I am sure there are many reasons, here's one. I was on a conference call with my vendor about Microsoft volume licenses. We need to buy some more licenses for Office. While listening to his people explain all the different options and costs in ProPlus, software assurance, possibly migrating to 365, administration and download portals, user setup, what rights we do and don't have with each option, and on and on... the thought occurred to me: One big reason people pirate Microsoft's software is that they make it so darn hard to figure out how to buy it legally.
Microsoft has a certification for volume licensing. Think about that! Too noob to post links, but you can search for "Microsoft license certification" if you want to see it for yourself. There's an entire world of courses and training and exams revolving around it. It's such a crazy place that they also have exams and training for most of their major products just on licensing alone. Beyond just the programs and 365 and all of that, you just need to look at every version of Windows before 10. Here's how a sale of Windows 7 Upgrade used to go at my old job (not including most of the people who weren't quite aware of the different between Microsoft the company and Windows and Office): "One Windows 7, please!" Sure thing. What version of Windows do you have now? "Does it matter?" Well, if you don't want to lose your files I need to know if you have a 32bit or 64bit installation. Then, if you have Home/Home Premium/Business/Ultimate. If you have Vista Home then you need to get 7 Home, Pro to Pro, so on. Or you can get Ultimate and that will upgrade them all. If not, then you'll need to do a clean install. Also, Business isn't around so it's the Pro version. "But I thought it's an upgrade?" It is. But just for how much you pay because you already own a previous license. So if you replaced the drive and have no system, then you need to get a Retail version or OEM copy for $100+. "What if I already have 7 Home and need to upgrade to 7 Pro" Oh. That's a separate thing called the Anytime Upgrade. We don't sell that. If people were nice, I'd at least try to tell them how to search on doing a fresh install of an upgrade license. It's already ridiculous how they expect ma and pa to figure out how to upgrade their computer.
I don't pirate Microsoft products. I use them freely. I've never sold an MS product. Not for money or otherwise Aside from that, yes it is a real PITA going through various loops for business. However they do have several BAZILLION different options available for you to choose from haha
M$ pirated other people's SW and ideas, so now they are great defenders of the world against pirates...
Allegedly, soon it would be, M$ "gratis"... So USofA "intelligence services" can have a backdoor into every networked PC... Also, because the alternatives are getting ever more serious, so to keep us addicted... Bah!
I help people use their software without paying, sharing is caring ! I only have 1 machine with Windows on it and that's a gaming machine with a legal Windows 7 license that upgraded to 10. Everything else I have is either Linux or ESXi .
Since you can buy any Windows edition for about $10-$20, I really do not get it. I have got 3 Windows 10 Pro licences for a total of $50.
Why does Steve Jobs' "Lisa" immediately spring to mind ( Windows 1.0 ), followed by Phil Katz' "Pkzip" ?
Perhaps some users think Microsoft products are too expensive and some products are covert. And some people are too curious. For example, wzor in Russia steals preview version.
That's also sort of pirating in most cases, most of those keys are not released to be sold (at least not for that price).
Generalisations are never good.... There are some softwares thta are actually so good and are not sold by multi million $$$$ Corporations that I gladly paid for them. F.E. IDM is one of those. It does exactly what it promises and works great. I have yet to find android apps, that I could possibly want that are not free. MapFactor, ezPDF are free. Kingroot, filemanager fm and Purify also are....
The part I don't like is that Windows itself cannot be purchased on a Volume Licence agreement for bare metal PC's, only valid as an Upgrade from a retail or OEM, so the PC still has to have a bare OS licence. So you end up paying twice!
Isn't that a grand old totalising "generalisation"?!? How about this one: "Every being has the right to self-defense!!!"??? The rest I agree with!
I agree that they at times make it too confusing for luddites, or even those who are only quasi-luddites. One other thing I hate is how sometimes I just one something simple like support for multiple languages and it's only available at the highest tier. I have no current plans on upgrading to Windows 10 (I'll only do so when I finally get around to putting together a desktop PC and only if they haven't followed through on the rumours of only allowing apps from their store (I have various steam games and do not plan on giving them up so easily). And people pirate for various reasons. Sometimes it is because it is out of their price range (you have to remember there are many different people with many different means), sometimes price is just an excuse (because the same family which can't "afford" it then goes out to the movies to watch the latest blockbuster on an IMAX screen, 3D, snacks for all and spend as much as the license would cost on one night's entertainment). Sometimes it's confusion (not knowing how to navigate the different options), and sometimes it is a business (a pc repairman who offers the "upgrade" for a modicum of money.)