Windows isn't free. It just happens to come with the cost of your PC, but the PC manufacturer pays for it (and passes the cost to you).
They just noticed that no one upgrades Windows (and why should they? When was the last time you were excited about a windows release? XP? 95? 3.1? Maybe 7 if you're coming from Vista?)
I fail to see the worst?
I personally was VERY excited for Windows 7 and it proved to be a very solid edition. VERY VERY excited for Ubuntu bash in Windows 10 in the preview edition.
> They're not copying Google. They're taking the worst of both worlds.
Google's model is advertising
Apple's is Hardware
Microsoft is selling services more.
I find it really awesome that Microsoft has really turned into a company I have a positive view of and glad that Steve Balmer is gone.
Maybe, but what I'm saying is that:
Apple costs, is closed-source but (somewhat) cares about privacy. Google is free, (somewhat) open-source but actively doesn't care about privacy. Windows costs, closed source and actively doesn't care about privacy.
In other words, with Google you're not the customer, you're the product. With Microsoft you're the product and you have to pay for the privilege to be a product.
One thing is Apple is not a closed source company. Though it is a mixed bag they have made some good contributions to the Open Sources world. Though their Walled Garden is YUGE
https://developer.apple.com/opensource/
* Bonjour
* Webkit
* Swift
As of now, most of Android APIs are in AOSP. How many Apple APIs are?
You can't compare the need for Windows 7 vs XP and the need for 95 after 3.1 . There was a huge amount of software which simply required 95.
One word about Windows 7
Vista