What? How? On which planet? Let's break it down: The planet is Earth, the 'what' is exactly as the title says, and as for the 'how,' there's a huge amount of fine print to read, but that doesn't change the fact that it's an official promotion. Microsoft is so determined to bring as many users as possible to Windows 10 that it has gone so far as to offer a Dell Inspiron 15 free of charge, provided a giant list of conditions is met.
With less than eleven days left for the free Windows 10 upgrade offer to expire, the Redmond-based operating system is still struggling to surpass 20 percent of the market. The multiple updates, warnings, and full-screen suggestions have reached critical mass, and it's clear that most users have decided to stay on Windows 7 for reasons of comfort, compatibility, and cost. Although Microsoft has decided to give away free copies of Windows 10 as part of its strategy, the story of hardware is written with a different ink, and in many regions of the globe, acquiring a computer compatible with Windows 10 is expensive. With that in mind, the Redmond giant decided to start a curious campaign: offering users the possibility to trade in their computers and finally use Windows 10.
How the Offer Works
The process is roughly like this: If you own a computer with Windows 8 (at least) preinstalled, bring it to one of the 'Answer Desks' available at official Microsoft stores, and if their 'experts' fail to install Windows 10 before the end of the day despite meeting the minimum requirements, Microsoft will hand you a Dell Inspiron 15 for free.
The Fine Print
Now, the saying goes that "the devil knows more because he is old than because he is the devil," so where's the catch? There are several, in fact: The offer is limited to the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada; computers must be presented on a business day before noon; the computer must be fully functional, with a battery holding a charge and all its warranty stickers intact, free of any physical damage, with an original hard drive, chargers, and accessories, and without password protection.
Why It's Not That Attractive
The other "offer" Microsoft throws on the table is a $150 credit toward the purchase of a new computer if yours isn't compatible with Windows 10, and $20 off Office 365 Home once the user upgrades to the new operating system. But what the masterminds at Redmond need to understand is that all of this is a waste of time. Dell offers refurbished systems on Amazon in the US market for an average of $300, not to mention that there are new systems even cheaper. Furthermore, Microsoft stacks all the rules in its favor by imposing the "Windows 8 minimum" requirement, since the chances that a computer with Windows 8 preinstalled can handle Windows 10 are very high. At this point, I think it would be more practical for Microsoft to offer Windows 10 copies for $100–150, and have the computer come as a gift...
