Funny!  I bet they can't even give it away.

it would be better if they add the start menu

It seems every other windows is fail, so I think it's best to wait for windows 9.

The one they want to give away is a scaled down version. Like some apps this one probably lacks some of the capabilities of a full version, paid as opposed to free.

Thought so, Microsoft are far to greedy to give you 0.1p off a product never mind free.  Their own greed will be their downfall.

My Son had windows 8 on his computer for just over a week before he reverted back to 7.  In that time I had a play with it, and no joke, I would be prepared to lose some of my popular game's and go over to linux than use windows 8.

Maybe its lower than premium version?..or should i say a free 8  = basic version  

No thanks.

And just how do you think the folks who have paid for Windows 8 feel about this news, none too happy I take it.   Like some of the folks above and said, they now could offer to pay me to use it and I wouldn't.  It now has nothing to do with whether Windows 8 is good or not.

Somehow the tail got there ahead of the bull. Wonder how they managed that.

Yeah.. how evil of a business to actually make money from their hard work and efforts. All software should be free right...

It's not a surprise at all.

This was predicted for W9...because of Apple's OS policy [as well as Linux's].

MS will have to get into the device building market...oh yes...they have. What a coincidence.

It helps if you read what is written.  

To charge around £200 for a OS is plain ridiculous, and stinks of greed.  How much do they charge for Ubuntu?

I paid about $200 for '98 ....and back then $200 AUD was a shitload more than 200 pounds is now.

Probably had about a millionth of the source code involved in its creation, too.

As for Ubuntu.....Torvalds released Linux under the GNU licence....it's sort of 'supposed' to be free....but mostly it isn't, not anymore.

If Stardock's wares were free you wouldn't be here, nor would these forums....

I must have missed something. I have used Ubuntu several times on several rigs. Never had to pay for it.

Ubuntu is free to download, install, and use. Most Linux flavors are. The only Linux flavors that cost anything are the ones made for the server, like Red Hat Enterprise edition.