Is there some reason I should upgrade to windows 10?

[mozar]

I have windows 7 and it works fine. I use my laptop for reading and an occasional streaming. I don't have much stored on my hard drive. Am I missing something here?

[Spork]

I just said this in a different thread, but ... it's a direct question, so...

Take this with a grain of salt.  I'm a Linux/Unix guy and have been since windows was called "windows 3.1".  Eventually you pretty much HAVE to upgrade to the currently supported windows platform or decide to move to another platform (Linux, Apple, etc.)  At some point in time, Win 7 won't get security patches and eventually new software will just not work at all (or really work poorly) because it is no longer the target.

The upgrade is free for a year if you have win7 or win8.  To me that means if you want to run Windows, it makes sense to get in line and get the upgrade at some point before it no longer is free.  There is probably a good reason to let other people "go first" and work out the kinks.  I wouldn't just jump on it on day 1 unless you're a computer geek that likes to tinker with stuff.

[Thegoblinchief]

From what I've read, it will be worth it to take advantage of the free upgrade. BUT wait a few more weeks at least. The reviews have said there's still a number of bugs and unfinished ugliness to polish out.

For Mustachians, it's good in that Windows 10 is supposed to do very well even on old machines. It's bad in that the free upgrade is done as an in-place install instead of a clean install, so all of the Windows bitrot stays in play.

I've switched to Linux on my primary machine, but the family computer will stay Windows if and until Linux ever gets serious gaming support. Kids, DW, and even occasional I play quite a few PC games.

For the OP, try it and see. Otherwise for your usage, you'd be just fine in Linux. Ubuntu, Mint, or Fedora are the commonly recommended user-friendly distros. I like Mint (Cinnamon desktop flavor) personally.

[skunkfunk]

I've switched my wife, my mother, and my in-laws to Ubuntu. They all love it. For your usage it is perfect.

I prefer lighter weight desktop environments but for ease of use it can't be beaten.

[PawPrint53]

If you do the free upgrade, do you have to pay the $100 per year for Office as you do when you buy a new computer with Windows 10?

[Spork]

If you do the free upgrade, do you have to pay the $100 per year for Office as you do when you buy a new computer with Windows 10?

No idea...  but you might try Libreoffice.  It is "pretty close"... though there are some compatibility issues here and there, especially if you are a power user.  I've used it since about 1995* (but not on a Windows platform). 

https://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/


*I say "I've used LibreOffice"... but it was a predecessor.  It's been through a few changes of hands and names over time.

[innkeeper77]

If you do the free upgrade, do you have to pay the $100 per year for Office as you do when you buy a new computer with Windows 10?

I rather like office.. but to be fair, office is also $100 per year on windows 7, etc. You can still install office 2007 (or whatever you have) and it will work just fine on windows 10. The only reason you would pay $100 is if you buy office 365.

Also, you can still buy office, Home and Student is a $140 one time purchase, you can install on one PC at a time- if you upgrade, you can go on the Microsoft site, and deactivate office on the old computer, and be able to install it again. This works even if you dont have the old computer anymore. I just deactivated Office on two old installations of windows (since overwritten) to install it on my windows 10 laptop.

[MMMaybe]

I quite like it. If you are still on Windows 7, it will be quite a big change for you. It does have PC mode and tablet mode so you can choose what suits you. I have a tablet so I am very happy with it. Windows 8.1 onwards was a disaster for touchscreens so this new OS is taking us in the right direction.

[kpd905]

My laptop keeps asking me to upgrade, but I'm afraid a 5 year old laptop might not be able to handle it.  Anyone know if it uses more resources than Windows 7?

[forummm]

My laptop keeps asking me to upgrade, but I'm afraid a 5 year old laptop might not be able to handle it.  Anyone know if it uses more resources than Windows 7?

http://www.pallareviews.com/3545/windows-10-benchmarks-performance/

[WingsFan4Life]

For Mustachians, it's good in that Windows 10 is supposed to do very well even on old machines. It's bad in that the free upgrade is done as an in-place install instead of a clean install, so all of the Windows bitrot stays in play.

Once Windows 10 is upgraded and activated, you can do a clean install.

