Testers Get Windows 10 For Free With a Catch

After making a pigs ear of it over the last week, Microsoft has finally, definitively, clarified whether or not testers of the beta version of Windows 10 are eligible for a free upgrade to the release version of the new operating system upon its release on 29^th July.

Members of the Windows Insider Program who have Windows 10 Technical Preview installed will be entitled to a free upgrade to Windows 10, but only if they remain signed up for beta updates to maintain the build’s activation status. Anyone who decides not to receive beta updates any longer will have their licence expire and will have to pay in order to continue running the full version of Windows 10.

Even Gabriel Aul, Head of the Windows Insider Program, admitted that Microsoft’s communiqués on the matter were unclear, posting a link to a new blog post which aims to illuminate the matter:

Hey everyone, I’ve updated the post from Friday as it wasn’t clear enough & caused some confusion, take a look here: http://t.co/vlaGyfwzbr

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) June 22, 2015

As Aul phrases it in the blog post:

As part of the program we’ll upgrade Insiders to what is for all intents and purposes the same build as what other customers will get on 7/29, but that will be just another build for Insiders, and those who stay in the program will simply get the next build after as well.

So, if you want a free version of Windows 10, and don’t already own Windows 7 and above, you must submit to being a full-time tester of the OS. Is that a fair trade-off?

Thank you Engadget for providing us with this information.