14 DAY TRIAL // If you're an avid Microsoft user, you’ve most likely heard the latest rumors concerning the software giant and suggesting that, at some point in the future, the company could make Windows 10 open source.
That's right, Microsoft, the world's number one software firm, could make Windows 10, an operating system that has been available as a closed source for more than 20 years, available as open source software, adopting a concept that more or less reminds of Linux.
While we're all tempted to compare Windows to Linux when it comes to open source software, pretty much because Linux is currently a synonym for such an approach in the OS market, we're not going to do that, but instead discuss the effects that such a change could have for all of us.
There's no doubt that making Windows open source would be a surprising move for Microsoft, but it would be a better way to address the changing world, which is now interested in free software more than anything else.
The software giant itself has admitted that a new business model is needed, not only for Windows but for the company as a whole, and Windows could soon switch from the traditional licensing approach to a new one that would better address the current business climate.
Windows 10 is expected to be a pioneer in this regard, and living proof is the freeware license that Microsoft has already announced for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs. Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade within the first year of availability, so Microsoft is somehow already making the first step towards the open-source approach.
An open source Windows? So what?
First and foremost, let's see how an open source Windows concept would work.
Basically, by making Windows open source, Microsoft would allow everyone, be they consumers or business users, to download and install the operating system without paying a single cent.
That would obviously increase the customer appeal of Windows, as it would have not only the familiarity that all of us love so much but also the number one advantage of Linux. Following news that Windows could go open source, several of our readers said that such a project would have a strong impact on the market share of Linux, but that's unlikely to happen, at least not in the short term.
Instead, it could convince more users who were previously running old hardware and old operating systems, such as Windows XP, for instance, to upgrade and switch to a new Windows version. In its turn, this effect would lead to another one: increased PC sales. It's not a secret that the PC market has declined in the last few years, but a recovery is expected thanks to Windows 10, so an open source Windows would continue this increase.
But on the other hand, Microsoft would still keep Windows one of its main cash cows by charging companies for updates and security patches. Despite offering it as open source platform.
“Open source or not, Windows will still remain a top Microsoft cash cow.”
The open source license definitely brings a number of advantages for users, but Microsoft would still be in charge of updates and patches for the operating system, and companies that want to stay up to date and completely secure would obviously have to pay for that. Sure, it opens the door for new developers, new software, more improvements, and other great new things that aren't possible right now, but there are also a number of setbacks that we should take into account.
So how is this open source license going to change the OS world?
The answer is very simple: it won't. Windows 10 will be offered free of charge to consumers anyway, whereas companies would still have to purchase a license in order to get their PCs patched and keep them up to date.
The same would happen with an open-source platform, but instead of paying for a license, companies would have to purchase updates and patches. This already happens right now with custom support agreements, but that would obviously change in the case of an open source license in order to allow Microsoft to better monetize its service.
When Windows could go open source
Right now, the only information we have is that Windows could at some point go open source, but there are obviously no details available on when this might actually happen.
If we were to guess, it wouldn't really be that hard.
First and foremost, Windows 10 will be free of charge for consumers, right? Right. The new operating system is also expected to be the very last stand-alone release of the platform, as Microsoft itself is now looking into a new approach that would be entirely based on providing updates at a faster pace instead of new stand-alone releases.
So two or three years after the release of Windows 10 could be the right moment to embrace the open source concept. Of course, this is just a guess, but if Windows 10 is offered free of charge to consumers, what's the next logical step for Microsoft? Either offer the next OS free as well or go all in on open source.
In the meantime, all eyes are on Windows 10, and sources say that this new version is expected to debut in the second half of 2015, after previously reaching RTM in June. Windows 10 will be a game changer, that's for sure, and that's one of the reasons Microsoft is planning to make the new OS available as a free upgrade. But if Windows 10 fails too, expect that open source license to be announced a lot sooner.