Saturday, October 24, 2015

Stop the updates, I want to get off

There are rumors that Microsoft is going to move to a subscription model for Windows licensing in which every machine will just get new versions of the OS as they come. I can't know whether those rumors are true or not, but I do know that there are programs and companies with that licensing model, and that with Windows 10 Microsoft is approaching an OS that automatically updates itself without any choice from the user.

I am not at all OK with that.

There is no reason a computer should require an Internet connection to function. Operating systems are not like cable subscriptions; the only service being provided - updates - is not strictly necessary. If I buy something, and I pay for it, then I should own it, and not have to change what I own whenever some company thinks I should.

If, for whatever reason, I don't like the next version of a program or OS, I should be free to keep the version I have - the one I bought and paid for. If I happen to like a later version, I'll happily pay for it, but that's my choice.

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