Windows 10: The unbelievable hidden COST in Microsoft's new operating system

Microsoft has made Windows 10 available for free to anyone running Windows 7 and 8.1

THE update might be free, but Microsoft certainly kept quiet about THIS additional fee.

 

Microsoft this week released its latest – and final – operating system, Windows 10.

The operating system rolled out in the UK and some 189 other countries yesterday.

And despite some worrying security features – the reception to Windows 10 appears to have been largely positive.

Microsoft is offering Windows 7 and Windows 8 users the opportunity to upgrade their operating system for free.

 

They say there is no such thing as a free lunch – and many users have reported discovering a brand-new fee hidden within the latest Microsoft release.

Windows 10 has added in-app purchases to its preinstalled Solitaire app.

Unlike previous versions of the classic card game bundled with the likes of Windows 95 and XP – the latest update comes packed with advertisements

 

Unlike previous versions of the classic card game bundled with the likes of Windows 95 and XP – the latest update comes packed with advertisements.

To get rid of the distracting banner ads, or to earn some in-game currency, users can pay a fee of $1.49 per month (around 90p) or $9.99 per year (some £6.50).

According to TIME magazine, who first unearthed the new charges, this is not the first time Microsoft has tried to push users to pay for Solitaire.

The firm released a premium version of the game alongside Windows 8, although it was not preinstalled with the operating system.

A spokesperson for Microsoft told NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com: "Microsoft Solitaire has been free to play for the past 25 years on Windows, and continues to be free to play on Windows 10.

"Users can access and play everything within the game for free, including new Premium features like Daily Challenges and Star Club.

"The Microsoft Solitaire Collection game experience and Premium Upgrade features such as Double Coins for Daily Challenges, and removal of advertisements, is identical to the Windows 8 version that has been available for years."

 

Microsoft hopes Windows 10 will be installed on one billion devices worldwide within the first one to two years.

Windows 10 combines many features from the desktop-focused Windows 7 and the touch-centric Windows 8.

The update is rolling out across the globe in waves – although there is a way to force the update should you not be eligible at the moment.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes the firm's latest release should help people move from "needing Windows, to choosing Windows, to loving Windows."

Those who are not eligible for the free update will have to pay £99 for the Home version of Windows 10, which will go on sale at the end of the month.

The final retail packaging for the OS leaked online earlier this month.