[JLee]

I installed it on day 1. No problems at all, and I didn't even do a clean install.

[Bill76]

It's a huge upgrade over Windows 8.1 on my laptop.  Functionally, it feels a lot like the Win 7 machine I use at work.  Overall speed and performance seems about the same as it did under Windows 8.1, but I have had a few issues.

1.  MS Office and other applications didn't find their way into the new Start menu.  This was annoying, but fixable once I found the path to the executables on my hard drive.

2.  My trackpad, which was iffy under Win 8.1 too, has lots of bugs.  The two finger scroll function sometimes doesn't work and sometimes scrolls in the wrong direction.  Every so often, the mouse cursor will completely freeze for 5-10 seconds.  It's not a system freeze, since the keyboard and whatever program I'm running continue to work fine.  When I try to fix the two finger scrolling issue when it messes up, the mouse/trackpad control panel sometimes refuses to open until I reboot the machine.  Synaptics hasn't put out an updated driver for Windows 10 yet, so I'm dealing with it for now.

3.  Just yesterday, the start menu and Cortana locked up, requiring a reboot to fix.

I'd echo the recommendation to wait a few weeks, but for anyone running Windows 8, it's definitely worth the effort to do the upgrade.

[GuitarStv]

The only computer we have in the house running MS is using Windows 7.  I haven't really seen anything special enough about Win10 to warrant the hassle of an upgrade.  We'll probably be fully Ubuntu by the time support on 7 runs out.

[dudde_devaru]

Enuff said

[rugorak]

Enuff said

LOL. Welcome to IT. I work on computers for a living so I am in no hurry to upgrade. They had some reboot loops from the first set of patches so probably a good idea to wait a bit longer if you just want something that works. I plan on upgrading before years end but I am in no hurry.

Linux is a great option too. The only reason I am not all in on Linux is Windows pays the bills as far as my profession and I do play some games now and then. I could easily get most of the games I play on Linux but the work thing is the big deal.

[Sandhills]

I've been looking forward to installing Windows 10 but haven't got the upgrade notice yet. When I click on the Get Windows 10 icon in the tray it continues to read "We're validating Windows 10 for your PC...While upgrades have started for most PCs, we're continuously working with our partners to ensure that even more PCs work well with Windows 10." So it seems the upgrade is not ready yet for my Dell All-in-One PC running Windows 8.1 for some reason.

What gives? Do any of you get this message? I get the impression most of the PC world has already received the go ahead signal.

I think I could bypass this and just install Windows 10 from the Microsoft site. Any thoughts on doing so? Should I just be patient and wait for the upgrade notice?

[KittyCat]

I've been looking forward to installing Windows 10 but haven't got the upgrade notice yet. When I click on the Get Windows 10 icon in the tray it continues to read "We're validating Windows 10 for your PC...While upgrades have started for most PCs, we're continuously working with our partners to ensure that even more PCs work well with Windows 10." So it seems the upgrade is not ready yet for my Dell All-in-One PC running Windows 8.1 for some reason.

What gives? Do any of you get this message? I get the impression most of the PC world has already received the go ahead signal.

I think I could bypass this and just install Windows 10 from the Microsoft site. Any thoughts on doing so? Should I just be patient and wait for the upgrade notice?

I downloaded the Windows 10 ISO and upgraded because I didn't want to wait for the notice.

To the OP: I am in the minority that loved the Windows 8.1 start screen, and I had a 27" 2560x1440 monitor, too. I thought I'd be sticking with the start screen on Windows 10 as well, but the new menu is perfect for me. Everything I want to use is two clicks away: 1 click (or Windows Key) for the start menu and 1 click for dozens of files and programs that I frequent. I could have things in the task bar or desktop, but I like having those as empty as possible. Later, I can post a picture of the menu I so like. Furthermore, if you're coming from Windows 7, the search is a lot faster, and possibly almost instantaneous. Press the Windows Key and start typing. You'll probably find the thing you are looking for after the 3rd to 5th letter in most cases.

[Jack]

No, you should not install Windows 10 because it spies on you. (You could take countermeasures against that -- such as black-holing the domains it phones home to at your router -- but why should you have to?)

