back to article How many pre-loaded Win 10 PCs did disties have 7 days after release?

No PCs pre-loaded with Windows 10 made their way into distributors’ warehouses in the week before launch of the OS – but by golly, they did in seven days after the 'big event'. Venerable number cruncher Context reckons a whopping 150 machines were in distribution a week after launch. The firm gets its data direct from European …

  1. ChrisSnape

    Software

    The reason for this is down to how Microsoft is pushing this new OS into the market. It's focus is purely on the software, not the hardware. So most people will be upgrading from Windows 7/8/8,1 to 10 on the existing, perfectly serviceable, hardware. Coupled with the free upgrade there is no need to stump up any cash to get the latest OS, just an hour waiting for the on the fly upgrade - which, I have to say, worked fine on a couple of our older Win7 PCs.

    It's up to the hardware manufacturers to release their kit with Win10 directly installed on it. If the rolling updates continues form Microsoft then Windows 8 will be the last time the distributors will have ever stocked up for a new Windows version ever again.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Software

      I've just upgraded my windows 8.1 box up to the privacy raping spyware that is Windows 10.

      I'm trying to work out how to get rid of things, like the stupid boxes that are on the right of the start menu.

      I'll probably give up, because Windows 10 is privacy violation by default. Might have to got back to windows 7.

      1. dotdavid

        Re: Software

        "I'm trying to work out how to get rid of things, like the stupid boxes that are on the right of the start menu."

        As has been mentioned on pretty much every Windows 10 story, how about Classic Shell?

        1. Anonymous IV

          Re: Software

          "I'm trying to work out how to get rid of things, like the stupid boxes that are on the right of the start menu."

          For each tile, right click, choose Uninstall.

          Drag the right-hand vertical line as far to the left as it will go.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Microsoft increasingly looks like a big pharma company whose products are about to drop off a patent cliff with no idea where the next blockbuster is coming from and getting eaten alive by generics manufactures.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Except it's not.

      It's getting eaten alive by a world where everyone is simply stopping using drugs (lower PC sales), and the few which do want the latest expensive designer drugs (Apple), which I would hardly call a low cost generic.

      Linux on desktop and in the workplace - which is the only "low cost generic" - is still very much a niche deployment in tech industries, but I doubt it's troubling Windows all that much compared to the other issues. [I'm a very happy Linux user at home and work, but even I don't see it as a mass market replacement for Windows any time soon].

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @ Pete H

        Unless you've been asleep, browser + whatever. Didn't you know semi-dumb terminals were back in fashion and a damn sight easier to maintain.

        1. Darryl

          Re: a damn sight easier to maintain

          Yes, the terminals are a damn sight easier to maintain. The infrastructure behind them that makes them seem almost but not quite as good as real computers? Not so easy.

  3. Stuart 22

    Hello left hand, let me introduce you to my right ...

    Why the expensive blockbuster TV campaign to landfill (sorry, drown) your current laptop so you can go out and buy a spanking new unavailable Win10 jobby and leave you without either?

    Good thinking Microsoft. Even the puppy was smarter. Well, prettier anyway.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I bought a new computer. Specifically spec'd Windows 7

    I aint your sheepdip

  5. chivo243 Silver badge

    Software Push

    I think MS wants any compatible hardware out there now to pick up and run with Win10. I have a feeling MS know that pretty much everybody has a decent performing pc, and won't just buy new hardware to get the new OS... This could be why they are offering free swag to 7 and 8 and 8.1 owners.

  6. Chika

    Still in beta

    With so much crud flying around about W10, it can be difficult to know what's what right now, but with a lot of the negative stuff being justified in one way or another, I suspect that OEM builders will be reluctant to sell preloaded W10 machines just yet.

    It all points to Microsoft using this whole first-year-free thing as a beta testing scam on a potentially huge basis and OEMs aren't likely to want to sell on machines with bugs in them. They are more likely to sell W7 and W8 machines so that should the user "upgrade" to W10, the OEM can provide a degree of plausible deniability to any problem that crops up.

    That's my theory anyway...

  7. Dan 55 Silver badge

    I think it's MS's random act of kindness

    If you buy one now the chance is you've still got Windows 8. Put a new start menu on it and you've dodged a bullet.

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Dodged a bullet ?

      You can slap any UI you want on Windows 1 0, it won't change the fact that you are plugged in and your data is getting slurped on a scale Google just might start envying.

      The other issue is the oncoming hail of bullets in the form of incessant Windows Updates that will not only have the potential to bork your computer, but might also change whatever UI settings you have and create new ones or delete old ones without notice.

      I will be watching this kerfluffle from the safety of my underground 7-fortified bunker.

  8. Jason Bloomberg Silver badge

    Paging Mr Twain

    "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

    Much as the anti-Microsoft, anti-Windows crowd would like to be right, only time will tell. There's far too much 'Microsoft didn't do this so it is a failure, will be a failure, was always going to be a failure'.

    I would have thought it should be pretty clear that there aren't any pre-loaded W10 machines out there because that's the way Microsoft have decided to play it at this phase of the game, part of their strategy, not that they simply forgot or manufacturers are refusing to provide pre-loaded W10 machines.

    El Reg seems to have gone from mere click-baiting to actively providing confirmation bias for those who want Microsoft and Windows to fail.

    1. WylieCoyoteUK
      Holmes

      Re: Paging Mr Twain

      I think that p*ssing off your customers so much that you have to give them your main product for nothing is pretty much a fail, however you look at it.

  9. Mikel

    Speculation

    What if Microsoft released a new Windows, and nobody cared?

    1. hplasm
      Happy

      Re: Speculation

      That just happened- and so did that!

  10. TeeCee Gold badge
    WTF?

    That headline.

    I take it that it is a trick question and the correct answer is: "Who gives a shit"?

  11. WylieCoyoteUK
    Holmes

    Wow! that many?

    Shall I sell windows 8.1 or 7 PCs, or load them up with an untried OS that my customers will get for free anyway, and I can say "sorry not supported on that machine" when it breaks ?

    hmmmm....I'm sure there's an answer here......

  12. earl grey
    Flame

    I still want to see the enterprise edition

    And see how they've cleaned off all the snoopery. No big business I know will tolerate all that nonsense so they're going to have to fix that and the cram it up your bum fixes.

    1. Roland6 Silver badge

      Re: I still want to see the enterprise edition

      That will be the RDS desktop on WS2016R2 ...

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like