Forget about the baloney from this MVP, the win10 free upgrade couldn't be transferred to another device, doesn't matter you upgraded with a retail or COEM or OEM license. I notice there are other false infos from this MVP's article, but don't want to waste time to talk about it.
Retail rights of 7 or 8.1 does, agreed. That's not what we are talking about here. We are talking about a free upgrade to 10 (and nowhere does it say that will also be retail, just free) and it will remain free for the life of that PC. So, yes they are giving you a free upgrade if you want it but not necessarily a free upgrade of the same type you are upgrading from.
I give up @lobo11, you were just taking the article from this MVP as MS official(it's not, period), also I notice you always talked about "RTM and GA Final", my guess you have a misconception about these 2 things. Btw, there are 2 kinds of OEM: COEM and OEM pre-installed, the MVP's statement about OEM is not accurate, you could take his words as legit or "bible-page", it's none of my business.
As Lobo. Me and a few others keep saying. MS is always talking about the 'Free Upgrade' but never mentioning the more important issue of 'Activation' That tweet is just the same. All its saying is: "You won't need your Windows 7 key to be able to upgrade to RTM" It says nothing about whether you'll have a Genuine or Non-Genuine version once you upgrade. RTM is the final code, its what goes out to the Manufactures/OEM's so they can build systems to be in the shops at GA. GA is when its Generally Available to the public as in, You can go into a shop and buy it, or a PC with already installed. But, because there is usually a month or two between those two dates MS will have made some patches or bug fixes which they release at GA. So, IF your system quality's you'll know when you upgrade to the RTM build. IIRC when you do a 'normal' upgrade (as in one you buy from a shop/OEM) By installing it, you are bound by the TOC's of the upgrade. All rules or rights that went with the original install are lost. So, I think Don and Faikee are right. Until we see the TOC's we'll have to agree to get the 'Free Upgrade' we are all just guessing.
I suggest you add: some patches or bug fixes which they release as an update to the RTM image ....; otherwise lobo would still think the 2 images are different.
And you gutted out my entire reply. I basically said the same fracking thing at the last line, but it makes no sense. Leave all the insiders with clean installs dangling without activation to buy a new key. Pretty sure it won't just accept the Windows 7/8 keys.
I think we need to keep in mind there are different upgrade licences as well. Eg. the 15 buck Win8 upgrade key was transferrable, but the free WMC one not - in fact there are three types of WMC keys as example: Eula Type: Retail Group ID: 2620 Eula Type: Retail:WAU:101;99;100;48;111;112;115;116; Group ID: 2603 Eula Type: Retail:WAU:48; Group ID: 2604 They can control the activation count (algo based on H/W changes) based on the type of key.
@lobo11: ZaForD is correct! RTM: Ready To Manufacturer / Release To Manufacturing GA: General Avaibility Could be both of them called FINAL? I don't think so! The RTM, Yes, it's a Final at the day of the release to the OEM's etc., but after that! The GA, Yes, it's a Final at the Day of General Avaibility, but after that! Simple fact is that not any software will be ever FINAL in the real meaning of the word, it's simply impossible! Only at the moment of it's release any software release would be FINAL but an hour or a day after it wouldn't! There will be Bug's, Error's etc. which will need further changes and that will go on for the whole time that software is maintained by it's developer! For the user, in reality it doesn't matter he/she use the RTM or the GA Version because WU will assure that, in case the RTM is used, all updates will be done for to have the Software on it's latest stage and as clean as possible. That said, I personally wouldn't bother with which version I would use RTM or GA! Regarding the FREE, we have to wait what really would be, there still to many open and unanswered questions!
The general public could only have access to the RTM image after GA(unless there's a leak, or you are partner, or MSDN accountee, or a volume client), if you disable WU, then what you installed would be just the RTM version. You could call it "final" as it is the closing build for the version development, for win7 and before, there won't be new features/codings, starting from win8 MS changed the policy, they add roll-ups, updates, GDR's, etc. and named it "win8 with roll-ups", "win8.1", etc, etc,. They are correct to say "free upgrade" even if there was no "free license", for win8.1 and before, the only way you could get a RTM image was by paying some money to MS(apart from getting it thru a leak), either by buying the retail, or buy a OEM machine, or has a MSDN/technet account, or is a vol client, etc, etc, there was no "free of charge" access to the RTM image. There are in fact 2 meanings attached to "free upgrade", so it made people confused: 1. Anybody could have "free" access to the RTM image to upgrade, either thru the Preview builds as a insider, or thru a win7/win8.1 installation. 2. For those who could provide a legit win7/win8/win8.1 license, retail or OEM, then they would also have a "free" win10 license attached to the device.
FaiKee, this sentence For those who could provide a legit win7/win8/win8.1 license, retail or OEM, then they would also have a "free" win10 license attached to the device. How would one prove he/she had legit license before, would qualifying OS have to be under or will it ask for key or we don't know yet? and would RTM to Insiders, the free one be genuine or not, thanks.
Why submit a key when only the current installation is upgradeable and M$ has all the data already (installation / confirmation ID)? All they need to do is to calculate a new installation ID for w10 that still reflects the same hardware identifiers...this ID would activate on w10...means get a CID.