The problem - to me, as a sysadmin/helpdesk monkey/part-time developer - is not so much the expense itself as the bureaucracy involved.
If I want to install CentOS or FreeBSD, all I need is hardware (with one or two spare machines usually at hand, as well as few old ones that got decommissioned) or a VM, and I'm good to go.
If I want to install Windows, I need to talk to my boss and explain why I need another Windows license, which can be rather tedious. (If we had an MSDN subscription, that would not be a problem of course, but then the price tag begins to matter.)
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The OEM Pro version is available in any computer store that sells PC parts.
And you'll have to pay for it, I presume, which is another difference.
A Windows license is nothing on a developer budget selling his work.
I really don't like this idea that we are expected to be paid, but complain when paying for our tools.
The problem - to me, as a sysadmin/helpdesk monkey/part-time developer - is not so much the expense itself as the bureaucracy involved.
If I want to install CentOS or FreeBSD, all I need is hardware (with one or two spare machines usually at hand, as well as few old ones that got decommissioned) or a VM, and I'm good to go.
If I want to install Windows, I need to talk to my boss and explain why I need another Windows license, which can be rather tedious. (If we had an MSDN subscription, that would not be a problem of course, but then the price tag begins to matter.)
It's a lot to play around with a new tech at home though.
My free Windows 10 is Pro. I still think they should have kept Windows 10 free for residential use.