Your Windows 10 upgrade options

Sometimes it feels like the closer we get to the release of Windows 10 (slated for this summer), the less we actually know. Yes, Microsoft finally revealed a list of Windows 10 editions last week, of which there are quite a few, but how exactly will upgrades work for users rocking a copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1? The answer is out there, or so it seems.

Podcaster and senior technical analyst for Windows IT Pro, Paul Thurrott, stumbled onto a blog post from the Microsoft Australia Partner Network that contained information on the various Windows 10 announcements of late.

The blog post was written by Alex Snelson, a Windows product manager for Microsoft Australia. In it she lists the various editions that were announced, and then goes over the upgrade paths. Here's what she wrote:

• Microsoft will offer a free upgrade to Windows 10 for qualified Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices in the first year. After the first year, upgrades will be paid via boxed product and VL Upgrades
• Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium devices upgrade to Windows 10 Home
• Windows 8/8.1 Pro and Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate devices upgrade to Windows 10 Pro
• If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device
• Excludes Windows Enterprise and RT devices
• The free Windows 10 upgrade is delivered through Windows Update; domain-joined machines can manually get the update via Windows Update. The upgrade cannot be deployed through WSUS