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Windows 10 for free, there has to be a snag??


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I have been offered Windows 10 for free, downloading on the 29th of this month. Presumably I am not the only human to have been bestowed with this gift.

 

Very happy with Win 7 pro  at the moment but I guess that it won't be supported forever. 

 

Pros and cons anyone?

 

 

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Generally only get new Windoze ware when we are on service pack 2 or 3.

 

The pro is that it's not OSX........sadly that's also the con.....

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Windows 10 will be a free upgrade to those with windows 7 & 8 for one year as there will be no more versions of Windows. Supposedly this is the last version and there will only be updates. Then 7 & 8 will  no longer be supported.  After that I think its $129.

 

I just read this in my newest issue of PC Computing (I think it was that mag). Can't find it online but will check on my tablet for more info.

 

Jill

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Windows 10 will be a free upgrade to those with windows 7 & 8 for one year as there will be no more versions of Windows. Supposedly this is the last version and there will only be updates. Then 7 & 8 will  no longer be supported.  After that I think its $12-

 

I just read this in my newest issue of PC Computing (I think it was that mag). Can't find it online but will check on my tablet for more info.

enJill

 

Windows 10 will be a completely free upgrade for one year for anyone with Win 7, Win 8 or Win 8.1 (and the offer even extends to non-genuine licenses (or something like that)). After the year is up, an upgrade will cost. If you do the free upgrade the computer/device will be supported throughout it's lifetime on Windows 10 (like a normal license).

 

Reasons for Microsoft to do this are several, but mainly to try and get as many people on the same platform as possible (the Windows users are currently very spread out through the different Window versions), but also because Windows 10 is very scalable/adaptable and will be on everything from desktops/laptops, tablets, mobile phones, Xboxes and other "internet of things" devices - getting as many people as possible on the same OS will mean that it will be easier to take the next step in terms of interaction between devices.

 

There should be an improvement in performance even on "yesterday's" machines, as well as increased stability. I've read quite a bit about Win 10, haven't done the beta testing, but is all set up through the household to do the upgrade on July 29th. My take is that Windows 10 for desktops/laptops will be (can be) quite similiar to Windows 7 in terms of looks and "familiarity", robust and higher quality (both in terms of the OS and built in apps). The Start Menu button will be back and it should be back to being more "logical" as Win 7.

 

Techradar sums it all up; "If Windows 8 was the steepest learning curve imaginable, Windows 10 is like meeting a great friend you once knew - it's just they've bought some new clothes of which you really do approve."

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Very useful info from Martin. Like many others I had been very sceptical about the free offer but will now have a re-think. That said, I would certainly only upgrade towards the end of the free period to give Microsoft a chance to iron out the inevitable initial bugs.

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When I was on windows machines, before switching to Apple, I preferred the XP variant. Thought it was much better than 7 or 8.

 

Allan

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XP was the best I always thought, but 7 was OK. My present (new) machine had Windows 8.1 on it which is absolute rubbish. I am looking forward to the Win 10 upgrade which I understand from elsewhere and those helpful comments above, will be much more familiar and user friendly.

 

Kumar

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Windows 7 is fine for me. I'll be waiting the year until the 'free upgrade' almost expires to see what others are saying about Windows 10; I've seen too many turkeys from Microsoft to trust them from the outset (Windows Millennium anyone?). I'll also be checking carefully to make sure all the old peripherals, applications and utilities I use regularly (Spyder2, MPEG Streamclip, Virtual Dub, to name but three) work correctly under Windows 10 before I think about making any commitment. I've upgraded my OS before and then found I've had to spend twice as much again to get the updated application software to work with it.  Windows 10 may well be fine, but I'll not be amongst those early adopters whose role in life is to be Beta+ testers and discover the bugs Microsoft missed.

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If Windows 10 is similar to 7 then that's good news. However, I'm also not one to jump on bandwagons until the last minute. Windows 7 Pro is working just fine for me, as did XP not all that long ago. From what I've seen of Windows 8, I'm glad I passed on that one.

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I tried the Windows 10 preview (only a fortnight ago) and I thought it was awful. Very inconsistent user interface (although better than Win 8). I much prefer Windows 7 to Windows 8 or 10 (preview). Windows 10 also didn't support my graphics card properly, I had to "shoe horn" a Windows 8 driver into place to get a sensible screen resolution.

 

Maybe the final version will be better, but I suspect not. The fundamental problem is they've tried to combine the user interfaces of a PC, tablet and mobile phone, with and without touch into one product. In my view, it just doesn't work. Giving it away for free is desperate attempt to get more people to adopt it.

