Windows 10 still free, even the Anniversary Update, if you're crass Microsoft's year-long Windows 10 free upgrade offer ended over the weekend, but it's still possible to secure Redmond's finest – even the new Anniversary Update - for the low low price of 0.00 in whatever currency you prefer. The free upgrade is reserved for those who use assistive technologies, the many features that magnify …
Windows XP was EOL'd in accordance with the policy that MS announced.
Windows 7 will be fully supported until 2020. The "free upgrade" offer is MS' desperate attempt to bring this forward because of all the resources it has to devote to securing the browser built into the operating system. But they're basically pissing in the wind: desktop OS's will be the minority by 2020.
"desktop OS's will be the minority by 2020"
I disagree. More recent phone sales statistics tend to suggest that smartphones. like slabs, have had their "bubble". Also, you can't use sales statistics to judge the size of the user base for desktops and notebooks. Assuming you mean operating systems, and not devices, you'll ALWAYS have a need for something more powerful than a phone OS, and you'll need a desktop or notebook computer to run it on. Putting a phone OS (like Win-10-nic? "Ape"?) onto a desktop is just REDONKULOUS. And there's only "just so much" that you can do on a 4 inch screen... (and I don't see VR headsets becoming all that popular within 4 years to replace relatively large and easier-to-read laptop/notebook screens).
And, if you consider ACCESSIBILITY, old eyes can't see tiny screens very well...
More recent phone sales statistics tend to suggest that smartphones. like slabs, have had their "bubble".
The stats only show that growth has peaked: 3.5 million per day seems to be the limit. Meanwhile PC sales are in terminal decline and are lucky to get 20 million a month, with lower margins.
High-end smartphones are now as powerful as desktops from a couple years ago and catching up fast (Intel has better process but ARMs need less silicon): adding keyboards and extra screens is easy. Convergence is going to happen, just not necessarily the way Microsoft would like.
First, the serious business. Reality dictates that a desktop and a mobile device cannot serve the same function. So there will never be convergence, except where our need do. So most will get that, as most just want to browse or watch.
However I doubt my phone will ever have 4 usb ports, or parts I can swap out in 3 mins at £20 a pop.
Second, non-serious, phones do not have an "OS" they have a "SOC", "System of Control [of the user]". ;)
However I doubt my phone will ever have 4 usb ports, or parts I can swap out in 3 mins at £20 a pop.
Firstly, I said dominant. Notebooks overtook desktop PCs (the ones with replaceable parts) a few years ago. Nowadays you can only really swap the drive and RAM. But in a couple of years it may be really hard to find anything with replaceable parts.
Most phones will happily run a USB hub via an OTG cable
"Convergence is going to happen"
Interesting concept. How's my theoretical phone of the near future going to handle being asked to run something like Fallout4 ?
Is the docking station going to come with an SSD? The game is 30GB. Will there be a seperate processor and cooling system? Even with liquid nitrogen a phone's circuitry isn't going to handle the task. Perhaps there'll be an nvidia GTX1080 in there too to support high framerate, high resolution displayport/HDMI2 output?
At that point where's the convergence? Your docking station would be a desktop with a phone plugged into it for no reason at all.
Give me a proper desktop and a fast USB port to sync my phone and I'll have all the "convergence" I'll ever need.
Wait... We already have that?
Viva la future.
Interesting concept. How's my theoretical phone of the near future going to handle being asked to run something like Fallout4 ?
It probably won't be able to. But what about Fallout VR running either from a console or over a network and streaming to a fairly dumb viewer? This is at least the theory behind one of nVidia's products. By 2020 flash memory will be have all but replaced the magnetic stuff and Samsung's already pimping next-gen (hi-density, fast I/O) parts. Hi-end phones in 2020 might easily come with 256 GB storage or more and 16 GB RAM.
