Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10
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@DustinB3403 said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
As a last thought on this.
Lets look at this from a cost perspective. If you have 10 computers, all running windows 7, and you now need to purchase upgrade licenses for those machines, it'll cost $199 per (or $1990).
What would it cost to upgrade to the newest version of your application? Would it cost more or less? My guess would be more (than updating ever user environment), all while providing you the most current up to date software and operating system platform at minimal cost (the cost of the application upgrade fee)
also delaying the next OS upgrade by 3 years at least, if not 5
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@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@DustinB3403 We have an application that's going to cost us $80k to re-write.
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@Brains Is the delay a big deal? Windows 7 EOL is 1/14/2020 (Windows 8 is 1/10/2023). So in theory you have 3-4 years if currently runnin Win7 until one must upgrade. I'm not sure time is an issue.
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@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@Brains Is the delay a big deal? Windows 7 EOL is 1/14/2020. So in theory you have 3-4 years until one must upgrade. I'm not sure time is an issue.
Businesses love to wait 4 years before they have to spend money instead of spending it now (or at all if the free upgrade was chosen)
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@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@DustinB3403 We have an application that's going to cost us $80k to re-write.
That is the businesses choice to have picked a solution that needed so much customization. That is the cost of doing business for the business.
Now not only will it cost you 80G to re-write, but also add the cost of the upgrade licensing for Windows 10.
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@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@Brains Is the delay a big deal? Windows 7 EOL is 1/14/2020 (Windows 8 is 1/10/2023). So in theory you have 3-4 years if currently runnin Win7 until one must upgrade. I'm not sure time is an issue.
Time isn't the matter, you can chose to use any OS past its EOL, but willfully passing up to the chance to get for free, what will otherwise cost you a lot of additional money (when waiting simply cost the upgrade cost times however many systems need it)
So not only are you burning cash now (from a future expense which was completely avoidable) you're actually doubling or tripling the cost! If not more so, because you have to pay for the upgrade license for Windows, plus the cost of upgrading the critical business applications.
Where as if you hit that window and were upgraded for free, you could have reverted back to 7, and only paid for the application upgrades.
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@DustinB3403 In my environment, it would cost more in manpower to upgrade to 10 then revert back than to just take the hit and buy licensing later down the road. We're talking 400+ workstations here, lol.
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@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@DustinB3403 In my environment, it would cost more in manpower to upgrade to 10 then revert back than to just take the hit and buy licensing later down the road. We're talking 400+ workstations here, lol.
Your environment might be a "easy" environment. No custom software etc. Windows, and Office for example would be an "easy" environment.
So waiting to upgrade, only cost you the additional cost of the upgrade to windows 10 fee.
But it could still be a huge expenditure.
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@DustinB3403 And if it were an easy environment, we'd already be there.
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400 workstations is a lot, I agree (for a medium size business). But lets do the math on that same 400 computers at $199 per.
That's $79,600 flat cost outright, before man power to deploy, cost of application troubleshooting etc.
So you're business just wasted upwards of $80G by that decision.
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That $80G could easily have been put towards upgrading any custom applications that the business needs.
So instead of $80G(for windows) plus the software upgrade cost, you'd only have the cost of upgrading the software.
No matter how you slice this, your business has wasted a ton of money.
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@DustinB3403 You are operating under the assumption that we will be buying off-the-shelf licensing. I work for a government entity. I couldn't give you exact pricing on Win10 licensing, but it wouldn't be list price.
We also plan on replacing our workstations within the next 3-4 years. Said workstations would come with Windows 10 (if that's what's still out there anyway).
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@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@DustinB3403 You are operating under the assumption that we will be buying off-the-shelf licensing. I work for a government entity. I couldn't give you exact pricing on Win10 licensing, but it wouldn't be list price.
We also plan on replacing our workstations within the next 3-4 years. Said workstations would come with Windows 10 (if that's what's still out there anyway).