 

My advice is, if you're running Windows 7, don't upgrade for a quite a while until the dust settles and after reading reviews on Amazon etc. ....  even if it is free.....

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Frankly anyhting has to be better than this appalling apology for an operating system that is Windows 8.1

 

 

I have to admit that I actually have learned to love 8.1.  It took me awhile, but once I created my own start button (that was really the only thing I hated about 8.1), and bypassed the tile screen and went straight to the desktop, I have grown to love it.  If I use my husband's desktop, which is windows 7, I curse the things I can't do with it.

 

I will be downloading Windows 10 on the 29th. Probably not as hard to figure out if you are already a Windows 8 user, as opposed to Windows 7. 

 

I will let you guys know what I think of it.

 

Jill

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Frankly anyhting has to be better than this appalling apology for an operating system that is Windows 8.1

 

 

I have to admit that I actually have learned to love 8.1.  It took me awhile, but once I created my own start button (that was really the only thing I hated about 8.1), and bypassed the tile screen and went straight to the desktop, I have grown to love it.  If I use my husband's desktop, which is windows 7, I curse the things I can't do with it.

 

I will be downloading Windows 10 on the 29th. Probably not as hard to figure out if you are already a Windows 8 user, as opposed to Windows 7. 

 

I will let you guys know what I think of it.

 

Jill

 

 

Can you give more detail about the things Windows 8 (and presumably 10) can do which Windows 7 can't?

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Frankly anyhting has to be better than this appalling apology for an operating system that is Windows 8.1

 

 

I have to admit that I actually have learned to love 8.1.  It took me awhile, but once I created my own start button (that was really the only thing I hated about 8.1), and bypassed the tile screen and went straight to the desktop, I have grown to love it.  If I use my husband's desktop, which is windows 7, I curse the things I can't do with it.

 

I will be downloading Windows 10 on the 29th. Probably not as hard to figure out if you are already a Windows 8 user, as opposed to Windows 7. 

 

I will let you guys know what I think of it.

 

Jill

 

 

Can you give more detail about the things Windows 8 (and presumably 10) can do which Windows 7 can't?

 

 

 

In Windows Explorer it has a ribbon style with tabs to give you much better comprehensive use of the files you are looking at than in 7. Looks much like the ribbon bar in Microsoft Office. That is my favourite feature.

 

You can have 4 open programs snapped on the screen at the same time.

 

I love MIracast, sending my computer screen over to the TV. I like this when I am watching baseball.  Miracast is not available in Windows 8, only 8.1 and not the upgraded version of 8.1.  Your computer had to come with 8.1 installed.

 

The Task Manager has many more options all available at once.

 

Search in the Charms bar is way better than just searching in explorer.

 

These are the features I use the most. And like anything, once you get used to them being there, you miss them when they aren't.

 

Jill

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Jill, thanks for the info above on the differences  between Windows 7 and 8. Really it helps confirm my reluctance to move over to 8 or 10 - I hate the ribbon bar on MS Office etc, and I'd much rather have a logically organised nested menu structure. I think the whole visual approach of Windows 8 goes against the grain for me. I'll look to see how Windows 10 shapes up in this respect and whether it persists in making it difficult to gain access to the nuts and bolts of the operating system. Thanks again.

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One of the things I strongly dislike is the way the search box in the task bar works in Windows 10. In Windows 7 I love the way I can easily find any file, folder or program on my PC by typing just a few characters in the search box.

 

In Windows 10 the search box provides just one or two results for what's on the PC but most results come from the net using Bing and are presented as short list in quite a large font (making the list shorter than needed). Maybe it's possible to change this behaviour, but for me it made the search next to useless. In the version of Windows 10 I tried it even failed to find basic Windows tools like "Device manager" and just gave me a list of matching web pages.

 

It seems illogical to me to search both the net and the PC. I know where  want to search. If I'm looking on the PC, then I use the task menu search box, if it on eht enet I'll use Google.

 

The other problem is they've tried to "dumb down" the UI and present fewer options in a bigger font (to suit touch devices?), so many menus now don't fit on the screen and have to be scrolled. These new menus often contain fewer options than the ones they replace. In many cases the old (detailed and more useful) menus are still there but you really have to dig to find them.

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One of the things I strongly dislike is the way the search box in the task bar works in Windows 10. In Windows 7 I love the way I can easily find any file, folder or program on my PC by typing just a few characters in the search box.

 

In Windows 10 the search box provides just one or two results for what's on the PC but most results come from the net using Bing and are presented as short list in quite a large font (making the list shorter than needed). Maybe it's possible to change this behaviour, but for me it made the search next to useless. In the version of Windows 10 I tried it even failed to find basic Windows tools like "Device manager" and just gave me a list of matching web pages.