As noted above I said that the PC will no longer be the dominant hardware platform in 2020, but PCs will still exist. However, I don't think it will be long before we see game development budgets moving towards the mobile devices: Pokemon gives an idea of the potential size of the market (yes, I know it doesn't need anything like the processing power of Fallout). Here, it's led to a bridge being closed to traffic so that people can hunt.
The popup was trying to trick you. What it meant was that updates were no longer available for Windows 7 without SP1.... and you'd not yet installed SP1. A bit like a garage trying to sell you a new car because you forgot to fill the last one with petrol.... which is EXACTLY why I don't trust Microsoft.
Not all of them.
I was happy to move to Windows 7, and very happy with the 64-bit version. So many things are a lot better on 7 than on XP that you'd really have to be stuck on XP to stay there.
I have no desire to surrender my PC to Microsoft. It works the way I want it to, and I really, really do not want MS to fiddle about with it because I just know that they'll stuff something up at one point or another.
And I do not trust any company with access to my disks, especially not US-based ones.
Could we not drop the 'superior' part, so that Mint users can use that option too?
Why? As far as I can tell, ANY OS is superior to Win 10 so it doesn't matter much what your alternative is, even the programming language found on Casio FX calculators about 3 decades ago :)
"How does the screen narration work in your superior OS?"
Apparently asking these sort of things is verboten here and must be downvoted. 'We'll just see about that...Nope, it's airtight. Can't let this little doozy get out'
"How does the screen narration work in your superior OS?"
I haven't had the need to use this myself fortunately but, as you'd expect, there's quite a lot of assistive stuff in the repositories, largely, I think, based on speech-dispatcher. See it put together in http://www.knopper.net/knoppix-adriane/index-en.html
AFAIK there are some blind people roaming these forums, have they got any input on this?
Yes: even the fairly rudimentary improvements to Narrator (which is still no match for the commercial screen readers on Doze) are not enough of a reason to upgrade. My privacy, as with many of you, is too important for such trifles. Moreover, the "upgrade" seriously degrades accessibility in many ways. Redmond know this; they’ve had to extend the offer precisely because their lacklustre accessibility wasn’t adequate. Example: you can’t use Edge in third-party screen readers. It’s great that they’re willing to acknowledge that much, but perhaps not so great that they’re still willing to help people get a worse experience. I guess it’s good PR, it’ll give more people the opportunity to “upgrade” (and everybody should make use of assistive tech if they need it) and people who really don’t want it can now stop being forced onto it. But as a blind person I don’t want it.
As to the alternatives, I use the Mac most of the time, and have done since 10.5 or so. The experience started out very promising, got better, really great, became the benchmark for the AT industry, and then, as many Mac users are finding about the whole OS, got gradually worse as the iOSification set in and iOS itself became the priority. Including the screen reader in the OS was a masterstroke, but it only works when you’re keeping that screen reader on par with the competition, and sadly Apple aren’t even trying to hold the ball at the moment. I’ve been thinking about going back to Windows 8.1 with Classic Shell and tweaks with a commercial reader more and more (I never really had any great love for versions of Windows past 2000 or maybe XP classic), and have decided that if Apple don’t pull their finger out very soon that’s what I’ll do. People certainly deserve better than what Apple’s sanctimonious PR bullshit conveys they should be getting from their screen reader. It will be a shame: I really prefer OS X overall, it’s a much more rational desktop experience (menus, not ribbons, no touch fetish), and it has great first-party support for apps (including the browser) and third-party support for its Cocoa toolkit. Even the installer works with sound support, so I can do independent system maintenance. But I have the hardware to last until 2023 with Windows 8.1, so that’s what I’ll do if need be. The bugs in Windows screen readers actually get fixed more than once a year, and I can use themes and tweaks to hide the ugliness and use alternative browsers, etc. Desktop Linux isn’t really feasible—the work just hasn’t been done, and while I don’t fault the volunteers, the fact is that a freshly installed system has a good chance of not working even with the necessary