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Microsoft To Release Low-Cost Windows 10 With Bing Branding 133

Posted by timothy from the bring-banding-too dept.
jones_supa writes: Linux-based Chromebooks have experienced a huge growth in sales during the last couple of years, so much that Microsoft is getting nervous. The company is working with partners to bring cheaper devices to the market, and part of this plan is Windows 10 with Bing, a special version of the new operating system that would only be addressed to original equipment manufacturers. This low-price basic version of Windows comes with hardcoded Bing branding, although the search engine can be changed by the user. Microsoft wants Windows 10 to be installed on as many devices as possible, and the company's roadmap expects 1 billion PCs, tablets, and smartphones to be running it until 2017. The build for Raspberry Pi 2 is still in the works as well.
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Microsoft To Release Low-Cost Windows 10 With Bing Branding More

Microsoft To Release Low-Cost Windows 10 With Bing Branding

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  • Before everyone jumps on the "Hatez the microsoft" (Score:5, Insightful)

    by msobkow ( 48369 ) on Thursday June 04, 2015 @02:47PM (#49841081) Homepage Journal

    Before everyone jumps on this with their "Hatez the Microsoft" commentary, let me just point out that Android relies on exactly this kind of branding, except it's Google instead of Bing.

    • Re:Before everyone jumps on the "Hatez the microso (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Jax Omen ( 1248086 ) on Thursday June 04, 2015 @02:53PM (#49841181)

      And, you know, this isn't exactly big new news...

      Windows 8.1 with Bing has been around for a while.

      the important takeaway is that THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VERSIONS is that THE OEM cannot change the default search software prior to sale. THE END USER CAN CHANGE WHATEVER THEY WANT STILL.

      This is a good thing, anything that brings the price of the OS down for the average joe is a good thing. And maybe, if we're lucky, the Chromebooks will have to step up their game to compete with real Windows.

      • I was under the impression Windows 10 was going to be free. I know it is for IoT devices like the Raspberry pi 2.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Anonymous Coward

          I was under the impression Windows 10 was going to be free. I know it is for IoT devices like the Raspberry pi 2.

          Well, the engineers will be happy about that. Now they'll finally be able to run Windows and Matlab on an embedded system.

        • The IoT versions of Windows 10 use the Windows kernel, but they aren't desktop Windows systems. They're more designed as deployment targets for apps written using Visual Studio on a full PC.

        • Windows 10 will be free for small tablets (8" and smaller screen) and for IoT. It is not free for desktops, laptops, hybrids, and larger tablets. Microsoft already has a reduced cost Windows 8.1 with Bing, so this announcement just means that they are extending the program into the Windows 10 era. I expect this version to show up on most retail systems rather than the standard Windows 10 because it will reduce the price. All in all this could be a plus for consumers because it will reduce the amount of bloa

      • How is this going to work, though? Won't Windows 10 require a footprint of something like a million gigabytes of RAM, a couple petabytes of disk space, and a 32-core processor just in order to boot up and open Notepad?[1]

        [1] All stated figures are approximate.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by e r ( 2847683 )

        This is a good thing, anything that brings the price of the OS down for the average joe is a good thing.

        Linux has been free for over twenty years.
        And it already runs just fine on the RPi and RPi2 and lots of other computers.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Anonymous Coward

          Linux has been free for over twenty years.

          And people still don't want it.

          • People want Linux for servers.

            But it has never caught on for desktop.

            Just as it was making progress, Red Hat screwed up everything with systemd.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by Teckla ( 630646 )

          Linux has been free for over twenty years.

          Not quite.

          For most of those years -- possibly all of them -- Linux has only been free if your time is worth nothing.

          ...why, yes, I have had my share of problems with Linux on the desktop...

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        Bing is such a stupid name, seriously Bing for Ballmer what the hell, https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com], I guess the insurance salesman in him could help bit seek to pump up his ego, but why the hell is M$ still pushing that stupid name.

        MSN Search, clean and simple, bring back myMSN and ease back on the advertising (more advertising, less content, you have less to sell and the advertising space becomes worth much less, so balance). Shit load of balmy ballmer damage to fix but not impossible.

        Start separ

      • THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VERSIONS is that THE OEM cannot change the default search software prior to sale.

        The OEM also has to put it on devices with smaller than 13" screens and I think the total MSRP has to be below $250.

    • And that's why we hatez Google.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Sometimes I think we just automatically hatez anyone who is successful. Human nature, or something like that.

    • Before everyone jumps on this with their "Hatez the Microsoft" commentary, let me just point out that Android relies on exactly this kind of branding, except it's Google instead of Bing.

      If I install AOSP and don't install gapps, then it really doesn't say Google anywhere. Ditto for Cyanogenmod. And if I install Firefox on Cyanogenmod then my default search is Yahoo (ugh.)

