Windows 10 is coming soon – barely a month to go, (July 29) and we’ve been testing the early builds extensively.
[header2 text=”Firstly, is it really free?” align=”left” color=”#00cfef” margintop=””]
The answer is that if you have a current license of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, then YES, If you have older Windows, then NO. There has been some confusion about preview testers getting it for free, and the answer is they can have it IF they keep using preview versions – they can’t opt-out of those programs.
[header2 text=”Secondly, what’s it like?” align=”left” color=”#00cfef” margintop=””]
It’s what Windows 8 should have been. Our main complaints about Windows 8 were the strange new tiled system that was so different to previous versions of Windows. While in theory you didn’t need a touch screen, the practical reality was that touch was best. Windows 10 will be a viable alternative to Windows 7 on regular desktop machines. The start menu is back. The application menus are back. The tiles are still there, but now they add to the experience rather than detract from it. I’m testing Windows 10 on a Lenovo Thinkpad 10 – almost the exact dimensions of an iPad, and it’s great – I’d never have an iPad now – simply because I have all the convenience, the compactness and the light weight, plus a better handwriting option, better software choices and a ten hour battery. I can swap from reading technical papers (and marking them up with a pen, like writing on paper), answering email, browsing the web or updating a spreadsheet. Yes – you can do that on Android and iPad, but, thanks to Onedrive for Business, I have all my files with me as well – and that’s liberating.
[header2 text=”Lastly, is it reliable?” align=”left” color=”#00cfef” margintop=””]
Well, we’re using preview versions which are known to be buggy – that’s why they are pre-release! Our experience testing Windows 10 has been that it is buggier than previous pre-releases, and with just one month before the final release, there are a few more quirks than I’d expect. Having said that, I can work fine with it. The main bugs seem to be driver related and I’m hoping that the final version will support my hardware better – mainly the screen driver (notcable when I;m using the handwriting feature), the fingerprint reader and the GSM SIM card seem to the most unreliable. With each successive version I have been really impressed with the speed at which bugs have been reported and fixed, and the main O/S seems pretty solid.
[header2 text=”So, should I upgrade everything to Windows 10?” align=”left” color=”#00cfef” margintop=””]
The short answer is ‘YES’, the longer answer adds in ‘WHEN’. We’d advise caution. Test it. Test with your software first. Get a test machine and make sure the software you use works with it. If you are using specialised software, check with the software provider that Windows 10 is supported. We’ve also been testing the latest previews of Office 2016 (which we love!) and its worth testing these in your environment as well.