software installed as part of the base system. Accessibility really does require some commitment, however little. ChromeOS is still a bit rough, but it’s getting better quite rapidly; no doubt their entry into education had something to do with that. iOS is always preferable to Android, while Google continue to make only a half-hearted effort. And no, the source won’t help if you have to be using it to improve it, obviously. No platform preference can change that, alas ( not even if you downvote this post :) ); I’d use desktop Linux and hardened Android if I could. I do use textmode Linux quite a bit in a VM with braille support and use Linux on servers, of course. That’s great. But on the whole I think blind people are just choosing the least worst option, with Windows being the most mature, but yucky and exclusionary, option that can be fixed somewhat to be a pretty ruthless and efficient option, and Mac being the nicer one that gives the user more independence, a technically superior and inclusionary design and a largely pleasant experience, but fewer choices of software and no choice of screen reader, and maddening bugs to boot. There’s maybe hope for the Mac, a dead end for people who care about privacy in contemporary Windows, and degradation either of the overall experience on Windows (touch, ribbons, busy UIs) or the screen reader (long-lived Mac OS and VoiceOver bugs). Most people just go on price, and therefore Windows, but a lot of the blind people I know have the dual-boot scenario on a Mac, or a Windows VM. I’ll continue to recommend and use Macs for now, but if the next release of the system doesn’t stamp out some bugs, I’ll make the switch to the dead-end platform.
JMO; HTH.
First off, thank you for your post. Enjoy a pint on me. =-)
I would just like to add that the very "we can force the updates on you & there's nothing you can do about it" aspect is Not Workable. Since there's no Screen Reader Environment (SRE) during POST, BIOS, Boot Menu, nor Safe Mode, that means we have no way to repair our computer once an update cripples the SRE. Not being able to vet the updates to see if others have issues with one, especially if said update cripples the SRE & should not be applied, means it is *Guaranteed* to cripple the SRE at some point. Since there's no way to recover from such crippling, there's no way we can risk even starting down that road.
At least the update process for pre-Win10 allows a SRE user to wait & see (metaphoricly speaking) if the update is to be avoided until/unless MS fixes the screw up. If they don't then we don't apply the update & the SRE keeps working. If MS releases a patch to fix the update, & that patch works as intended, THEN (and only then) can we go ahead & apply it. If something goes wrong with the update process, we at least have the option of getting help to go to the previous Restore Point or System Backup. This is impossible under Windows 10.
I, too, value my privacy & thus will not install Windows 10. I've got Win7Pro64 until 2020 & then I'm done with MS. My next computer will be a Linux machine. The SRE may be inferior to that of Apple, but it's infinitely superior to the unacceptable trade off one has to make if one decides to install Win10.
TL;DR: Blind users can't risk using Windows 10, MS will cripple our machines & make it impossible to use our computers any more. =-\
Blocking Windows 10 updates.
Late to the party, but this may be of some help...
I've not tried because I didn't bother with Win10, but might be worth a look for those who have or are considering a Win10 "update".
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/block-unwanted-windows-updates-in-windows-10
"Microsoft has released a tool that allows Windows 10 users to hide or block specific unwanted Windows Updates or Driver Updates. Using the Show or Hide Updates Tool, you can stop it from downloading specific updates.
Windows 10 for home users, will always download and install Windows Updates automatically, so as to keep your device always up-to-date, with the latest features and fixes.
There is no option to turn off Windows Updates using the Control Panel or Settings app in Windows 10, as it used to be with earlier versions of Windows. There is a workaround to disable or turn off Windows Update in Windows 10. But you don’t want to do that, if your objective is to block only unwanted Windows Updates, which may be known to be causing trouble. In such instances, it is better to use this tool from Microsoft instead."
"How does the screen narration work in your superior OS?"
I know a few blind people. They all use iPhones because VoiceOver is wonderful. Personal computers are usually Macs, work computers are sometimes Windows. (Macs are actually cheaper than Windows after you add the cost of JAWS or Window-Eyes.)
