Re:Fix Windows Update on Windows XP, Vista, Server 2008, 200...
by Sebb767 on Monday December 19, 2022 @05:49PM
(#34058913)
Well, nice to meet you!
That being said, yes, most people (in my friend group) did not explicitly pay for Windows, but they bought devices with an included license that the OEM paid for. So they did not directly send money to Microsoft, but they still payed for the OS indirectly (just like they indirectly supported AMD or Intel, for example).
I haven’t met a single person who pays for Windows. In 2022 it’s effectively a free OS. That’s why there’s advertising/upselling.