the majority seems to want is surface feature changes and that's all they get. iOS 7. Metro.
I hoped for greater change and found the same damn Windows hiding under the surface. It wasn't any worse than ever before. The main upswing in functionality stopped ages ago.
This new Windows seems to be more of the same: surface changes and new complications.
My PC just sits there waiting for me to finish transitioning Sonar projects to Logic on my Mac. I might not bother to upgrade for that process. Of course, if I don't, I won't stay relevant with my library of techie knowledge... [rolls eyes] I really don't want all this crap in my head anyway.
Commercial server revenue was up 5% while Office 365 grew 150%.
Xbox and games up 70% .
Cloud and Azure up 115%.
Phone up 14% in 4th quarter 2014 to 10 million units.
Windows bulk licensing down 2%.
This is interesting because of the EOL of XP. One would expect Windows licenses would be up not down with people replacing their old PCs.
Funny thing that revenue has increased dramatically over the past 4 years but the gross income has been flat.
I hate percentages because 1000% of a very small number is still a very small number. Can you translate these percentages into actual numbers to give us an idea of where Microsoft is making their money? I don't really care about units either, all I care about is cold hard cash. 10M phones doesn't mean much when they give most of them (or a large number of them) away just to show some growth. Did Microsoft even make a profit on their phone sales? I know they made a profit on all their licensing since it costs them very little to sell additional client licenses. Amortize the development costs and everything past that is profit.
As far as the reduction in bulk licenses I wonder how many licenses are not reported because they are part of an enterprise licensing agreement. This is always the problem with reporting any company's sales figures, there are just way too many ways to high failures.
Windows 10 has done a good job of continuing Windows 8's optimizations. This OS can run on all types of hardware and feels fluid. Edge browser is actually really well done and on the Surface 3, is probably the best tablet browser out there.
I didn't mind Windows 8. I just paid $5 for Start8 addon that removed the start screen and brought back the old one. It ended up just being a faster version of Windows 7 for me. Windows 8 however was just awful on mobile devices. Windows 10 fixes a lot of that.
Because Apple sites like this don't do the exact same thing?
Trying to remember one critical article in the last two years..... nope. Not one.
I could go through all the "pro-Apple" websites, including AppleInsider, and give you a list but you obviously already have your mind made up. Yes, I have my mind made up as well but it's based on two decades dealing with Windows systems (or in your case Apple products), not just complaining about them in a forum.
I don't get all the hate Vista and 8 got. I've been running 8.1 for about a year and it is pretty much the same as always. Vista was pretty much the same as always. The only real thing to complain about is the shuffling of the deck chairs. Every Windows version relocates and renames settings and makes them harder to find (mostly by spreading them out wider and making you have to read longer labels). The functionality of the OS hasn't really changed much at all in 20 years.
Obviously it's impossible to argue one anonymous opinion, however both vista and win8 were considered crap by the vast majority of users and tech press. And really Windows7's biggest drawing card; "it isn't as big a piece of crap as vista was" isn't really a compelling argument to me. (and I agree, windows functionality has been at a standstill (or in retrograde) for 20 years while the world moved forward)
It seems to me that most windows proponents are like abused wives, in that most have convinced themselves that "he" has changed and it won't be as bad in the future (otherwise they would be forced to recognize their current situation as untenable and get the hell out any way they could). Well, as I see it (voluntary) windows users only have two real choices; tolerate the abuse or wake up and make the decision to step up to something better.
Uh, that's not how it works. This is an Apple fan site. Sites like Cnet are ostensibly fair in their reporting, and ideally shouldn't display bias toward one platform or another. It's similar to how FOX News pretends to be "fair and balanced" when everyone knows that it's a purely conservative outlet.
Uh, that's not how it works. This is an Apple fan site. Sites like Cnet are ostensibly fair in their reporting, and ideally shouldn't display bias toward one platform or another. It's similar to how FOX News pretends to be "fair and balanced" when everyone knows that it's a purely conservative outlet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogifan
I'm not aware of AI ever claiming it was a general tech site. That's what Cnet and ZDNet claim to be.
Windows is still the dominant PC platform so of course there would be more about Windows on a PC site (with them pandering slightly to what they think the audience wants to hear like any media company that wants to stay in business)... I don't recall ever seeing C|net "claiming" to be a type of "fair and balanced", in regards to coverage, either... That's just your opinion.
