Ask HN: Why doesn't Microsoft release Windows 7 for free?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7706820

by sillysaurus3 • 12 years ago

2 5 12 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

If Microsoft wants to prevent people from switching OS's, why not give their most successful one away for free? Is Windows 7 still a sizable portion of their revenue?

dublinben• 12 years ago

Microsoft wants people to use Windows 8, not Windows 7. They've already made it free on devices with screens smaller than 9 inches.

Windows 8 license sales account for more than $20 billion in revenue a year, which free Windows 7 licenses would significantly harm.

Microsoft certainly wants people to upgrade from Windows XP, to Windows 8.

ondiekijunior• 12 years ago

windows 8 isnt such a big upgrade from windows 7 in performance. i would posit that at the moment windows 7 is better, but doesnt really lead to higher future income for microsoft. With WinB, they are building an appstore, selling UI packs etc. Once you ave windows 7 the only addition may be Office, and you are done with microsoft. So actually for economic sense they should just give out win8 for free to all, hike price and withdraw support for windows 7. Then they should launch an appstore for windows 8 and enable further revenue streams eg adverts on apps etc

majurg• 12 years ago

Enterprise I would think. Volume license fees probably make up a good chunk of revenue for microsoft.

ScottWhigham• 12 years ago

MSFT is a public company and you can look at the annual/quarterly reports to glean the revenue from Win7/Win8/etc (which, IMO, offers insight).

http://www.microsoft.com/investor/reports/ar13/download-cent...

I'm not sure I'm reading it right but, on page 74, it says the "Windows Division" recorded almost $2.1 billion in revenue. There's also a quote in there that 65% of that revenue comes from OEMs (if I'm reading that right). So if they just gave the software away, they'd be $2bb poorer, right? What would the benefit be - would people who are on Apple/Linux switch to Microsoft all of a sudden just b/c the OS is free? What would they sell the people so that they can make up that $2bb loss? I like the question you've asked but CEOs get fired for "losing" $2bb in revenue without replacing it with "hope for a better future".

It's a bit tougher to pull that info from the Apple report - http://investor.apple.com/SECFilingNav.cfm?FilingID=1193125-... - but maybe it's there.

gtirloni• 12 years ago

Microsoft is transitioning and Windows 7 is part of the old strategy, it's tied to different dynamics (that still work, mind you). Windows 8 and on, MSFT is trying a different thing with the devices and everything.

I think it makes sense to keep these worlds/strategies separate. They're also making a ton of money on Win7 so why kill that stream of revenue? They can let it die slowly while they improve/tweak their Win8+ strategy.

Ask HN: Why doesn't Microsoft release Windows 7 for free?

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