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TechRadar
TechRadar
Darren Allan

I'm worried that Windows 11 will slowly turn into a subscription-based OS, and AI agents will be to blame — here's why

An Asus laptop screen showing a 'subscription required' message on Windows 11.

For quite a long time now, I've been concerned about how Microsoft is going to monetize Windows going forward. While the world's dominant desktop operating system remains available for a one-off fee (assuming you aren't an upgrader who can get it for free), there's a good chance this could change in the future.

Why do I think that? To me, it feels somewhat inevitable that eventually, Microsoft is going to look for a way to shift Windows from an upfront payment to a subscription model for consumers. That regular monthly income stream piling up in the coffers is the end game for most big tech companies and their products these days for good reasons in terms of the profits to be made.

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