I hate percentages because 1000% of a very small number is still a very small number. Can you translate these percentages into actual numbers to give us an idea of where Microsoft is making their money? I don't really care about units either, all I care about is cold hard cash. 10M phones doesn't mean much when they give most of them (or a large number of them) away just to show some growth. Did Microsoft even make a profit on their phone sales? I know they made a profit on all their licensing since it costs them very little to sell additional client licenses. Amortize the development costs and everything past that is profit.
As far as the reduction in bulk licenses I wonder how many licenses are not reported because they are part of an enterprise licensing agreement. This is always the problem with reporting any company's sales figures, there are just way too many ways to high failures.
Microsoft had 70B in revenue for 2011 and steady increases each year to 95B for 2014.
The phones are part of the revenue so I don't think it represents any free phones. They did take a huge write down in Q2 2015 for losses in the phone business, Nokia acquisition, etc. which represents a loss of 13% in their phone business, so the 2014 numbers don't mean much with regard to Windows Phone.
Microsoft had 70B in revenue for 2011 and steady increases each year to 95B for 2014.
The phones are part of the revenue so I don't think it represents any free phones. They did take a huge write down in Q2 2015 for losses in the phone business, Nokia acquisition, etc. which represents a loss of 13% in their phone business, so the 2014 numbers don't mean much with regard to Windows Phone.
Thanks. Now to break it down a bit further. Commercial licensing would include all those server-based client licenses, correct? Device and Consumer licensing sounds like it would be Windows OEM income. Computing and Gaming Hardware is Xbox and other gaming products but does it also include the Surface? What else? I always like "Other" categories because they seem to include all the products that barely survived. Am I close?
In other words, licensing of non-Windows desktop products is what's keeping Microsoft afloat.
I'm not aware of AI ever claiming it was a general tech site. That's what Cnet and ZDNet claim to be.
Windows is still the dominant PC platform so of course there would be more about Windows on a PC site (with them pandering slightly to what they think the audience wants to hear like any media company that wants to stay in business)... I don't recall ever seeing C|net "claiming" to be a type of "fair and balanced", in regards to coverage, either... That's just your opinion.
Well, my opinion about your statement about the PC platform being dominant shows that it's also in the throwaway market where there are so many almost identical products doing nearly the same thing with various degrees of capability that sites like Cnet and the others are kept in business saying the same thing to the same people multiple times.
Being dominant doesn't necessarily mean it's any good. In many cases it's dominant because companies don't want to change, feeling everything they've done will break if they do.
Actually, I bet they make more money on Windows server and all those crazy server applications with expensive client licenses than on Windows desktop software. They can give away the desktop OS because they make a ton of money on maintenance contracts. Their push to cloud-based everything is another way to keep people paying them no matter applications or products they sell. The PC platform is basically dead as far as profits are concerned but the cloud and client licensing is never going to go away as long as people continue to use Microsoft products. I believe Microsoft is continuing to upgrade or apply new lipstick onto Windows just to make them seem relevant while gouging existing customers through these licenses.
I think not. I think free Win 10 is their attempt to make their Store more attractive to devs, by providing large number of users from the start. Since they also are pushing for Universal Apps and platform integration in general, they hope that Windows phone will benefit from renewed devs' interest in Windows.
They will still be making good money from licensing Dell, HP, Lenovo and other OEMs with Win 10. Historically, existing users were always the most resilient, and this might push them to upgrade their Win 7/8/8.1 machines faster than they would do otherwise. This will also give Win 10 some decent early stage numbers.
How well - or clumsy - will all that be executed, well, that remains to be seen. This is 1st big deal for new CEO - I think it will be interesting to watch in any case.
I think not. I think free Win 10 is their attempt to make their Store more attractive to devs, by providing large number of users from the start. Since they also are pushing for Universal Apps and platform integration in general, they hope that Windows phone will benefit from renewed devs' interest in Windows.
They will still be making good money from licensing Dell, HP, Lenovo and other OEMs with Win 10. Historically, existing users were always the most resilient, and this might push them to upgrade their Win 7/8/8.1 machines faster than they would do otherwise. This will also give Win 10 some decent early stage numbers.
How well - or clumsy - will all that be executed, well, that remains to be seen. This is 1st big deal for new CEO - I think it will be interesting to watch in any case.
check out mstone's chart. I think it justifies my statement.
As for Windows 10 being free, it's only free for the last two versions. They're trying to follow Apple's lead and will have a difficult time doing that because all Microsoft really sells is their software. If they had to justify their existence on hardware, they'd be bankrupt by now. Microsoft will survive on licensing fees for server, cloud and whatever other software they continue to rubber stamp. Apple sells hardware, that's where they make money. I would really like to know how many Macs are running Windows as their primary OS. From what I've read on many sites, a standard Mac runs Windows better than any non-Apple PC except for specially configured custom BYO PCs. Interesting that the best "PC" is a Mac and not a Dell, HP, or any of the thousand other Windows/linux-only boxes.