If not for that, Windows 10 would be an upgrade from Windows 8.1 but a downgrade from Windows 7.

[KittyCat]

No, you should not install Windows 10 because it spies on you. (You could take countermeasures against that -- such as black-holing the domains it phones home to at your router -- but why should you have to?)

If not for that, Windows 10 would be an upgrade from Windows 8.1 but a downgrade from Windows 7.

You're just spreading FUD like most people who have complaints about Windows 10's privacy settings. Here's a an informative blog post on the privacy settings. Your phone and the apps you download "spy" far more than Windows 10 will, and most people will click away without any regard to the privacy that they are giving up.

Also, I'm tired of people putting Windows 7 on a pedestal, claiming it as the best OS ever or whatnot, and that everything since has been a downgrade. I liked Windows 8 more than 7, I liked 8.1 much more than I liked 7, and while Windows 10 lacks some features from Windows 8.1, I do like it a lot more overall. Also, Windows 10, by definition, cannot be a "downgrade" from Windows 7. You can claim that Windows 7 is "better", but certainly not an upgrade, and most certainly far from fact.

[forummm]

No, you should not install Windows 10 because it spies on you. (You could take countermeasures against that -- such as black-holing the domains it phones home to at your router -- but why should you have to?)

If not for that, Windows 10 would be an upgrade from Windows 8.1 but a downgrade from Windows 7.

You're just spreading FUD like most people who have complaints about Windows 10's privacy settings. Here's a an informative blog post on the privacy settings. Your phone and the apps you download "spy" far more than Windows 10 will, and most people will click away without any regard to the privacy that they are giving up.

Also, I'm tired of people putting Windows 7 on a pedestal, claiming it as the best OS ever or whatnot, and that everything since has been a downgrade. I liked Windows 8 more than 7, I liked 8.1 much more than I liked 7, and while Windows 10 lacks some features from Windows 8.1, I do like it a lot more overall. Also, Windows 10, by definition, cannot be a "downgrade" from Windows 7. You can claim that Windows 7 is "better", but certainly not an upgrade, and most certainly far from fact.

I think the use of the term "downgrade" was metaphorical. I have both 7 and 8.1, and 8.1 was definitely a metaphorical "downgrade" IMO from 7. 7 was fine, but 8.1 is irritating.

[KittyCat]

I think the use of the term "downgrade" was metaphorical. I have both 7 and 8.1, and 8.1 was definitely a metaphorical "downgrade" IMO from 7. 7 was fine, but 8.1 is irritating.

Sorry, I become irate when people bash newer Windows versions when they haven't tried it, know little of it, but are quite willing hate on it and/or spread false information. I'm curious, what did you find annoying about 8.1?

[forummm]

I think the use of the term "downgrade" was metaphorical. I have both 7 and 8.1, and 8.1 was definitely a metaphorical "downgrade" IMO from 7. 7 was fine, but 8.1 is irritating.

Sorry, I become irate when people bash newer Windows versions when they haven't tried it, know little of it, but are quite willing hate on it and/or spread false information. I'm curious, what did you find annoying about 8.1?

Logging in with an email address, the different interface, having to download things as apps, having to figure out where things were, etc. If you're going to make things so different, there needs to be a value to it. Fortunately I don't have to use that computer regularly. Maybe DW will appreciate the upgrade to 10.

[KittyCat]

Logging in with an email address, the different interface, having to download things as apps, having to figure out where things were, etc. If you're going to make things so different, there needs to be a value to it. Fortunately I don't have to use that computer regularly. Maybe DW will appreciate the upgrade to 10.

The e-mail thing is only if you'd like to log in with a Microsoft account, which, while useful for things like accessing the Windows App Store and syncing settings, and utilizing Cortana to a degree, isn't neecssary. Traditional local accounts are still very much supported on Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 (albeit, slightly less obvious during the setup process). You can still set up and switch over to a local account while using a logon that is tied to a Microsoft account.

The interface is hit or miss depending on the person, and I'm not about to suggest interface-changing apps that I haven't used/tested. I like 10 and the semi return of aero.