Even still upgrading to Windows 10 (period) when not offered for free is wasted money. There is no other way to cut it. Even if you got the license keys for $50, you'd still have wasted $20,000.
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@DustinB3403 Not exactly. I don't think you read the second part of what I said...
"We also plan on replacing our workstations within the next 3-4 years. Said workstations would come with Windows 10 (if that's what's still out there anyway)."
How are we wasting money?
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@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@DustinB3403 Not exactly. I don't think you read the second part of what I said...
"We also plan on replacing our workstations within the next 3-4 years. Said workstations would come with Windows 10 (if that's what's still out there anyway)."
How are we wasting money?
3-4 years would be an upgrade window for hardware, but any expenditure now (past the free upgrade period) is wasted money.
I read the second part, but it sounds like an attempt to justify a bad decision.
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And what is worse, in 3-4 years Windows 11 might be released.
Who knows with MS, they've been doing some pretty odd things lately.
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@DustinB3403 said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@DustinB3403 Not exactly. I don't think you read the second part of what I said...
"We also plan on replacing our workstations within the next 3-4 years. Said workstations would come with Windows 10 (if that's what's still out there anyway)."
How are we wasting money?
3-4 years would be an upgrade window for hardware, but any expenditure now (past the free upgrade period) is wasted money.
I read the second part, but it sounds like an attempt to justify a bad decision.
Can you elaborate on the expenditure you speak of? I'm not following you.
If one is upgrading existing Windows 7 seats to Windows 10 seats, then yes purchasing Windows 10 licensing is not ideal.
If one is procuring additional Windows seats, then you have to purchase something....
I don't see how we've blown any money with how we've planned things.
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@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
If one is procuring additional Windows seats, then you have to purchase something....
I don't see how we've blown any money with how we've planned things.
Purchasing new hardware from any vendor today (besides with some custom deal) is going to include Windows Licensing by default. $200 off the bat for that (assuming no markup)
On top of that you have the old licensing (presumably non-OEM) that could be transferred. But now that the old licensing is stuck with Windows 7 (since you have no upgrade rights provided under the give away) you're out an extra $200 per system that you want to upgrade.
If a business initiative comes along and says "we have to run windows 10 by the end of the first quarter" would the business go out and do a complete hardware refresh or just purchase the upgrade keys? (likely the upgrade keys).
Because upgrading the OS is the cheaper choice, when compared to a complete hardware refresh + windows licensing. (assuming a meager $800/system)
So no matter how you look at it, the business has wasted money.
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@DustinB3403 said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
@anthonyh said in Paying to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10:
If one is procuring additional Windows seats, then you have to purchase something....
I don't see how we've blown any money with how we've planned things.
Purchasing new hardware from any vendor today (besides with some custom deal) is going to include Windows Licensing by default. $200 off the bat for that (assuming no markup)
On top of that you have the old licensing (presumably non-OEM) that could be transferred. But now that the old licensing is stuck with Windows 7 (since you have no upgrade rights provided under the give away) you're out an extra $200 per system that you want to upgrade.
If a business initiative comes along and says "we have to run windows 10 by the end of the first quarter" would the business go out and do a complete hardware refresh or just purchase the upgrade keys? (likely the upgrade keys).
Because upgrading the OS is the cheaper choice, when compared to a complete hardware refresh + windows licensing. (assuming a meager $800/system)
So no matter how you look at it, the business has wasted money.
In that scenario, yes, the business wasted money. Not every scenario is a lose scenario.
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And to be very clear any business couldn't possibly have wasted money by taking the free upgrade. Because the business is then progressing to newer technology at zero upfront financial cost. (Purchasing upgrade rights). Which gives them a longer support window with Microsoft. Along with forcing / upgrading their application platforms to be current as well.
Sure it's a time and capital expense for the labor / application upgrade cost, but you're immediately saving $200/end-user system which will likely result in whatever OS Microsoft comes out with as also being offered for free (if you're on Windows 10)
Only by waiting to upgrade (and missing out on this offer) have businesses wasted a ton of money.
