Windows 10 Release Date: Should You Accept The Upgrade?
Tomorrow is the release date for Windows 10: Microsoft will begin rolling out the latest version of its industry-standard operating system. The software and computing giant will depart from its traditional business model and offer Windows 10 as a free upgrade to users who currently have Windows 7 or 8.1 installed.
All users have to do is accept the update that will begin being distributed tomorrow. Most users probably already have the new Windows 10 logo sitting in the notification area of their taskbar.
Should Users Accept The Windows 10 Upgrade?
Beta Windows 10 users have reported some bugs with regards to Nvidia video driver updates, Internet Explorer freeze-ups, and other crashes. Windows is aware of, and moving to fix, reported problems.
Windows 10 automatically updates device drivers. With the wide range of devices available, some conflicts are likely. Given these reports it would seem prudent that users plan a specific time to install Windows 10 and make time allowances for any possible problems with mission-critical machines.
The Verge is reporting that users who fail to upgrade their Windows systems within one year from Wednesday, July 29, will have to pay for what is now an entirely free upgrade.
Windows 10: Cortana, New Edge Browser, Return Of The Start Button
Aside from that fact that users will have to pay for the Windows 10 upgrade after a year, there are plenty of other reasons to accept the new release.
Windows 10 introduces Cortana, Microsoft’s personal assistant — similar to Apple’s Siri, which still isn’t available for the Mac desktop. Cortana will be available on tablets, smartphones, and desktops because Windows 10 runs seamlessly on each type of device — something Apple has yet to achieve with its upcoming release of El Capitan, the twelfth Mac OS X incarnation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI4tj1YZbiM
Microsoft is also using Windows 10 to launch its new Edge browser. Microsoft is touting the new browser as faster than both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. The Microsoft browser is also reported to allow users to draw on web pages, save notes, and share them with friends and colleagues.
The Start button is back with Windows 10. Microsoft is responding to the wide chorus of complaints it received when it removed the Start button with Windows 8.
Additionally, Windows 10 includes a host of security updates. Users who choose not to receive the update risk leaving their computers vulnerable.
Tomorrow’s release of Windows 10 marks a pivotal change in the way Microsoft delivers its operating system to users, planning to drive future profits from a subscription-based model. It would seem that with Microsoft offering what it purports to be a better operating system, for free, it would be pretty hard for users to be steered wrong with this deal.
[Photo by Stephen Lam / Getty Images]
