[_Understated_]

> It does not cost the users anything.

It does: Try creating a a local account on the Home version! You can't. You must create a Microsoft account which ties you Microsoft. You may not be physically handing over $ but you are using their ecosystem. Your actions are now recorded, categorized, analysed and then M$ make more money from them.

There is no way in hell they will give you an OS for $0 unless there is a way to make money from you. None.

Look, I'm not being cynical or negative about it! I'm just putting it in perspective. If people wanna do it then go for it. It's not for me.

This isn't just a Microsoft thing, companies that give you something for nothing are making money from you somehow! Or else they won't be around long.

[croutonwagon]

Just consider the cheapest version of windows 7 home was like $150 bucks USD in 2008.

They aren’t apple. And Microsoft has randomly shut down hotmail/outlook accounts of mine for using a different IP (ie: proxying through a linode when on public wifi) and then made it so recovery wasn’t possible. It locked me out of an Xbox account

Years later I was able to recover it, but I will not rely on any of their services for anything I deem important. Ever again.

[noxer]

Still cost you nothing at all since you can stay on win10 home for as long as you want or basically for as long as your hardware does work for you. If you buy new hardware with windows 11 on it you pay for it but that would be exactly the same if the new hardware would come with win10. And it perfectly reasonable since the license is for the hardware and new hardware needs a new license. There is still no additional cost anywhere as upgrade is entirely free AND optional.

Beside that Windows 10 Home "requires" an account too since the May 2019 update but it can be bypassed and so can the account "requirement" to install windows 11 home, its all just one search away for the people who care. Most dont but that's another topic.