Comments
I never minded Windows 8.1, I had the apps I wanted when using the Metro mode and the desktop was stable. After installing Windows 10 on both my Surface 10 and ThinkPad 8 tablet, which was moth balled until today, I have to say it's a pretty big improvement. I like that their is no longer a desktop when you switch to tablet mode, which is perfect for the small but still very useable ThinkPad 8 tablet, though it is the 4GB model. The Surface Pro 3 is the real treat though, Microsoft has definitely improved their display scaling technology, there is no longer that weird disconnect from apps like Photoshop that used to display it's interface so tiny it was almost unusable unless you were connected to a external monitor. I'm also getting about an hour more of battery with my ThinkPad 8 tablet, I was previously getting about 6 hours, which wasn't so bad but not good either, now though, I'm getting 7:10, I've been using it none stop since I installed Windows 10, used it till the battery was drained, recharged it and used it again until dead, yep it made it to the 7 hour mark once again, this is great news and will start using the tablet once again, I forgot just how cool the little ThinkPad 8 is, still the best Windows tablet under 10", in my opinion.
The biggest let down was Microsoft's Continuum, it's not ready yet. I wanted so badly to play around this, there hasn't been a feature in the last 3 years that has made me more excited. Now I can connect my Nexus 5 to a monitor, mouse and keyboard, it looks and functions fairly well, especially when using Microsoft's new Office apps. A person could seriously get by with just using a smartphone for their every day desktop needs. However I want to use multiple app windows, like a normal desktop OS provides. I also want more apps that are designed for desktop use but also has a mobile mode for when your using the phone. I think Continuum is going to be a big thing and will hopefully revitalize the Windows mobile platform. That being said, even without Continuum, Windows 10 for mobile has added a lot of great features that finally makes it into a platform that I'm interested in, once more, so much so that I will be buying the new Lumia 940 XL when it is released. It definitely won't be replacing my Blackberry Passport anytime soon, as it's still the best phone, in a very long time that I've owned but the 960 should be a great little companion none the less.
I don't get all the hate Vista and 8 got. I've been running 8.1 for about a year and it is pretty much the same as always. Vista was pretty much the same as always. The only real thing to complain about is the shuffling of the deck chairs. Every Windows version relocates and renames settings and makes them harder to find (mostly by spreading them out wider and making you have to read longer labels). The functionality of the OS hasn't really changed much at all in 20 years.
I was glad it could easily be removed and I could return to Windows 8.1. Using 125% DPI in Windows 10 made everything fuzzy. Using Intel Pentium Dell AIO with Intel graphics.
I believe you answered your own question...
Jusy move it all into something like Lightroom. I have close on 300K images in the product. iPhoto and Photos have been disabled for the removable media I use so I hardly ever see them.
If you don't then just duy yourself a cheap USB HDD and archive it all.
Agreed, Lightroom is a fantastic product, I turned to it after Apeture, I never liked Apples iPhoto or their new one. I don't my photos all jumbled in with each other, I organize everything into folders. Since I also use multiple devices with different OS's I hardly ever use software from the manufacture who develops the system. I need everything working in complete harmony with each other. Plus Lightroom works fantastically with OneDrive, which in my opinion is the best cloud service for photos. Even when using it on the web the gallery displays all relevant information about each photo, which device was used, IOS speeds, light aperture, stop speed, GPS coordinates with a little map. etc.
Thanks for that link. I lost interest after the reviewer described the latest utterly pathetic revision to the programs list on the Start menu. The whole system sucked since Windows 95, but it was at least customizable and manageable by moving all the shortcuts around and making your own folder hierarchy. Now it's worse than it ever was. Doesn't anyone at Microsoft even USE their own OS??
It's amazing. They have had decades to correct the architecture of Windows and they have refused to do so just to embrace backwards compatibility. The end result is that any visual and GUI change they want to actually make introduces yet more levels of complexity and abstraction. And more system services!! As if Windows didn't already have enough idiotic system services running.
So Windows 10 is just more of the same, like the last 20-25 years. All promises and little in the way of real, solid, core change. The registry, the start menu, program installation messes, over complicated architecture with tons of crevices to add unwanted third party complication (hard to avoid if you're a non-techie).
Blah blah blah.
No one much was asking for serious change. The only change the majority seems to want is surface feature changes and that's all they get. iOS 7. Metro.
