MANILA, Philippines – Microsoft announced Wednesday, January 21 (January 22, Manila time), that it will be offering a free upgrade to the Windows 10 operating system (OS) for the first year of availability once Windows 10 launches.

This offer will be available to existing Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, as well as those who use Windows Phone 8.1.

According to Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Operating Systems Group, “Once a device is upgraded to Windows 10, we’ll be keeping it current for the supported lifetime of the device.”

Myerson added, “With Windows 10, we think of Windows as a service… The question ‘what version are you running’ will cease to make sense.”

Ars Technica notes this as a first for Microsoft. The company has previously offered discounts for Windows OS upgrades, but has not made them available for free. Apple, comparatively, has offered free upgrades for years. – Rappler.com