Any Thoughts on Going to Windows 10?

[charles martel]

I had no choice a few years ago but to go to Windows 8.0, which was and is, even with the Windows promise of 8.1 being better than 8.0, a true suck-ass operating system. It has ghost movements with its cursor on a touch screen laptop and that idiotic "Charm Bar," a true torture device that comes out anytime you get near the edge of your laptop mouse pad. I have not read anything good online about it, with many poster lapsing into profanity laden tirades about it.

If I had had any input on who worked at Microsoft, I would have fired the "green light" people on the Windows 8.0 development team, probably with all the excoriating and publicly embarrassing rancor I could have mustered.

That said, what your thoughts on going to Windows 10.0?

It's free the first year, then you have to pay over a 100 bucks a years in every coming year to use it. It also has mandatory updates that you cannot refuse. I've heard some of these updates conflict with other apps, program and drivers on your system, so that's as fucked up at the whole 8.0/8.1.

School me, please. I signed up to download and install this on July 29th.

[Flyoverland Captive]

Wait, it costs $100 per year? Like a subscription? You sure about that?

[gregL]

If I had had any input on who worked at Microsoft, I would have fired the "green light" people on the Windows 8.0 development team, probably with all the excoriating and publicly embarrassing rancor I could have mustered.

I hear the green light on Windows 8 came straight from Steve B.

My wife runs Win 10 on one of her machines at work and says it's "OK." However she still insists on running Win 7 on everything that will work with it at home (pretty much everything but the tablets). With most other rollouts, a good strategy has been to wait until Service Pack 1 is released.

[Flyoverland Captive]

http://informationexits.blogspot.com...pport.html?m=1

[charles martel]

http://informationexits.blogspot.com...pport.html?m=1

Is this true?

If so, it's a relief, but I might wait for service pack 1.

[Lindahl]

Ugh all I want is 7 back. Thw whole apps and lack of window bars thing is a pain in the ass. Fucking tablets.

[sethschmautz]

I am in the minority, I am sure, but Win 8 hasn't been that bad for me. I installed classic shell which is a start button replacement, so it behaves much like Windows used to before Metro, or whatever. I've been on 8 for so long that I can't remember pros/cons with 7. Once you get rid of Metro, they seem very similar to me...

I have been running a virtual machine of Windows 10 for 6 months or so - used mainly for configuring IT equipment for my customers. When I run into issues that I engage vendor support, they can take control of that machine rather than my physical machine.

I have no complaints with Win 10. Doesn't have metro, which everybody will be happy about. The visual feel is a little different, but I like it. Navigating through settings is also a little different, but you can get everywhere you want to go and see the familiar windows, settingd, etc. Once you figure out where they are.

I will be upgrading my Surface this week if I can figure out how to do a bare metal install, and barring any issues, I'll upgrade my main work computer shortly after. There is probably wisdom in the SP1 comment, but I'll probably roll the dice with the surface regardless. What I have seen so far seems very solid.

Seth

[MTT]

I do not work for Microsoft.

I would go to Windoze 10 and run defender. It will not be any worse or less secure than any previous versions.
If you get hacked it will most likely be by someone with some sort of official credentials'
Some one can correct me it I am incorrect, but there really is no (Service Pack) structure anymore. Windows updates are how the software is incrementally improved or secured.
The Release 10240 they are releasing will probably have close to 100 updates by the time you load it.
Use EDGE and watch how many crappy sites you can no longer get too, understanding that you should never have been there in the first place.

**** I will skip the GOV ** rant for another day.

If you don't want the world to see what you look at, read and type. Don't do it on a computer. _It is What it Is_

[RShea]

You are correct- Service Packs were a bundle of updates all rolled together and MS is into pushing fixes out automatically one at a time now. Mostly on patch Tuesday, but there are times when one is important enough to push out sooner. That being said there are still ways to manage when those updates do get installed under Win 7 and Win 8. Corporations and Enterprise users demand that they test the updates before they send them out in large quantities and I do not thing that is going to change. WSUS and similar tools out there do that today. Here is an article that explains the Win 10 updates stance of MS pretty well: https://redmondmag.com/articles/2015...r-it-pros.aspx

[stuckathuntermtn]

It does not cost anything. Here is the fine print from MS:

1Windows Offer Details
Yes, free! This upgrade offer is for a full version of Windows 10, not a trial. 3GB download required; standard data rates apply. To take advantage of this free offer, you must upgrade to Windows 10 within one year of availability. Once you upgrade, you have Windows 10 for free on that device.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq

I might throw it on my laptop and check it out. I wouldn't recommend upgrading your 1 working computer to a band new OS, especially if it's a work machine. Businesses are still on 7 (for the most part), sometimes 8, if they don't have a choice, and probably won't be on 10 at all for several years, again, unless a small business owner just buys a cheap machine that comes with it preloaded. Business machines often come with 7pro installed and rights to 8pro.
What's really annoying is the persistence of the systray app. Ugh.