I hoped for greater change and found the same damn Windows hiding under the surface. It wasn't any worse than ever before. The main upswing in functionality stopped ages ago.
This new Windows seems to be more of the same: surface changes and new complications.
My PC just sits there waiting for me to finish transitioning Sonar projects to Logic on my Mac. I might not bother to upgrade for that process. Of course, if I don't, I won't stay relevant with my library of techie knowledge... [rolls eyes] I really don't want all this crap in my head anyway.
Commercial server revenue was up 5% while Office 365 grew 150%.
Xbox and games up 70% .
Cloud and Azure up 115%.
Phone up 14% in 4th quarter 2014 to 10 million units.
Windows bulk licensing down 2%.
This is interesting because of the EOL of XP. One would expect Windows licenses would be up not down with people replacing their old PCs.
Funny thing that revenue has increased dramatically over the past 4 years but the gross income has been flat.
I hate percentages because 1000% of a very small number is still a very small number. Can you translate these percentages into actual numbers to give us an idea of where Microsoft is making their money? I don't really care about units either, all I care about is cold hard cash. 10M phones doesn't mean much when they give most of them (or a large number of them) away just to show some growth. Did Microsoft even make a profit on their phone sales? I know they made a profit on all their licensing since it costs them very little to sell additional client licenses. Amortize the development costs and everything past that is profit.
As far as the reduction in bulk licenses I wonder how many licenses are not reported because they are part of an enterprise licensing agreement. This is always the problem with reporting any company's sales figures, there are just way too many ways to high failures.
Windows 10 has done a good job of continuing Windows 8's optimizations. This OS can run on all types of hardware and feels fluid. Edge browser is actually really well done and on the Surface 3, is probably the best tablet browser out there.
I didn't mind Windows 8. I just paid $5 for Start8 addon that removed the start screen and brought back the old one. It ended up just being a faster version of Windows 7 for me. Windows 8 however was just awful on mobile devices. Windows 10 fixes a lot of that.
Because Apple sites like this don't do the exact same thing?
Trying to remember one critical article in the last two years..... nope. Not one.
I could go through all the "pro-Apple" websites, including AppleInsider, and give you a list but you obviously already have your mind made up. Yes, I have my mind made up as well but it's based on two decades dealing with Windows systems (or in your case Apple products), not just complaining about them in a forum.
Good summary as always here on AppleInsider, however if you want a more comprehensive roundup on Windows 10 (and all the features taken from OS X), there's a great one available at http://ninjateched.com/2015/07/29/roundup-what-to-expect-from-microsoft-as-the-brand-new-windows-10-os-is-released-today/.
I don't get all the hate Vista and 8 got. I've been running 8.1 for about a year and it is pretty much the same as always. Vista was pretty much the same as always. The only real thing to complain about is the shuffling of the deck chairs. Every Windows version relocates and renames settings and makes them harder to find (mostly by spreading them out wider and making you have to read longer labels). The functionality of the OS hasn't really changed much at all in 20 years.
Obviously it's impossible to argue one anonymous opinion, however both vista and win8 were considered crap by the vast majority of users and tech press. And really Windows7's biggest drawing card; "it isn't as big a piece of crap as vista was" isn't really a compelling argument to me. (and I agree, windows functionality has been at a standstill (or in retrograde) for 20 years while the world moved forward)
It seems to me that most windows proponents are like abused wives, in that most have convinced themselves that "he" has changed and it won't be as bad in the future (otherwise they would be forced to recognize their current situation as untenable and get the hell out any way they could). Well, as I see it (voluntary) windows users only have two real choices; tolerate the abuse or wake up and make the decision to step up to something better.
Uh, that's not how it works. This is an Apple fan site. Sites like Cnet are ostensibly fair in their reporting, and ideally shouldn't display bias toward one platform or another. It's similar to how FOX News pretends to be "fair and balanced" when everyone knows that it's a purely conservative outlet.
Quote:
But... you're on an Apple shill site...
Uh, that's not how it works. This is an Apple fan site. Sites like Cnet are ostensibly fair in their reporting, and ideally shouldn't display bias toward one platform or another. It's similar to how FOX News pretends to be "fair and balanced" when everyone knows that it's a purely conservative outlet.
Quote:
I'm not aware of AI ever claiming it was a general tech site. That's what Cnet and ZDNet claim to be.
Windows is still the dominant PC platform so of course there would be more about Windows on a PC site (with them pandering slightly to what they think the audience wants to hear like any media company that wants to stay in business)... I don't recall ever seeing C|net "claiming" to be a type of "fair and balanced", in regards to coverage, either... That's just your opinion.