    • Sure ... but Google got their place in the market by putting out something people wanted.

      Microsoft is coming to the party late, as usual, with their "me too" product.

      I think for Microsoft to be saying they "expect" 1 billion devices by 2017 is going to prove to be way too damned optimistic.

      Sure, this is the exact same thing as Google does with Android. But will anybody give a damn is the question.

      A billion devices in two years is a LOT of devices.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by tsa ( 15680 )

        Indeed. A billion is a lot.

      • Microsoft is coming to the party late, as usual, with their "me too" product.

        They are hardly coming late to the party, as this is simply the latest in the line that started with Windows XP Starter Edition [wikipedia.org]. It originally was made for specific countries, but it was gradually expanded to worldwide distribution and has had an equivalent cheap level for OEMs for every of Windows since then. In fact, this isn't the first version to be labelled "Windows X with Bing" - that happened with Windows 8.

        A billion devices in two years is a LOT of devices.

        It does seem like an ambitious target for such a short time, but then Windows XP Starter Editi

    • @msobkow: "let me just point out that Android relies on exactly this kind of branding, except it's Google instead of Bing."

      Am I allowed to remove 'Windows 10 with Bing' and replace it with other Operating Systems?

    • No problem, I hate Android, too.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mwvdlee ( 775178 )

      I don't actually have a problem with this, despite regularly having been branded a "Microsoft hater".
      The modern internet is definitely a platform in it's own right. Browser-only (or browser-mostly?) devices have a place in the market.
      The only problem I have with this is the name "Bing"... I just can't help but think of Friends' Chandler Bing whenever I hear it.

  • They already do that (Score:3)

    by bananaquackmoo ( 1204116 ) on Thursday June 04, 2015 @02:51PM (#49841137)
    They already do that with Windows 8. I'm not sure how this is front-page slashdot worthy.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      It's just an excuse to get to write in a story that 'Microsoft is nervous'. As if 'jones_supa' would have any insight into what the leadership of Microsoft is nervous about. Pure speculation of course.

  • Ya Don't Say (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    "Microsoft wants Windows 10 to be installed on as many devices as possible..."

    Ya don't say.

    • If they really want that, they can make free to download and share.

      • It's free to download if you already have Windows 7 or 8

        • My bootleg copy of Windows 7 has the upgrade icon.

          • Which prompts you to reserve your copy of Windows 10 so that once it's released on July 29th, you can be one of the millions of first ones to get it
        • My WIn7 is (or says it is) bootleg, but I still dont want 8, 8.1 or 10, even if it is free. In fact, I doubt I would want them if they also gave me the PC for free.

          Relaistically, everyone knows they "have to have Windows cos everyone else has it". Do they "have to have Herpes because everyone else has it"?

          If MS teaches them they don't have to have Windows cos they can have Bing instead, it is likely to scupper their ship. If they can have Bing, why not Bong (Or Chrome) instead. Or Ubuntu. Or Sailfish or

      • Re:Ya Don't Say (Score:4, Insightful)

        by meglon ( 1001833 ) on Thursday June 04, 2015 @04:32PM (#49842249)
        If they really really want it, they could make a decent fucking product that does what people want, and not worthless bullshit they don't want.... then again, it is Microsoft.... they're not as hardwired to fuck everything they touch up as Sony Online Entertainment was, but they're pretty damn close.

      • If they really want that, they can make free to download and share.

        Yeah, what they lose in margin they'll make up in volume. Oh, wait...

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • You'll get the same version as any other Windows 8.1
      Windows 8 Phone -> Windows 10 Mobile
      Windows 8.1 -> Windows 10 Home
      Windows 8.1 Pro -> Windows 10 Pro

      https://www.microsoft.com/en-U... [microsoft.com]

      • Well, it looks like Microsoft is going to try to force these updates on us no matter if we want them or not.

        Apparently KB3035583 [windowscentral.com] is a recommended Windows update to 8.1 which suddenly starts nagging you to install Windows 10.

        Fuck you, Microsoft. I'm not in your beta program, and I'll stick with the version I bought.

        Tonight I'm going to have to uninstall and block this update, because it's not something I want.

        Annoyingly, the actual MS aticle on this just says "enable more features in Windows Update". Basic

    • Except, obviously, that it's Windows 10, not Windows 8.1. My HP tablet comes with Windows 8.1 with Bing, and I've been suspecting the "free upgrade" I'll be getting will be to an equivalent Windows 10 version.

      Windows 8.1 with Bing is actually free to manufacturers of cheaper devices. I assume that was partly why it was on my $150 HP tablet.

