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by aswerty 3914 days ago
Yeah, with the likes of .Net Core it seems very much like Microsoft are on the right track. But you'll still see plenty of, what I call, "Microsoft decisions" that just make things into more hassle or expense than it should be purely for the pursuit of profit. One example is if you want to migrate from Linux to Windows 10 on a few computers you're legally required to buy a Windows 10 license for each machine you run. So for people with a few machines that might be 3 licenses you have to pay for - it's just crazy.
4 comments
pjc50 3914 days ago
"You have to pay for our software to run it on a machine" is possibly the least crazy example you could have chosen. There's far more strangeness in Microsoft licensing: Terminal Server, the whole business of CALs, the vast number of SKUs with ambiguous names, VM licensing, and so on.
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MarkyC4 3914 days ago
> the vast number of SKUs

In their defence, we did that to them. They had to make all the N versions of Windows to appease EU courts. What's troubling is that no such restriction is placed on Apple or Google

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arethuza 3914 days ago
I think you can license Windows on a per-user basis. Certainly for their higher end products (e.g. Dynamics AX ERP) you can choose device or user CALs and pick whichever one minimizes your license costs.

One of Microsoft's weaknesses is definitely the complexity of their licensing.

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hvidgaard 3914 days ago
A license per machine. How is that wierd? The entire industry of commercial software works that way, one way or another. Either you pay per user, or pay per machine. Note you can run several VMs with Windows without paying for a licens. Honestly, I believe it's a matter of time before Windows is free anyway.
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JustSomeNobody 3914 days ago
> So for people with a few machines that might be 3 licenses you have to pay for - it's just crazy.

The idea that one wouldn't have to purchase 3 licenses is crazy.

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TheOtherHobbes 3914 days ago
You mean like OS X or Linux crazy?

Or Office 365 Home - one license for up to 5 desktops/laptops + five tablets - crazy?

I'd be surprised if Windows didn't move to a subscription model soon. The current free period looks like an attempt at lock-in to me.

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