I hate percentages because 1000% of a very small number is still a very small number. Can you translate these percentages into actual numbers to give us an idea of where Microsoft is making their money? I don't really care about units either, all I care about is cold hard cash. 10M phones doesn't mean much when they give most of them (or a large number of them) away just to show some growth. Did Microsoft even make a profit on their phone sales? I know they made a profit on all their licensing since it costs them very little to sell additional client licenses. Amortize the development costs and everything past that is profit.
As far as the reduction in bulk licenses I wonder how many licenses are not reported because they are part of an enterprise licensing agreement. This is always the problem with reporting any company's sales figures, there are just way too many ways to high failures.
Microsoft had 70B in revenue for 2011 and steady increases each year to 95B for 2014.
The phones are part of the revenue so I don't think it represents any free phones. They did take a huge write down in Q2 2015 for losses in the phone business, Nokia acquisition, etc. which represents a loss of 13% in their phone business, so the 2014 numbers don't mean much with regard to Windows Phone.
Microsoft had 70B in revenue for 2011 and steady increases each year to 95B for 2014.
The phones are part of the revenue so I don't think it represents any free phones. They did take a huge write down in Q2 2015 for losses in the phone business, Nokia acquisition, etc. which represents a loss of 13% in their phone business, so the 2014 numbers don't mean much with regard to Windows Phone.
Thanks. Now to break it down a bit further. Commercial licensing would include all those server-based client licenses, correct? Device and Consumer licensing sounds like it would be Windows OEM income. Computing and Gaming Hardware is Xbox and other gaming products but does it also include the Surface? What else? I always like "Other" categories because they seem to include all the products that barely survived. Am I close?
In other words, licensing of non-Windows desktop products is what's keeping Microsoft afloat.
I'm not aware of AI ever claiming it was a general tech site. That's what Cnet and ZDNet claim to be.
Windows is still the dominant PC platform so of course there would be more about Windows on a PC site (with them pandering slightly to what they think the audience wants to hear like any media company that wants to stay in business)... I don't recall ever seeing C|net "claiming" to be a type of "fair and balanced", in regards to coverage, either... That's just your opinion.
Well, my opinion about your statement about the PC platform being dominant shows that it's also in the throwaway market where there are so many almost identical products doing nearly the same thing with various degrees of capability that sites like Cnet and the others are kept in business saying the same thing to the same people multiple times.
Being dominant doesn't necessarily mean it's any good. In many cases it's dominant because companies don't want to change, feeling everything they've done will break if they do.
I think not. I think free Win 10 is their attempt to make their Store more attractive to devs, by providing large number of users from the start. Since they also are pushing for Universal Apps and platform integration in general, they hope that Windows phone will benefit from renewed devs' interest in Windows.
They will still be making good money from licensing Dell, HP, Lenovo and other OEMs with Win 10. Historically, existing users were always the most resilient, and this might push them to upgrade their Win 7/8/8.1 machines faster than they would do otherwise. This will also give Win 10 some decent early stage numbers.
How well - or clumsy - will all that be executed, well, that remains to be seen. This is 1st big deal for new CEO - I think it will be interesting to watch in any case.
I think not. I think free Win 10 is their attempt to make their Store more attractive to devs, by providing large number of users from the start. Since they also are pushing for Universal Apps and platform integration in general, they hope that Windows phone will benefit from renewed devs' interest in Windows.
They will still be making good money from licensing Dell, HP, Lenovo and other OEMs with Win 10. Historically, existing users were always the most resilient, and this might push them to upgrade their Win 7/8/8.1 machines faster than they would do otherwise. This will also give Win 10 some decent early stage numbers.
How well - or clumsy - will all that be executed, well, that remains to be seen. This is 1st big deal for new CEO - I think it will be interesting to watch in any case.
check out mstone's chart. I think it justifies my statement.
As for Windows 10 being free, it's only free for the last two versions. They're trying to follow Apple's lead and will have a difficult time doing that because all Microsoft really sells is their software. If they had to justify their existence on hardware, they'd be bankrupt by now. Microsoft will survive on licensing fees for server, cloud and whatever other software they continue to rubber stamp. Apple sells hardware, that's where they make money. I would really like to know how many Macs are running Windows as their primary OS. From what I've read on many sites, a standard Mac runs Windows better than any non-Apple PC except for specially configured custom BYO PCs. Interesting that the best "PC" is a Mac and not a Dell, HP, or any of the thousand other Windows/linux-only boxes.