      Is it a Stream? I've been surprised at how well my $100 HP Stream 7 (with free case) runs. Chrome (even in desktop mode) is actually designed for touch use (keyboard pops up when required, mobile type select, copy, paste functions), and I'm surprised that most desktop applications function properly with drag scrolling, and pinch zooming.

  • Even from reading TFA, I'm not sure I understand.. I take it that that version of Windows 10 comes with Bing hardcoded, but only for Internet Explorer (or whatever it is that they're calling the Windows 10 replacement)? I presume there's still nothing stopping users, once they get it, from installing Chrome or Firefox, and choosing whatever search engine they want?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Sowelu ( 713889 )

      Less than that! It's not even hardcoded, it's just an initial setting. It's almost exactly equivalent to them telling OEMs "Hey, if you make Bing the default search engine instead of changing it to something else, we'll give this to you really cheap".

      Defaults that nobody here would care about anyway, yet are massively important for market share because the average user doesn't bother to change them.

    • Most users are lazy, indifferent, or unaware that they can change their search engine.

      So, by the time most consumers get this in their hands, unless they know someone who is crusading against Bing, that's probably what it will always be.

      The point is when the users get it, Bing will be the default, and through simple inertia/indifference, will likely stay that way.

  • This is no real surprise... just continuing an existing product - and something that is certainly expected of them. However it is nice to see them throwing some weight behind getting this rolled out on the raspberry pi (and other of the low power computers).

    • Make that a RPi 2, not the 1 series, which I have two of the little beasties. They're so much fun to futz with! Anyway, I'm not sure why they are porting Win to RPi, since it already comes with a very nice OS that is highly customizable and extendable, and generally several other flavors to boot from, if Raspbian is not what you need for your project. Using the bulk of the horsepower of this little guy for propping up a giant monolithic kernel's GUI such as Win10 might be a lot of wasted cycles to just make

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Dracos ( 107777 )

        Yeah, I don't get why every Win10 post has to mention rPi. I understand MS wants a seat on the IoT hype train, but I don't see how the current Win10 rPi strategy will get them that. Especially since what they showed last month was basically useless.

        I don't want Windows on my Pi's, I don't understand why anyone would. Unless Win10 rPi ends up being a headless, SSH-enabled PowerShell environment. I understand the draw of PowerShell for Windows people (because they know nothing better), but it seems morbid

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        > propping up a giant monolithic kernel's GUI such as Win10

        The Raspberry Pi2 will be running Windows 10 Iot edition which has no GUI such as you would expect on a desktop or laptop, or even on a phone. In fact it really doesn't have a Operating System as such. Programs must be developed on a real Win10 machine and downloaded to the target to run. It can run just one program a a time. That program is developed like a Universal app and can have a display, or be headless. The actual device, even though it i

  • Toomb (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Impy the Impiuos Imp ( 442658 )

    Well, they've me too'd the phone/tablet OS.

    They've me too'd the search engine.

    They've me too'd an app store.

    They forgot to me too any cool cachet.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by BobSwi ( 607571 )
      Waiting on Microsoft Pay to round it out.

    • They forgot to me too any cool cachet.

      LOL, I fear Microsoft will forever be best summarized with the "Hi, I'm a PC/I'm a Mac" commercials where Microsoft is in a shirt and tie and wants to run a spreadsheet. Always with the fscking spreadsheet. Hell, on my Windows machine I don't even have software for spreadsheets. Because I don't ever use spreadsheets. Or PowerPoint. At least no on my personal desktop.

      I'm not sure Microsoft would know what the hell to do with "cool cachet".

      Starting with the non-sprea

      • LOL, I fear Microsoft will forever be best summarized with the "Hi, I'm a PC/I'm a Mac" commercials where Microsoft is in a shirt and tie and wants to run a spreadsheet. Always with the fscking spreadsheet. Hell, on my Windows machine I don't even have software for spreadsheets. Because I don't ever use spreadsheets. Or PowerPoint. At least no on my personal desktop.

        Ah, the good old "I don't use something myself, therefore it's totally pointless" argument.

        And since when did being "cool" become a nerd ideal?

  • Dear Microsoft. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Lumpy ( 12016 ) on Thursday June 04, 2015 @03:03PM (#49841285) Homepage

    Stop being idiots.

    Just release 10 home for free to everyone. This will overnight solve a lot of problems and increase adoption back to the levels you want.
    I thought the new CEO was a smart guy, but it seems he just doesn't get it.

    • Stop being idiots.

      Just release 10 home for free to everyone. This will overnight solve a lot of problems and increase adoption back to the levels you want. I thought the new CEO was a smart guy, but it seems he just doesn't get it.

      They were originally going to. Then everyone through a temper tantrum when they released pirates would be getting it for free too.