Downloading things as apps is very situational though, and largely unnecessary. I'd say that the reason Microsoft is doing this is to merge OS stores for the future for the growing platforms that do not run on the x86 or x64 architecture. The weather, mail, and calendar at a glance is convenient for me, but I still don't use these kinds of apps much.

By having difficulty with finding things, I assume you mean things like the Control Panel and shutdown/log off? The file/folder structure has largely remained the same since Vista.

Quantitative improvements going from 7 to 8 (and 10) include: less resource-intensive, performance upgrades, and faster search. If you haven't noticed the change while using 8 though, then I guess the upgrade was unnecessary.

Anyway, I'm not here to convert others; I just like trying to answer/solve the grievances people have with the latest OSes.

[slugline]

I have no trouble finding, launching, and using programs now . . . and thus I haven't read anything that makes me want to upgrade my Windows 7 home machines to Windows 10. There's a pretty good chance that some older peripheral/program I have won't work, requiring me to go acquire a newer and compatible replacement.

Yes, eventually Microsoft will "end-of-life" the older OS, but in all likelihood I'll be ready for a whole new ecosystem of hardware by then anyway. To date that's the only compelling "feature" I know.

[KittyCat]

I have no trouble finding, launching, and using programs now . . . and thus I haven't read anything that makes me want to upgrade my Windows 7 home machines to Windows 10. There's a pretty good chance that some older peripheral/program I have won't work, requiring me to go acquire a newer and compatible replacement.

Yes, eventually Microsoft will "end-of-life" the older OS, but in all likelihood I'll be ready for a whole new ecosystem of hardware by then anyway. To date that's the only compelling "feature" I know.

Windows 10 retains most of the Windows 7 compatibility, and even if it isn't completely compatible, there is running in Compatibility Mode... but that is an extra step, and you may very well have something that cannot be run on 10 for some reason.

Here are some differences between 10 and 7 for people who are on the fence.

[zolotiyeruki]

I'm firmly in the "wait a few months" category.  The only reason I want to upgrade to Win10 is 1) it's free, and 2) longer support.  I'll let everyone else be Microsoft's beta testers, thankyouverymuch. I *am* a bit paranoid about the potential privacy issues, and a bit irked at Microsoft for trying to push the whole online social media integration and microsoft account stuff.  Their handling of control panel vs. system settings is (from what I've heard) abysmal.  I am, however, looking forward to the performance improvements.

Will I upgrade?  Yes, eventually.  Once all the biggest bugs are worked out, and people have worked out how to disable all the things an OS shouldn't be doing in the first place.

[KittyCat]

I'm firmly in the "wait a few months" category.  The only reason I want to upgrade to Win10 is 1) it's free, and 2) longer support.  I'll let everyone else be Microsoft's beta testers, thankyouverymuch. I *am* a bit paranoid about the potential privacy issues, and a bit irked at Microsoft for trying to push the whole online social media integration and microsoft account stuff.  Their handling of control panel vs. system settings is (from what I've heard) abysmal.  I am, however, looking forward to the performance improvements.

Will I upgrade?  Yes, eventually.  Once all the biggest bugs are worked out, and people have worked out how to disable all the things an OS shouldn't be doing in the first place.

Regarding the privacy issues thing, I posted a link to an informative post earlier, and from what I can recall, you can disable most of the things that would cause privacy concerns (not claiming all because I haven't tried it myself). I like having my Microsoft and Google accounts; they make my life easier. As much as I like Windows 10, the whole Control Panel vs System Settings disparity is kinda annoying. The Windows 10 version is A LOT better than the Windows 8/8.1 version, but I would prefer the settings to all be in one place- which, I believe Microsoft is starting to move away from the Control Panel. In any case, there's always the "Master Control Panel" AKA "God Mode".

[Jack]

I think the use of the term "downgrade" was metaphorical. I have both 7 and 8.1, and 8.1 was definitely a metaphorical "downgrade" IMO from 7. 7 was fine, but 8.1 is irritating.

Sorry, I become irate when people bash newer Windows versions when they haven't tried it, know little of it, but are quite willing hate on it and/or spread false information. I'm curious, what did you find annoying about 8.1?

