Microsoft launched Windows 10 in style with wave reviews and for the first time ever, it was handed out free of charge to end users running the much loved Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1.The operating system has since proved popular counting roughly 300 million machines running it. With it came a couple of new features like Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant, the new Edge browser that replaced the aging Internet Explorer as the default browser, it brought back the start menu that Microsoft merged with its live tiles UI, an improved Windows store with a promise of universal apps among others.
It’s been receiving updates ever since and last recorded an excess of 200 million users this January. 100 million more suggest a positive trajectory for Microsoft after a stalled and embarrassing Windows 8 launch.
Much of the free update program was attributed to the lackluster reception of Windows 8 as a way of attracting users but today’s announcement on the windows blog brings the flare to an end. All users that haven’t upgraded to Windows 10 only have until July 29th to do so lest they’ll cough out $199 (an equivalent of 410,000UGX) to receive the update. They as well have an option of receiving it on purchase of a new Windows machine.
Windows 10 is quite a hit now and Microsoft wants it to power a billion machines in a duration of 3 years. The first year has seen it distributed freely and July 29th marks it’s first anniversary. A deadline that Redmond issued while launching the operating system.
We hope it dethrones Windows 7 as the most popular Windows across the globe given the former enjoys a market share of 47.82% according to Net Marketshare.
