Windows 10 will be offered for free to Windows 7 users

May 29, 2015 05:50 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft will offer Windows 10 as a free upgrade to users who have already purchased Windows 7 or Windows 8, and with the new operating system having the exact system requirements as its predecessor, it's really difficult to find a reason to purchase a new computer if you already have one running one of these versions of Windows.

As a result, in its attempt to ensure the short-term success of Windows 10, Microsoft might actually be hurting its partners, as PC makers will have a hard time convincing buyers to get a new computer running Windows 10 when the new OS becomes available later this year.

IDC says that worldwide PC shipments are expected to drop by 6.2 percent this year, and the free Windows 10 offer is one of the reasons no one sees a reason to get a new computer when the existing ones can run the new OS flawlessly.

"Microsoft and PC vendors still need to convince users of the advantages of the new OS and new PCs, which will take some time," said Loren Loverde, Vice President, Worldwide PC Trackers. "In addition to educating clients, they'll face tough competition from other devices, and weak spending in many regions. As a result, we see PC shipments stabilizing in 2016, followed by limited growth for the next few years."

Windows 10 system requirements

Windows 10 has almost the same system requirements as Windows 8 and Windows 7, so a new PC would only be needed by those who are still running Windows XP and using old hardware.

Here are the system requirements for Windows 10:  

Processor 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
RAM 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
Hard disk space 16 GB
Graphics Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
Others A Microsoft account and Internet access
And here are those of Windows 8, which are almost identical to those of Windows 10:  
Processor 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
RAM 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
Hard disk space 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
Graphics Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
Others A Microsoft account and Internet access
Microsoft has already promised an avalanche of new devices running Windows 10, including PCs, tablets, smartphones, and others, so it'll be interesting to see how the company will convince buyers to actually purchase all these devices.

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