Well then you shouldn't jump to conclusions, because I have tried 8 (and 8.1) and concluded after using it that it sucks compared to 7.

And it's not even because the interface is different, either -- I can happily jump back and forth between Windows, OS X, and Linux, and happily use any of them (although I can't say I'm a fan of Ubuntu's Unity interface). It's because the interface is inconsistent, like mixing GNOME and KDE.

You want to move the settings (for example)? Fine! But at least have the decency to move all the settings instead of making me go on a wild goose chase between the Metro stuff and the old Control Panel!

Also, I'm tired of people putting Windows 7 on a pedestal, claiming it as the best OS ever or whatnot

Nah, Microsoft peaked with Windows 2000. ; )

Regarding the privacy issues thing, I posted a link to an informative post earlier, and from what I can recall, you can disable most of the things that would cause privacy concerns (not claiming all because I haven't tried it myself). I like having my Microsoft and Google accounts; they make my life easier.

First of all, disabling "most" of the spying is not the same as disabling "all" of the spying. Second -- and more importantly -- spying is offensive to begin with! And I don't care who does it, either: Google offends me too! And Facebook offends me even more than those others!

In fact, Microsoft's Windows 10 bullshit is the last straw for me: I'm in the process of migrating all my stuff to OwnCloud (and Linux or BSD for my PCs, and a third-party build of Android, such as Cyanogen or Replicant, for my phone) so I can get the fuck away from them once and for all!

[russianswinga]

3 main reasons to upgrade:
1. It's faster than whatever you're running now, on the same hardware.
2. It takes 1/3 less space than Windows 7 and 8
3. It's FREE

[KittyCat]

Well then you shouldn't jump to conclusions, because I have tried 8 (and 8.1) and concluded after using it that it sucks compared to 7.

And it's not even because the interface is different, either -- I can happily jump back and forth between Windows, OS X, and Linux, and happily use any of them (although I can't say I'm a fan of Ubuntu's Unity interface). It's because the interface is inconsistent, like mixing GNOME and KDE.

You want to move the settings (for example)? Fine! But at least have the decency to move all the settings instead of making me go on a wild goose chase between the Metro stuff and the old Control Panel!

Nah, Microsoft peaked with Windows 2000. ; )

First of all, disabling "most" of the spying is not the same as disabling "all" of the spying. Second -- and more importantly -- spying is offensive to begin with! And I don't care who does it, either: Google offends me too! And Facebook offends me even more than those others!

In fact, Microsoft's Windows 10 bullshit is the last straw for me: I'm in the process of migrating all my stuff to OwnCloud (and Linux or BSD for my PCs, and a third-party build of Android, such as Cyanogen or Replicant, for my phone) so I can get the fuck away from them once and for all!

Sorry, the way you said it seemed on par with all the other naysayers who just love bashing for the sake of bashing.

I can't argue with you about the settings thing; it annoys me, too.

Calling it "spying" seems quite overblown. Data collection can be summed up in two flavors:  1. collection for the purpose of selling that data to the highest bidder and/or targeting their own advertising services back onto you and 2. collection for the purpose of improving their own services of your own personalized experience. From digging around in the settings, I've found most of the privacy settings to be concerned with the latter, and with further reading that states that they would not collect personally-identifiable data through those settings. I know that Microsoft has Bing, they are also interested in using certain data to market, but you can limit even that with the setting to disallow using your marketing ID to have targeted ads. Regarding targeted ads, browsers/sites/ads collect data more often, especially Amazon and eBay- but, I digress... Most of the privacy settings were opt-in for Windows 8 and 8.1; it's unfortunate that they changed it for 10.

[KittyCat]

3 main reasons to upgrade:
1. It's faster than whatever you're running now, on the same hardware.
2. It takes 1/3 less space than Windows 7 and 8
3. It's FREE

I've noticed the space savings compared to before and I quite like it. Before upgrading, my SSD had around 39GB left free, and after a fresh install with all of the programs, it has between 60GB and 80GB free (forgot which... the first digit was an even number), perhaps due to the lack of a large number of updates compared to before.

