Windows 10: should you upgrade?
The latest version of Microsoft’s operating system launches on 29 July, with some Windows users getting the upgrade for free.
By Jan Vermeulen – July 28, 2015 55 Comments
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Windows 10 launches on 29 July, with Microsoft offering Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users the ability to upgrade for free in the first year after its launch.
The upgrade download will be about 3GB, and will take between 20 minutes and an hour to install – depending on the device.
Those who don’t qualify for the free upgrade – people using Windows Vista or older versions of Windows – will be able to buy Windows 10 for the same price as Windows 8.
In the US, this is $119.99 for Windows 10 Home, and $199 for Windows 10 Pro. Windows 10 Pro Pack lets you upgrade from the Home edition to Pro for $99.
In South Africa, Windows is priced as follows:
Windows 8.1: R1,540
Windows 8.1 Pro: R2,630
Windows 8.1 Pro Student Offer: R480
While Microsoft has answered most of the questions regarding Windows 10 in the FAQ pages on its website, there is one that users must answer themselves: Should you upgrade to Windows 10?
General concerns
If you are unsure about whether any specialised software will work on the new version of Windows, you should not upgrade until its developer has confirmed support for the OS.
Users may also want to wait until the first big patch for Windows 10 is pushed out before upgrading.
For the remaining Windows users, read below to see if you should upgrade to Windows 10.
Windows XP no longer receives support. It’s time to upgrade.
If you are still on Windows XP (or older), that means Microsoft no longer offers support for your operating system.
While you can’t get the upgrade to Windows 10 for free, it is definitely time to upgrade.
You can either buy a new PC that ships with Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows 10, or pay for a new version of Windows.
If you’re not keen on Windows 10, you should investigate switching to a modern operating system. Free Linux distributions are available for those who do not want to pay for an OS.
Windows Vista is heading for end-of-life in two years, but does not offer free upgrade.
Mainstream support for Windows Vista ended on 10 April 2012, but Microsoft has said it will still provide security fixes for the operating system until 11 April 2017.
If you’re happy with Vista then you don’t have to upgrade, and you certainly aren’t incentivised to do so since Windows 10 won’t be free for you.
However, if you meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 10, it is worth considering the upgrade.
Alternatively, you could look at buying a new PC that includes a more recent edition of Windows.
Windows 7 has Windows Media Centre and still receives security updates. The free upgrade offer is compelling.
If you’re running Windows 7 and are happy with it, the choice to upgrade is not straightforward.
Mainstream support for Windows 7 ended on 13 January 2015, but Microsoft will continue to provide security updates until 14 January 2020.
One change in features to keep in mind before upgrading is that Windows Media Centre (WMC) will not be available in Windows 10.
If that’s a concern, then stick with Windows 7 until 2020 while you hunt for a WMC replacement.
Another aspect to consider is the upgrade paths from Windows 7. Windows 7 Home Premium users will only get Windows 10 Home for free.
There is an inexpensive way to go from Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 8.1 Pro, and from there to Windows 10 Pro, but that requires users to get a Windows 8 Pro upgrade kit which used to cost between R350 and R700.
Upgrading from Windows 7
From Windows 7
To Windows 10 edition
Windows 7 Starter
Windows 10 Home
Windows 7 Home Basic
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 7 Ultimate
Upgrading from Windows 8
From Windows 8
To Windows 10 edition
Windows Phone 8.1
Windows 10 Mobile
Windows 8.1
Windows 10 Home
Windows 8.1 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 8.1 Pro for Students
Windows 8.1 users: Upgrade to Windows 10. Don’t even think about it, just do it.
Just do it.
The only reason not to is if you bought the Windows Media Centre add-on pack and can’t live without WMC.
My advice: find an alternative for WMC and grab the upgrade.
More Windows 10 news
Windows 10 – when you can upgrade, how long it will take
Windows 10 prices revealed
Windows 10 free upgrade help at Incredible Connection
Microsoft Edge: the new web browser for Windows 10
Forum discussionWindows 10: should you upgrade?
Headline Microsoft Windows 10 Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 upgrade
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The latest version of Windows has launched, and the first wave of upgrades to the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system are rolling out.
By MYBROADBAND Staff Writer – July 29, 2015 59 Comments
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Windows 10 has launched, with the free upgrade now available to first-wave users who qualify.
Microsoft has offered a free update to its latest operating system to existing Windows 7 and 8.1 users, so long as they perform the upgrade within the next year.
The company also announced that it plans to keep the pricing structure for Windows 10 the same as Windows 8.1.
