What are you waiting for? There are few reasons left to resist Microsoft's Windows 10 update, especially while it's still free.
Wait another month, and it will cost you $120 .
Since Windows 10 came out nearly a year ago, some users have complained that they got the upgrade without meaning to.
But why hold out? Windows 10 is better than either of its predecessors, Windows 7 and 8. Even if you disagree after upgrading, you have a month to go back . Think of it as a free trial.
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WINDOWS 10 MODERNIZES COMPUTING
Windows 7 made sense when personal computers were largely boxes with monitors, keyboards and mice (or touchpads on laptops). But many computers now have touch screens, and web pages, games and software are increasingly designed with touch in mind.
Microsoft responded with Windows 8, but overcompensated. Its touch-centric approach eliminated many aspects of Windows 7 that worked well on traditional computers. In such cases, it left you feeling as though you were using two different machines—one for touch and one for mice—neither of which worked perfectly.
Windows 10 combines the best of both, without that awkward tug of war. Choose desktop mode when you have a keyboard and mouse, and choose tablet mode when they are detached. You can make this automatic or have Windows prompt you each time. Your choice. You also get more control than Windows 8 over when the on-screen keyboard pops up.
Even if you don't have a touch screen, you'll still get some innovations from the touch world, including one-click access to common settings such as Wi-Fi and screen brightness.
BETTER FEATURES
Windows 10 brings biometric sign-ins to computers with such capabilities. Instead of a password, you can use a fingerprint or have the device's camera verify your identity. Even if your computer lacks biometrics, signing in is simplified with a four-digit PIN. If it's good enough for your bank's ATM card, it's good enough for your computer.
Microsoft has also ditched the much-maligned Internet Explorer browser for a new one called Edge. It's not only cleaner and faster than IE, it offers a few new wrinkles. For instance, Edge lets you sketch on a web page with your finger or a stylus and then share it with friends or colleagues. Of course, you don't have to use Edge if you prefer other popular browsers like Chrome or Firefox.
Windows 10 also brings Microsoft's voice assistant, Cortana, to PCs. It might feel awkward talking to a machine at your desk, but many software companies, at least, believe voice is the future. Even Apple's bringing its Siri assistant to the Mac.
A WORK IN PROGRESS
Windows 10 isn't perfect. For instance, it's difficult to scroll through Google spreadsheets on Edge. For that, Google's Chrome browser is better. Windows also won't let you rename or move files when they are open, as you can on Mac computers.
The good news: Microsoft no longer treats Windows as something that gets overhauled every few years. Windows 10 has been getting smaller updates roughly once a month. A bigger one coming on Aug. 2 will offer more uses for Cortana and a new feature called Windows Ink, which lets you use a digital stylus to draw or write notes on documents, maps and other apps.
CHIEF COMPLAINTS
These regular updates are designed to be automatic and seamless, and users of the lower-end Home edition don't even have a choice. But for the most part, smartphone apps already update automatically, as does Google's system for Chromebook computers.
As for getting Windows 10 itself, one worry was its potential incompatibility with older apps and accessories. But makers of those apps and accessories have had nearly a year to offer fixes. By this point, only really old and obscure hardware should give you trouble.
Older machines with slower processors, less memory and less storage space also might run into performance issues. But if your computer's that slow, it might be time for a new machine anyway.
Microsoft began phasing out Windows 7 last year, and new apps are designed for Windows 10. You might find yourself shut out by clinging on to the past.
UPGRADE DETAILS
Microsoft's Get Windows 10 app will verify that you meet minimum system requirements, though minimum doesn't mean speedy.
You should first back up your files to an external drive or cloud storage in case something goes wrong. But even without one, you should be able to return to Windows 7 or 8 within 31 days of upgrading. In the settings, go to "Update & security" and then "Recovery." Your files should be OK, but you'll lose any apps installed after upgrading to Windows 10.
July 29 is the last day you can upgrade for free. After that, you'll have to pay up or buy a new computer.
Explore further:
Microsoft wants you using Windows 10, like it or not
ugosugo
For one thing it cant keep the right date, every day the calendar move forward a couple of days (at 10pm and 11pm).
Or it keeps asking me for my password when waking up from lock screen even though I set it not to do it. And it keeps changing the keyboard layout every time it wakes up as well.
This OS must have been made by a bunch of software illiterate morons!
And, it is full of software junk as well. All things that can interest only brain dead people (or mac users, which is the same)!
Enough good reasons?
antigoracle
This virus will assimilate you.
robertmstow
I did voluntarily give Win10 a try on my laptop ... and found that some apps I use a lot no longer worked, including XNews, TMpegEnc, and - believe it or not - MS Office 2010. Microsoft did, however, tell me that a fast and easy solution was available - just spend $450 buy newer versions of those TMpegEnc and MS Office even though they work just fine on Win7. No thanks.
(XNews is a free nntp app that hasn't been updated for years but it does the job I need it to do and newer apps are unable to import things like my kill and score files - many even lack basic capabilities like scoring.)
zaxxon451
burnEUtrolls
moranity
i have spent the last two weeks changing people's computers back to windows 7 after windows 10 installed without their permission, or disabling windows update as the only way to be sure windows 10 wont install.
so, it seems to me there is little reason to encourage people to move on to windows 10 when they are already being moved to windows ten wether the want to or not.
can i do an article about ubuntu 16.04 lts it's great and my touch screen worked straight away, so any reason not to upgrade from windows 10 to ubuntu? none that i can see, just turn off updates on windows 7 so ya can play all ya old games.
antigoracle
Actually, this is MicroSucks business plan. Hold you for ransom with Win 10 and then make you pay up for the Win 7 "upgrade".
HeloMenelo
koitsu
Da Schneib
Nik_2213
Against that, I've a new 10" tablet that came with '10 installed. Not a 'Surface' tablet, but an independent. Stuff Siri, Edge & Co, not to mention subscription Office-- My killer-app is text-only 'Notepad' with 14-point Aphont !!
Oh, and the '10 interface is so cluttered & clunky on 10" screen, I've resorted to a 'hand-held trackball mouse'...
antialias_physorg
I'll keep windows 7 tankyouverymuch...until support runs out. Then it's time for a new machine. The only reason for me to have windows at all was visual studio. Now that other IDEs have caught up that's no longer an issue. So next machine will be powered by Linux and: goodbye - good riddance - Microsoft.
endelta
julianpenrod
freeiam
Maybe because MS has a proven track record of not being trustworthy (to put it mildly) and being very good at delivering a very bad product creating lots and lots of problems, time and time again.
Nah, that couldn't be it ...
baudrunner
Because of the radical features that Windows 10 wants to push onto you, you can bet that there will be no end to the bug fixes and upgrades well past Windows 20.
My Windows Update is always set OFF. I use a Windows 7 Ultimate edition OS that I upgraded from Home Premium on the sly with a key I found online to unlock what I already paid for, and it works fine on my MS-proof Clean Machine.
If down the line my Windows 7 internet experience is compromised because of Window 10's cloud-centric and transparent computer control experimentation I will just move to Linux.
;
Phil DePayne