[GuitarStv]

3 main reasons to upgrade:
1. It's faster than whatever you're running now, on the same hardware.
2. It takes 1/3 less space than Windows 7 and 8
3. It's FREE

Can you link me to some specific examples?  My understanding was that there might be an advantage to win 7 on some things, and win 8 on others.  Any win 10 speed advantages would be barely perceptible (below 5%) under normal use.

[forummm]

I have no trouble finding, launching, and using programs now . . . and thus I haven't read anything that makes me want to upgrade my Windows 7 home machines to Windows 10. There's a pretty good chance that some older peripheral/program I have won't work, requiring me to go acquire a newer and compatible replacement.

Yes, eventually Microsoft will "end-of-life" the older OS, but in all likelihood I'll be ready for a whole new ecosystem of hardware by then anyway. To date that's the only compelling "feature" I know.

Windows 10 retains most of the Windows 7 compatibility, and even if it isn't completely compatible, there is running in Compatibility Mode... but that is an extra step, and you may very well have something that cannot be run on 10 for some reason.

Here are some differences between 10 and 7 for people who are on the fence.

The video on this link you posted agrees with the view that 8 is worse than 7. "After the disaster that was Windows 8..." :) 

[Jack]

Calling it "spying" seems quite overblown. Data collection can be summed up in two flavors:  1. collection for the purpose of selling that data to the highest bidder and/or targeting their own advertising services back onto you and 2. collection for the purpose of improving their own services of your own personalized experience. From digging around in the settings, I've found most of the privacy settings to be concerned with the latter, and with further reading that states that they would not collect personally-identifiable data through those settings.

On the contrary, it's very simple: if they have the data, sooner or later it will be abused -- regardless of the TOS. Either they'll get bought out which means the new owner is no longer bound by the TOS (admittedly, unlikely in the near future with Microsoft), or they'll get hacked, or a disgruntled employee will steal it, or the NSA will come a-knockin'.

Regarding targeted ads, browsers/sites/ads collect data more often, especially Amazon and eBay- but, I digress...

You're talking to somebody who uses a whole constellation of ad-blocking extensions and other countermeasures.

Right now, I have (in Firefox):

• Adblock Edge
• BetterPrivacy
• Self-Destructing Cookies
• Cookie Monster
• Ghostery
• NoScript
• NoRedirect
• RequestPolicy
• RefControl
• and DuckDuckGo as my search engine

(Note that I'm fairly certain some of those are redundant, but I haven't taken the time to figure out which ones I can do away with yet. Also, I recently reinstalled, and just realized I'm missing HTTPS Everywhere...)

3. It's FREE

Zero price doesn't mean it's free; in the case of Windows 10 it just means you're the product.

This is what real freedom means!

[Cathy]

...Right now, I have (in Firefox):

• ...
• Ghostery
• ...

...

Zero price doesn't mean it's free; in the case of Windows 10 it just means you're the product.

This is what real freedom means!

As far as I know, Ghostery is not free (as in freedom). Some of the other extensions mentioned may also be proprietary.

***

Here's my favourite story about Windows and upgrading. I haven't used Windows in almost 10 years, but back when I did use it, I would frequently install the "beta" versions of new Windows releases. (The term "beta software" refers to unfinished versions released by the developer to solicit feedback.) The last version of Windows that I ever installed was Windows Vista Beta 2, back in 2006. I upgraded an existing copy of Windows XP to Vista Beta 2 using Microsoft's fancy graphical installer program.

One screen in the installer was called something like "Upgrade obsolete software" and it purported to provide a list of programs I had on my computer that would no longer work on Vista and that I would need to upgrade to "supported" versions in order to proceed. For example, it would claim that an old version of Microsoft Office was no longer supported in order to persuade you to purchase a newer one. One entry in the table for me was "MySQL", which is a free and open source relational database sever. The installer screen claimed that MySQL was obsolete and that I should upgrade to Microsoft SQL instead. I found this pretty hilarious.

[JLee]

I have no trouble finding, launching, and using programs now . . . and thus I haven't read anything that makes me want to upgrade my Windows 7 home machines to Windows 10. There's a pretty good chance that some older peripheral/program I have won't work, requiring me to go acquire a newer and compatible replacement.

