Last chance for Windows 10: Microsoft to end free download of its controversial operating system today
- After July 29 Windows 10 will cost £99.99 or $119 for the Home version
- Free upgrade available to tablets and PCs running on Windows 7 or newer
- New features include a smart assistant, and facial recognition technology
It has generated a mixed reception from users and sparked controversy over the way it collects data from personal computers, but Microsoft's latest operating system is about to get more expensive.
The software giant has been offering Windows 10 to users for free over the past year, but the free download period is now due to end in just a few hours.
From tomorrow Windows 10 will cost between £99.99-£189.99 ($119-$200) to download, depending on the version you buy.
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Microsoft has also introduced a smart assistant, similar to Siri, called Cortana. To use Cortana, users simply type a question into a search box on the taskbar, or can even verbally ask a question into the computer's microphone
The company has been pushing hard to encourage users to upgrade to the new operating system.
But Microsoft has found itself embroiled in controversy over the upgrade.
Some users reported the new operating system – which comes in at around 6GB – downloading automatically in the background without their permission.
It has also faced criticism after it emerged Windows 10 contained a keylogger that tracked what users type.
It also tracks their activity online and collects data about their computing habits.
Despite including a series of controls to disable some of the tracking elements, many of the core data collection features cannot be turned off.
This, together with the threat of progammmes that worked on earlier versions of Windows not working with the new software, has left many unwilling to upgrade until the operating system was updated.
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Teri Goldstein's computer became unusable after the software tried to download without consent (stock photo)
But earlier this year Microsoft said its free download period for Windows 10 was due to end on July 29.
The free upgrade has available to people whose tablets and PCs are running on Windows 7 or newer.
Devices have been regularly prompting users to download the new software, but it has also been available from the Windows website. It will cost £99.99, or $119, for the Home version and£189.99, or $200, for the Pro version.
Windows 10 has a range of new features, designed to be as user-friendly as possible.
One benefit of the download, is that Windows 10 will give users access to the latest updates that they would not get with older versions.
According to Microsoft's Windows lifestyle fact sheet, from January 2018, Windows 10 will be the only current Microsoft OS getting regular updates.
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