Ugh all I want is 7 back. Thw whole apps and lack of window bars thing is a pain in the ass. Fucking tablets.

https://ninite.com/
Check off what you want. Look for Classic Start under Utilities. Enjoy!

[jslee]

http://www.howtogeek.com/218856/how-...fication-tray/

[johnnyg82]

I've been running a Surface Pro for a couple years now and I've got no qualms with 8.1 myself, sure it's a bit different, but no biggie.

It's a one-time payment to MS for the licence for Win10 after a 1 year trial as far as MS has told us at work.

[PNWbrit]

It's far easier than converting to French Windows.

[sethschmautz]

It's a one-time payment to MS for the licence for Win10 after a 1 year trial as far as MS has told us at work.

Johnny,

Read the links above. No cost if you are on a paid copy of 7 or 8.

Seth

[charles martel]

It's far easier than converting to French Windows.

But Microsoft's upstairs maid is not nearly as interesting as the one who comes with the French Windows Service Package #1:

[johnnyg82]

Johnny,

Read the links above. No cost if you are on a paid copy of 7 or 8.

Seth

Yeah, but if you're on a pirated version of 7, 8 or 8.1, you still get it for free until the trial licence runs out July 2016.

[bern43]

Auto updates sound sketchy. Pro version you can delay them at least. I've got no interest in Microsoft auto downloading and installing drivers or really any update.

[mall walker]

http://www.ubuntu.com/

Seriously.

[ColinB]

I have been using it on my production and lab machines for the past 6 months. Great combination of the stability and usability of Windows 7, and the few good UI aspects of Windows 8.1. Might want to check to make sure your device has Windows 10 drivers available if you are coming from Windows 7, and if you use a docking station with multiple monitors you may encounter stability issues, just like with any new OS release. I have run through the update process from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on a couple of machines without incident, about to roll back my little windows tablet to Windows 8 and test the upgrade. As was noted earlier, there is no annual fee for Windows 10, upgrades from Win7, 8, and 8.1 are free for the next year, and the machine is licensed for its working life.

Auto updates apply to the home edition, which for the casual user is a good thing. Pro and Enterprise versions you get some control over updates. Also, Microsoft has a diagnostic tool that will allow you to hide specific updates, like a bad driver. KB3073930

[stuckathuntermtn]

Auto updates sound sketchy. Pro version you can delay them at least. I've got no interest in Microsoft auto downloading and installing drivers or really any update.

For the most part, you want Windows downloading and installing updates.
I'll throw it on my laptop and play with it this weekend. The VM is a good idea too. How does that work free upgrade wise?

Also, I heard something like it comes set to share your wifi passwords with all you contacts, who then would automatically share your wifi password with all their contacts.
Brilliant, Microsoft! It's shit like this, Bill. It's shit like this.

[DJSapp]

They pried XP from my fingers, they'll pry 7 from my fingers as well.

The better question is 'Why should you upgrade to Win 10?' What does it do that you currently cannot do? What does it do better?

I'll give you a cocktail napkin to write your list on, shouldn't even use half of that space. Upgrading for upgrading's sake has led to abortions like ME, Vista, win 8.0. The sideline is the best place to be right now. I am very afraid of letting go to forced upgrades and an annual license in exchange for a $0 operating system. It feels like bait for an o/s that will somehow force M$ ad's upon you in everything that you do.

[ColinB]

Windows 10 evaluation period should be 90 days without requiring a key, If you have a retail license of 7, 8 or 8.1 for use on a VM, you would probably need to install it then upgrade it. From what I understand, on a physical system that was factory loaded it validates the license key stored in the slic table, allowing for a clean install.

Wi-Fi Sense is a bit weird, it does not share enterprise wifi network keys, but it will share wpa/2 or wep passwords securely. I disabled it myself, but I am not necessarily sure I will keep it disabled; I freely share my home wifi password with friends who visit anyway.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Thanks for clarification.
And yeah, wifi key sharing should be off, and you have the option to turn it on for a few seconds. Like bluetooth pairing.

[ColinB]

The problem with that is that your friend is not connected to the internet when they arrive at your house, how would he/she be able to retrieve the key if the sharing was temporary. Sure a newer device could use NFC or Bluetooth, or you could do wifi direct between the two devices to share the key, but that would never pass the "could my mom figure it out" test.

Arstechnica had a good write-up on wifi sense and how it works, and its shortcomings.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/...dnt-be-scared/

[stuckathuntermtn]

It would work if they made it work.