Yes, eventually Microsoft will "end-of-life" the older OS, but in all likelihood I'll be ready for a whole new ecosystem of hardware by then anyway. To date that's the only compelling "feature" I know.

DirectX 12 is Windows 10 only, but I assume most people here aren't gamers.

[GuitarStv]

3 main reasons to upgrade:
1. It's faster than whatever you're running now, on the same hardware.
2. It takes 1/3 less space than Windows 7 and 8
3. It's FREE

Can you link me to some specific examples?  My understanding was that there might be an advantage to win 7 on some things, and win 8 on others.  Any win 10 speed advantages would be barely perceptible (below 5%) under normal use.

 . . . anyone?  I keep hearing about how windows 10 is much faster than previous versions of windows, but haven't actually seen any evidence that this is really true.

[skunkfunk]

In fact, Microsoft's Windows 10 bullshit is the last straw for me: I'm in the process of migrating all my stuff to OwnCloud (and Linux or BSD for my PCs, and a third-party build of Android, such as Cyanogen or Replicant, for my phone) so I can get the fuck away from them once and for all!

Alright I'm on board with you, the only Windows I use is at work. However, everyone else has bullshit too. Unless you want to go all Richard Stallman there's no getting away from it. Ubuntu, for instance, in one edition automatically sent the stuff you put in whatever you call that Unity search button thingy to Amazon. It was on by default - you had to change your settings to fix it.

That said, anything built around GNU is gonna be better about that than commercial software.

[skunkfunk]

3 main reasons to upgrade:
1. It's faster than whatever you're running now, on the same hardware.
2. It takes 1/3 less space than Windows 7 and 8
3. It's FREE

Can you link me to some specific examples?  My understanding was that there might be an advantage to win 7 on some things, and win 8 on others.  Any win 10 speed advantages would be barely perceptible (below 5%) under normal use.

 . . . anyone?  I keep hearing about how windows 10 is much faster than previous versions of windows, but haven't actually seen any evidence that this is really true.

I don't have any evidence for that, but I can say the bolded statement is not true. Depending on what you're doing, other OS will be faster for certain tasks, and possibly for everything (e.g. with many operating systems a running antivirus is pointless, or if you're running a server, or many other cases.)

[JLee]

http://www.dualshockers.com/2015/07/30/windows-10-vs-windows-8-1-gaming-benchmark-comparison-which-os-grants-better-performance/

[frugaliknowit]

Assuming you do not have touch screen, I would just keep Windows 7, until you are forced off of it.

What good is free for a year?  It's just like a free loan for a year.  Let's see at zero percent that's worth, uhm zero.  Plus by waiting, you get to bypass some kinks.

[Spork]

Assuming you do not have touch screen, I would just keep Windows 7, until you are forced off of it.

What good is free for a year?  It's just like a free loan for a year.  Let's see at zero percent that's worth, uhm zero.  Plus by waiting, you get to bypass some kinks.

That depends on your wording.   You are "forced off of win7" in 2020 when end of support occurs.  Windows 10 end of support is 2025.  Yes, it's probably a good idea to let the early adopters work out the kinks now.... but if you wait past July 2016, you'll have to pay to get that 5 more years of support.

In other words: the upgrade is "free for a year".  The additional support is "5 more free years".  *IF* you're going to run windows, an eventual upgrade is going to be required.  You might as well take it before July 2016.

[neo von retorch]

Windows 10 is not "free for a year." It's free to upgrade for one year. You will still have a valid license for Windows 10 after that year ends.

[ketchup]

Windows 10 is 8 done right (as 7 was Vista done right).  Once the bugs are ironed out, it will make sense to upgrade from 7 or 8.  Support and patches for 7 won't stop until 2020 though, so you've got time.

Our desktop at home is currently dual booting 7 and 10.  10 has some stability issues on the video driver front.  Something about the combination of an nVidia GTX 750 (with up to date drivers), a Dell 4K monitor connected via DisplayPort, and Photoshop using GPU acceleration/CUDA/OpenCL/whatever causes it to occasionally freak out and crash Photoshop.  So we've switched back to 7 for the time being.