Apple has been integrating accessibility into their products for years. They are very good at it.
* Of course you can do it: That's why it's effin there!
Come on Reg, shirley you didn't believe M$ was actually going to pull the plug on its 'FREE' 'upgrade' push to sucker the sheeple onto its spyware, merely because the 'limited* time' aspect of the obvious marketing ruse had supposedly come to an end??? How long have you been watching this shit? Have you learned nothing?
*The 'limited' 'upgrade' offer will really expire no sooner than when we've prized the last existing W7 licence from your cold, dead, hands.
1) OSaaS
2) SPYWAREaaOS
3) $$$PROFIT$$$
"so t'all andicapped can now eggspect tailored ads for reading glasses, cataract operations and hearing aids?"
I'd much rather have the ability to configure things SUCH AS the window borders, making them thicker (and 3D looking) so I can see them and resize windows WITHOUT using the 'magnifier', or at LEAST pick colors that are "more readable" to *ME*... in the name of ACCESSIBILITY if nothing else.
And while we're at it, give me back the OTHER personalized 'appearance' settings. And a 3D skeumorphic appearance in general, because it makes the various components EASIER TO RECOGNIZE ON THE SCREEN (i.e. 'Accessibility). And no more nagware, adware, spyware, and pre-loaded CRAPware (it's distracting, and MAKES IT HARDER TO USE THE COMPUTER). And make ALL of the configuration stuff available through the CONTROL PANEL, and WITHOUT invoking the 'Settings' app(sic) to do it (you know, so I don't have to RE-LEARN to use my own computer after an "up"grade, for ACCESSIBILITY reasons). And how about an actual 'start menu' like 7 has... wait, am I now describing 7?
I guess I'll stick with 7, then.
Apparently you can still get the 'free' downg... oops, upgrade if you set the clock on your computer back to July 28th. For now, at least.
http://www.winbeta.org/news/windows-10-free-upgrade-change-clock
To me, this suggests that MS hasn't really removed the W10 'free' offer - they've just put it aside for the moment while they work out their next devious plan to get W10 onto even more PC's.
They claim to have 350 million W10 users already. I believe they will be lucky to get 500 million by this time next year unless they go back to the shenanigans we've put up with over the past 12 months.
Their timescale possibly covers many home users' hardware renewals that will have to use the bundled W!0. In my support experience many consumer grade IT devices tend to break physically within three years due to fatigue or accidents. Batteries are often not user replaceable. Sometimes the reason is that accretions are causing the software to load/run slowly.
That doesn't mean they are unrepairable - but shop/factory repairs tend to appear uneconomical.
The attitude of many lay users is to throw it away and buy a new shiny one. It is a sign of our times.
This post has been deleted by its author
Why bother to put a time limit on the free upgrade? Everyone who wanted it already has it, everyone else will probably never use it. If ya buy a new PC it will come with Win10 as you won't be able to buy Win7 or earlier. If you choose to use *nix then good for you and I hope it makes you happy and fulfilled.
If you wanted but missed out on the free upgrade then tough ****! You had a whole year,.... now wake the **** up and get with it! :-)
"Why bother to put a time limit on the free upgrade?"
Marketing? The possibility that putting a time limit on it might encourage some people to upgrade by that deadline who might have waited a bit longer? Probably logic along those lines.
However, if so, they didn't take into account the negative effect of the telemetry, the forced upgrades, the problems they've caused.
The major's can still ship systems with Windows 7 Pro preinstalled until October 31, 2016 (just visit the business side of their webstores). After this date you are dependent upon either the small system builders having licences in stock or ebay...
Given the recent negative reviews on the new version of Win 10 'Free'/consumer, (for example http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/29/windows_10_pro_anniversary_update_tweaked_to_stop_users_disabling_cloud_ads/ ) it would not surprise me to find that we see an increase in Win7 sales in the coming months...
