According to the Indonesian site Detik, Diantoro made a comment that appears to show that Windows 9 will be a free upgrade. The comment translated says: “It's easy, when the OS (Windows 9) has been launched later, users who have used Windows 8 need only perform the update through the device of hers. It will be automatically installed”.  Now many sites are claiming this comment means that the update will be free, but there is a wrinkle in this thought.

Inside Windows 8.x there is an option to add features to Windows. This feature requires a key for you to upgrade your version of Windows. This means that the upgrade option that Diantoro is talking about might not be free at all. It could simply mean that once you have purchased your key all you have to do is run the “add features to Windows” wizard and you will be able to quickly and easily update your Windows 8.x to Windows 9.

This could also mean that there is not a lot of difference between Windows 8.x and Windows 9. If this simple upgrade wizard is able to move you from one version to the other it might mean we are not going to see a new OS kernel, but something that is still in the family. Microsoft could be looking to cosmetically remove the stigma of Windows 8.x by simply rebranding it with a new name and a new look.

We really hope that is not the case and we will all know more about it later today and when the first versions of it start hitting the internet. We expect Windows 9 to be just as downloadable as any other version of Windows has been. Once the copies get out we wills start seeing even more leaks than we already have. For now, we are going to say that the chances of Windows 9 being free to Windows 8.x owners is slim. Although it would be a great idea for Microsoft to do this from a consumer standpoint, it would not be a good business decision.

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