[KittyCat]

The video on this link you posted agrees with the view that 8 is worse than 7. "After the disaster that was Windows 8..." :)

I can't watch video due to the environment I'm in. In any case, I'm not going discuss opinions further than, for me, 7 < 8 < 8.1 < 10 overall. I'll accept that it failed quite a bit on the sales side though.

On the contrary, it's very simple: if they have the data, sooner or later it will be abused -- regardless of the TOS. Either they'll get bought out which means the new owner is no longer bound by the TOS (admittedly, unlikely in the near future with Microsoft), or they'll get hacked, or a disgruntled employee will steal it, or the NSA will come a-knockin'.

You're talking to somebody who uses a whole constellation of ad-blocking extensions and other countermeasures.

Right now, I have (in Firefox):

• Adblock Edge
• BetterPrivacy
• Self-Destructing Cookies
• Cookie Monster
• Ghostery
• NoScript
• NoRedirect
• RequestPolicy
• RefControl
• and DuckDuckGo as my search engine

(Note that I'm fairly certain some of those are redundant, but I haven't taken the time to figure out which ones I can do away with yet. Also, I recently reinstalled, and just realized I'm missing HTTPS Everywhere...)

I see that we have quite differing views regarding privacy. You believe that the data will undeniably be abused, and, thus, do not want to give away any of it. I believe that, without certain enterprise-level protection, if they really want your data, they'll get your data so I may as well "pay" for the "free" services I enjoy with an amount of data that I'm willing to share. Tor isn't as safe as people once thought it was, the NSA can trace traffic commonly-used VPN services (though it's still good against other hackers), and I'm sure the same goes for IP scrambling.

That isn't to say that I am completely careless with my data though; I do use HTTPS Everywhere and AdBlock- only the Privacy and Malware-blocking lists. I'll willingly allow ads to appear on sites I frequent since I am against the "I'll take everything, and you get nothing" mentality that so many people seem to have.

[Thegoblinchief]

Any gamers with thoughts on Windows 10? Wait to upgrade or do most programs that worked on 7 work just fine on 10. DW keeps asking me about upgrading but I don't want to have to fix lots of things, as while I don't play most of the games, I'm the de facto family IT admin.

[KittyCat]

Any gamers with thoughts on Windows 10? Wait to upgrade or do most programs that worked on 7 work just fine on 10. DW keeps asking me about upgrading but I don't want to have to fix lots of things, as while I don't play most of the games, I'm the de facto family IT admin.

I don't know what games you have, but the ones that use SecuROM DRM will not run. The vast majority of programs that work on Windows 7 will work on Windows 10; I haven't found any issues with the programs that I run, but I'm sure that there are programs out there that will have issues. Also, regarding gaming, DirectX12 support improves the performance of AMD and Intel graphics by a noticeable margin. Unfortunately, nVidia chips/drivers do not reap the same benefit yet.

[Jack]

I believe that, without certain enterprise-level protection, if they really want your data, they'll get your data

What, security is hard so we should just throw up our hands and capitulate to our corporate (and/or government) overlords? FUCK THAT!

I believe in a little thing called "freedom" and I'm not willing to give it up so easily! I highly recommend you adopt a similar attitude, or else our society will continue hurtling towards an Orwellian surveillance state.

People who think it's okay for everyone to be spied on disgust me.

[KittyCat]

What, security is hard so we should just throw up our hands and capitulate to our corporate (and/or government) overlords? FUCK THAT!

I believe in a little thing called "freedom" and I'm not willing to give it up so easily! I highly recommend you adopt a similar attitude, or else our society will continue hurtling towards an Orwellian surveillance state.

People who think it's okay for everyone to be spied on disgust me.

No, I'm just saying that, for most people, I think a tin-foil hat approach is overkill.

As I've stated, I'll willingly give some data to improve and/or pay for services/sites I enjoy, but I'm not tossing my privacy out the window. Perhaps I'll check out some of those extensions you listed.

I never said it was okay for everyone to be spied upon, nor do I think so.