 

It seems illogical to me to search both the net and the PC. I know where  want to search. If I'm looking on the PC, then I use the task menu search box, if it on eht enet I'll use Google.

 

The other problem is they've tried to "dumb down" the UI and present fewer options in a bigger font (to suit touch devices?), so many menus now don't fit on the screen and have to be scrolled. These new menus often contain fewer options than the ones they replace. In many cases the old (detailed and more useful) menus are still there but you really have to dig to find them.

 

 

Did you get this issue when searching in Windows Explorer?  Certainly not an issue with 8.1.

 

 

Jill

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One of the things I strongly dislike is the way the search box in the task bar works in Windows 10. In Windows 7 I love the way I can easily find any file, folder or program on my PC by typing just a few characters in the search box.

 

In Windows 10 the search box provides just one or two results for what's on the PC but most results come from the net using Bing and are presented as short list in quite a large font (making the list shorter than needed). Maybe it's possible to change this behaviour, but for me it made the search next to useless. In the version of Windows 10 I tried it even failed to find basic Windows tools like "Device manager" and just gave me a list of matching web pages.

 

It seems illogical to me to search both the net and the PC. I know where  want to search. If I'm looking on the PC, then I use the task menu search box, if it on eht enet I'll use Google.

 

The other problem is they've tried to "dumb down" the UI and present fewer options in a bigger font (to suit touch devices?), so many menus now don't fit on the screen and have to be scrolled. These new menus often contain fewer options than the ones they replace. In many cases the old (detailed and more useful) menus are still there but you really have to dig to find them.

 

 

Did you get this issue when searching in Windows Explorer?  Certainly not an issue with 8.1.

 

 

Jill

 

 

It was using the search box in the task bar that I don't like. Searching within Windows Explorer works fine. 

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One of the things I strongly dislike is the way the search box in the task bar works in Windows 10. In Windows 7 I love the way I can easily find any file, folder or program on my PC by typing just a few characters in the search box.

 

In Windows 10 the search box provides just one or two results for what's on the PC but most results come from the net using Bing and are presented as short list in quite a large font (making the list shorter than needed). Maybe it's possible to change this behaviour, but for me it made the search next to useless. In the version of Windows 10 I tried it even failed to find basic Windows tools like "Device manager" and just gave me a list of matching web pages.

 

It seems illogical to me to search both the net and the PC. I know where  want to search. If I'm looking on the PC, then I use the task menu search box, if it on eht enet I'll use Google.

 

The other problem is they've tried to "dumb down" the UI and present fewer options in a bigger font (to suit touch devices?), so many menus now don't fit on the screen and have to be scrolled. These new menus often contain fewer options than the ones they replace. In many cases the old (detailed and more useful) menus are still there but you really have to dig to find them.

 

 

Did you get this issue when searching in Windows Explorer?  Certainly not an issue with 8.1.

 

 

Jill

 

 

It was using the search box in the task bar that I don't like. Searching within Windows Explorer works fine. 

 

 

Okay. No task bar search available in 8.1. Will see how 10 goes. Have to admit, I'm looking forward to it.

 

Jill

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It looks like Windows 10 will be heavy on built in marketing of Microsoft subscription services.  That must be how they plan on making up the revenue lost by giving away the OS.  It won't be long before we see news stories of people who have become homeless and destitute because of over subscribing to online services. :)

 

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2947694/windows/heres-what-windows-10-wont-change-window-8s-plans-to-tie-you-to-microsoft-services.html

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Like a few others I'm worried, Microsoft say this constantly ie this later version of Windows brings all the best of past windows versions and incorporates new fabulous versions, or words to that effect!

 

I'm still on 7 and have held off buying a new PC because of all the trouble changing from XP to Vista, 7 is fine, my daughter has 8 on her laptop and I can't stand it, I can't work out how to do anything on it!

 

I also presume my version of Microsoft Office won't work as they'll want me to get 360, it's all such a pain.

 

Ass I've posted elsewhere my Subscription to Adobe LR & PS aren't working properly as of the last two days, which I presume is down to a windows update.

 

 

Ideally I'd buy a Mac and I do keep looking at prices on e-bay as all the software updates on Windows are always a pain, as is Windows operating systems in general, whenever anything changes it seems to take days to get everything working again.

 

Macs seem to be better, or is it just the grass is always greener scenario?

 

But apart from the price no doubt I'll need a few hundred quid to sort other problems.

 

Oh well rant over, off to see if I can sort my Adobe problem out!

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