Retail prices have emerged in South Africa, with the Orange Store, Comx Computers, and Evetech listing Windows 10 for sale.
Pinnacle Africa also announced the availability of Proline devices with Windows 10 from 29 July.
The table below summarises the prices for OEM and retail versions of Windows 10, as listed on Evetech.
Windows 10 Edition
Full retail (USB)
OEM
Windows 10 Home
R1,699
R1,599
Windows 10 Pro
R3,199
R2,299
Microsoft has not disclosed the licensing terms for Windows 10 yet, but if it follows the same model as Windows 8.1, that means OEM versions are not intended for personal use.
This means that if you’re on Windows Vista or older and wish to upgrade, you should look at the “full retail” column in the table.
Specifications, free upgrade eligibility
Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 upgrade paths to Windows 10 are summarised in the table below.
Upgrading from Windows 7
From Windows 7
To Windows 10 edition
Windows 7 Starter
Windows 10 Home
Windows 7 Home Basic
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 7 Ultimate
Upgrading from Windows 8
From Windows 8
To Windows 10 edition
Windows Phone 8.1
Windows 10 Mobile
Windows 8.1
Windows 10 Home
Windows 8.1 Pro
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 8.1 Pro for Students
System requirements
To run Windows 10, your PC will need to have the following minimum hardware specifications:
Processor: 1GHz or faster processor or SoC
RAM: 1GB for 32-bit or 2GB for 64-bit
Hard disk space: 16GB for 32-bit OS, 20GB for 64-bit OS
Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
Display: 800 x 600
Microsoft has warned that the upgradeability of a device has factors beyond the system specifications, including driver and firmware support, and application compatibility.
There are also a number of features not making their way to Windows 10, including Windows Media Centre, built-in DVD playback software, and Windows 7’s desktop gadgets.
The Start Menu returns
After many complaints from Windows 8 and 8.1 users about the removal of the Start Menu, it returns in Windows 10 – albeit with some changes.
In addition to offering similar functionality as its previous iteration, Windows 10’s Start Menu now features Live Tiles.
Live Tiles can be thought of as a grid of application shortcuts which show a preview of the latest information from the app, such as the subject and excerpt from a new e-mail.
Action Centre and System Tray
Windows 10 does away the Charms bar from Windows 8 and ephemeral popup notifications.
Notifications now stay in the Action Centre so you can interact with them, and the design of system tray actions – such as volume control and battery monitoring – has been refined.
Application windows and Modern UI
The introduction of “Modern UI Style” (née Metro style) applications in Windows 8 created a jarring disconnect between applications that implemented the new design language.
Modern UI apps did not exist in normal windows like desktop apps did. They could not be resized or dragged around the desktop, but instead existed in their own kind of “Modern realm”.
These apps could be “snapped” to only take up a portion of the screen so that you could multitask between them, but this typically didn’t make for a great user experience.
Windows 10 addresses this by allowing Modern UI apps to exist in normal windows on the desktop.
Snap
Another improvement to Windows 10’s multitasking features are the changes to window snapping.
You can now snap a window to a quadrant or half of the screen, and then Windows brings up a preview of your other currently-open apps.
This lets you select what you want to do with the other empty space on your screen without having to hunt for windows that might be hidden behind one another.
Virtual desktops
Windows finally has virtual desktops.
Much like OS X and desktop managers on Linux, this lets you create additional “screens” on which to place windows.
You can then switch between desktops to interact with specific groups of windows at a time.
Screen recording with Game DVR
While Game DVR appears to be aimed at gamers who wish to capture footage of gameplay to edit and post online, it also acts as a built-in screen recorder for Windows 10.
During the Technical Preview, pressing Windows Key and G brought up an interface you could use to start, stop, and pause recordings.
Windows Hello
Windows 10 includes biometric identification features which Microsoft has dubbed “Windows Hello”.
According to Microsoft, Windows Hello will let you use facial or fingerprint recognition to log into your Windows 10 PC.
This will require a specialised illuminated infrared camera for facial recognition or iris detection, or a fingerprint reader which supports the Window Biometric Framework.
Cortana
Microsoft’s Siri-like personal assistant which debuted on Windows Phone has made its way to the desktop version of the operating system.
The search feature has not launched in South Africa, but those interested in using it will be able to by setting their region to either the US or UK.
More on the launch of Windows 10
Windows 10: should you upgrade?
Windows 10 – when you can upgrade, how long it will take
Windows 10 prices revealed
Windows 10 free upgrade help at Incredible Connection
Microsoft Edge: the new web browser for Windows 10