Windows 10 consumer roadmap leaks out

Windows 10 saw general availability on July 29, 2015. Since that date, the operating system has received several major feature updates, the most recent one being the 1709 "Fall Creators Update". The next big update, codenamed Redstone 4, is expected to be released in a month or two.

Along with that release, Microsoft will introduce some changes in regards to how it positions its Windows 10 software, and how it prices it. Thurrott got to see a leaked Windows 10 consumer roadmap and learned details about the five SKUs that will be offered to OEM partners:

Entry: Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium ? 4GB RAM & ? 32GB SSD AND ?14.1” screen size (NB), ?11.6” (2in1, Tablet), ? 17” AiO

Value: Intel Atom/Celeron/Pentium ?4GB RAM & ? 64GB SSD & ? 14.1” screen size (EM ? 4GB RAM & ?64GB SSD or ? 500GB HDD)

Core: Cannot be used on devices that meet the Core+ and Advanced SKU Hardware Specifications

Core +: High end CPU and >4 GB RAM (All Form Factors) ?8 GB RAM & ?1080p screen resolution (NB, 2in1, AiO) >8 GB RAM & ≥ 2TB HDD or SSD storage (Desktop)

Advanced: Intel Core i9 (any configuration) OR Core i7 ? 6 Cores (any RAM) OR AMD Threadripper(any configuration) OR Intel Core i7 >16GB (any Cores) or AMD FX/ Ryzen7 >16GB (any Cores) OR ? 4K screen resolution (any processor, includes 4K UHD-3840 resolution

The base price for the versions is: $25 (Entry), $45 (Value), $65.45 (Core), $86.66 (Core+) and $101 (Advanced). Basically, the more powerful and expensive a PC is, the more the OEM will need to cough up for the Windows 10 license. The new pricing will go into effect on April 2nd, and new prices for the Home and Advanced editions of Windows 10 will go live on May 1st.

The documents also reveal that Microsoft intends to charge $49 to Windows 10 Pro S users who want to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.