@ykgoh,
....and you trust what Microsoft said ?
I take care
not to misquote anyone, spread any wrong information or add my own speculations without valid sources regarding Microsoft's policy on Windows 10. I only share information as they are to the best of my understanding. I could have missed out on certain developments though, since Microsoft sometimes backtrack on certain decisions after getting feedbacks from their customers. And I do not spend all my time monitoring Microsoft's announcements.
If the OS comes with hardware, the hardware would become a clunker in 5 years. You can't port the OEM OS to the new hardware. You need a new copy.
It's the same today with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8. An OEM license while cheaper is locked to a particular device or machine once used; we cannot transfer it to another device or machine. This has been the case all along.
IF you own a Windows 10 retail copy and IF Microsoft will perpetually support Windows 10 and IF Intel's hardware will perpetually support Windows 10... then by all means.
For Windows 10, I am not sure how it will deal with a retail license. It will probably be able to transfer to one machine at any one time for 1 license key.
But each time you buy a new laptop, gaming console, phone, or whatever devices running Windows, your device manufacturers would have paid upfront for the OEM license for that device. You would almost never need to transfer a Windows retail license yourself.
My understanding is that moving forward, I expect it to come pre-installed by a hardware device manufacturer. End users and consumers would
almost never need to buy Windows as a software itself on a DVD or Internet download, except for DIY PC builders. That is if DIY PC continues to exist into the future. Pretty much like OS for embedded devices, and how OS X and iOS come on Apple's products. Users generally do not have to buy them separately as a software product.
I was fooled once in XP. MSFT already testing water on pay per use i.e. fee based for Enterprise. Just like office 365. That's a sound of cash register... cha-ching!
Well, we cannot expect to pay once for lifetime usage? No business would offer that. Those that claim they do have terms and conditions in fine prints somewhere or they close shop eventually.