this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2023
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Microsoft overcharges for Windows anyway. You can go to StackSocial and regularly get Win 11 Pro for $30, when the retail price is $200.
In any case, everything else tech is moving to SaaS. It's not hard to believe that MS would "give" out a free (read: ad-laden) version of Windows, with various features enabled depending on tier of subscription. They've already got the technology in place with Azure Active Domain and this seems like a logical extension of that.
They've also already got the embedded ads feature ready to run in windows.
Except that already have that with the Enterprise/SA tier and have for a long time. Sure, Pro is still required but it's typically an OEM license included in the cost of the hardware.
Those are typically grey market keys, and subject to being voided.
Not saying it's not a good deal, or not worth the small risk, just that those aren't true retail prices.
It eludes me why people purchase these grey market products over just running unactivated. They're not valid licenses, they just overcome the technical limitations of non-activation. Generally speaking, you're supporting criminal enterprise for the sake of being able to change your wallpaper.
Edit: Truth hurts, I guess.
StackSocial's parent company, StackCommerce, is listed as a partner with Microsoft, so they're probably legit. Speaking for myself, the Win 11 key and two Office keys I've bought before haven't had any problems.
Two things that boggle my mind:
In a thread where the discussion is about Microsoft possibly giving away a "free" future version of Windows and monetizing features, someone thinks it unlikely that Microsoft could sell Windows now at a loss hoping to push Office 365 and OneDrive subs, and
That some people feel such a sense of entitlement they'll go to fantastic lengths to not pay for services or products they use. They think that just because they decide a movie, or album, or operating system is too expensive they can can acquire it without paying for it. (Not you obviously, since the nagware version of Windows is technically free, just... other people).
Two thoughts on StackSocial. Even if they legitimately are an MS partner that bar is so low as to be irrelevant. I know, I'm an MS Partner. All it takes is an email address and two (maybe three) checkboxes to become a Partner at the lowest levels. Additionally, the product isn't actually being sold by SS. the vendor is "SmartTrainingLab" which appears to only exist in the context of selling cheap keys via Stack Social and it's clone, other clone, e-commerce sites.
As for selling Windows at a loss... They've always been split-brained on that front. They only just stopped giving away free upgrades to Windows 10/11 in the past few weeks despite that offer having expired over seven years ago. The real Windows Desktop OS money has historically been from the fees that OEMs pay for licensing. That's why the retail price is so high; it establishes the baseline from which OEM discounts get negotiated. The $199 actually is pretty reasonable considering inflation, etc. Windows 3.1 was $149, Windows 95 was $209 and Windows NT 4.0, which current Windows is descended from, was $319. I wouldn't even pretend to know what they're going to do on that front but a subscription service seems highly possible, though I see it most likely being bundled as part of the Microsoft 365 products; you get the upgrades for "free" with one of the (product formerly known as) Office 365 consumer subscriptions OR you get ad-laden upgrades for free OR you pay $99 upgrade pricing.