      Sometimes you just can't win.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Merk42 ( 1906718 )
      He is releasing it for free to increase adoption, though only for the first year. Seems like he "gets it".

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by eionmac ( 949755 )

      Also make free update for Vista. Otherwise many seniors on old Vista machines (who would not or could not afford a new computer) are locked eventially in unsafe systems. While I can change a few to Linux most want their known old programs to work. I think Microsoft lost the ball in getting all on updated safe system with this omission.

  • Why not let the rest of us buy it at reduced cost? (Score:3)

    by voss ( 52565 ) on Thursday June 04, 2015 @03:12PM (#49841383)

    Seriously. As long chrome or firefox can be installed there should be no problem.

  • Win with Bing (Score:3)

    by westlake ( 615356 ) on Thursday June 04, 2015 @03:48PM (#49841743)

    The HP Stream 8 will serve as an example of a Win 10 upgradeable budget Win 8.1 with Bing tablet.

    WIMBOOT with Compressed OS. If you are wondering why you haven't seen the Win 10 upgrade tray app on your RAM-starved tablet or laptop this is the reason. A solution is in the works.

  • Already exists, but not an issue... (Score:3)

    by bazorg ( 911295 ) on Thursday June 04, 2015 @04:01PM (#49841879)

    As of 2015 it seems to be fine if Microsoft bundles IE/Bing/Onedrive/etc. with Windows as the monopolistic elephant in the room is now Apple restricting other browsers at their app store.

  • Raspberry Pi 2 and Windows? Not. (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    The post makes it sound like you could run Windows 10 on Raspberry Pi 2.

    Well you can't. Nothing with GUI anyway.

    It is basicly a windows kernel with terminal only connection. So you can connect a bunch of sensors, do some stuff with PowerShell and develop IoT applications with .NET. Think about everything you can do with linux and original Raspberry Pi (even with 256mb) and add Windows bloat. That should quadruple the requirements and still be of limited use..

    Any developer with decent skill set can work out

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Then how come I was able to .... use my mouse and develop graphical applications on my RPi 2 ? .... even changed the time zone with the minimal options in the default interface.... using a mouse ....

  • The computer OS is too important to be left to market forces and fickle managers.

    There should be a worldwide effort to create a single free unified OS (with a metadata filesystem, and 100% scaleable GUI!) for everyone, which dumps the bloat and legacy code of old OSs (including Linux) and starts afresh. It won't happen now, or even soon, but sometime within the next 1000 years it is almost definite.

    Such an OS won't drastically change over the years, but keep with a consistent theme (no flatland design

  • Huh... (Score:2)

    by koan ( 80826 )

    "1 billion PCs, tablets, and smartphones to be running it until 2017"

    So it's EOL'ed in less than 2 years?

  • I am still waiting for a clear picture of their revenue model. Is this a case where they just are charging for new installations since almost nobody buys retail Windows upgrades, or are we paying to decripple our systems along the way?

    I am honestly wanting a clear explanation as to how this is supposed to work in a way that they are not losing revenue (MS doesn't know how to do that voluntarily), yet not end up doing something evil (that they have down pat).

  • "Microsoft .. is working with partners to bring cheaper devices to the market, and part of this plan is Windows 10 with Bing"

    fairsearch.org [fairsearch.org] 'is a group of businesses and organizations united to promote economic growth, innovation and choice across the Internet ecosystem' :Nokia, Oracle, Allegro, buscape, Marketplace, Twenga, Foundem, Microsoft :)

  • So, will Bingbooks hit a price point that makes them reach a critical mass, or will it be yet another swing-and-miss?

  • Install Firefox, or Chrome, and use whatever search engine you like.

  • They sat on their asses for years and let all the people involved with the Raspberry Pi do the hard work, scrape up the hard money, and NOW they come along and try to co-opt the hardware with their shitware OS to steal mindshare from users of a platform chartered to support low cost, NO STRINGS ATTACHED, hands on learning about computing? Google at least donated a laughable pittance for 1M USD from their coffers (see http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/... [techcrunch.com]) to the foundation. Microsoft isn't donating shit to su

  • Nothing new in that regard. They've been doing this for almost 8 years, and I wouldn't be surprised if those little hamstrung netbooks are where Google got the Chromebook idea.

  • I noticed that Windows Mobile has replaced Windows Phone: is that just a branding change given the unpopularity of the latter, or is Windows Mobile 10 supposed to replace both Windows RT and Windows Phone 8?

    There are 2 things that I'd like to see on Windows Mobile - the app stores of both Windows Mobile and Wintel 10 being merged so that I can use Yelp!, and Windows Mobile - at least the phone version - getting some more apps like Vonage Extensions and Uber Partner, and fixing apps like Skype that curre

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