I get to use 7, 8, and 10 daily and find that there are some very nice features in 10 - it's actually a decent desktop system that works with both conventional workstations and touch screens as well as having a number of nice features.
Unfortunately, the entire experience with 10 is ruined by its nagware and insistence on phoning home every more the user makes - I'd happily pay for a version that to could easily customize to remove bloatware and maintain some semblance of privacy.
So overall I'm waiting until Windows goes to 11.
you can get rid of all that phoning home by putting another system between your W10 system and the internet. You know one that allows you to set outbound traffic rules in the firewall.
Probably one that runs Linux or *BSD but that defeats the object a bit does it not?
MS is being devious and not following the mapping set out in the 'hosts' file for this traffic. They know the more discerning of us users will simply set all the offending IP addresses to 127.0.0.1 (and the IPV6 equivalent) so they bypass it. That alone is going to cause them big problems with certain certifications.
so do what I suggested above or just don't use Windows 10.
I am firmly of the opinion that ALL the data on my PC/Laptop is mine and not Microsofts. If I want to give them some then it has to be of my choosing. As I don't get this choice with retail versions of W10, then my answer to their constant nagging to upgrade is 'up yours'.
Never gonna happen in my hoose, jimmy.
"Probably one that runs Linux or *BSD but that defeats the object a bit does it not?"
Not really. There are many use cases when it makes sense to use Windows on top of Linux. E.g. running some work-specific software that only works on Windows (e.g. a VPN to one's workplace ...) or gaming (with help of GPU passthrough). On the other hand, it not always makes sense to use GUI software on Linux, sometimes all one needs is bash (or zsh), in which case headless host and ssh from guest Windows to Linux host is all that's needed. Also for GUI software, there is always X-forwarding under ssh. This way Windows is "degenerated" to resource intensive shim, but so what? I would argue that some of windows managers on Linux are also resource intensive shims, the only difference being that they are open source (e.g. KDE) and do not require hypervisor to run.
I've got one or two pieces of software that run in Windows and don't have a linux version and don't play well with Wine. There's the games too that are the same. Over time I use them less but until I can cut the cord need to have at least one box that sits in the corner until it's needed.
Unfortunately, the entire experience with 10 is ruined by its nagware and insistence on phoning home every more the user makes - I'd happily pay for a version that to could easily customize to remove bloatware and maintain some semblance of privacy.
So overall I'm waiting until Windows goes to 11.
At the moment Only Spinal Tap goes to Eleven. Let's try and keep it like that.
Oh yes please.
Could we have a Black Box release of "This Is Micro Soft"?
No sarcasm there. I'd buy that just to put on a shelf as the last great thing MS ever did.
Probably wouldn't install it on a computer as the result would inevitably be horrifically disappointing, but as an art piece it'd be right up there.
Suffering from recurrent corneal erosions iI ve found PITA to work with windows 10, the accessibility, at least for my case, sucks. I need sometimes large fonts, there is NO F WAY to increase all of the fonts of the dammit windows 10 desktop. Magnifier is a PITA, also any increase of the screen DPI is pointless, not all of the apps respect the increase, even textboxes extend under the taskbar, hiding the buttons. real shit there, total unusable. What I did now : went back to win7 , at least I can customize the darm desktop.
That's a side effect of disability features trailing the able user functionality (or lack thereof, depending on your opinion of Microsoft's approach to UIs). That being said, it's been out for a year now so it's not like they didn't have time to clean it up by now, so poor show :(.
I thought MS was desperate to get everyone to install Windows 10, but to judge from my experience, they aren't. I decided to give Windows 10 a spin, so I imaged my W7 disk and burned a W10 install CD (not enough space to upgrade).
Problem 1: no sticker on the laptop, so I have to download a 3rd party tool to read the licence key.
Problem 2: MS doesn't accept the licence key (from a Samsung laptop running OEM Windows 7) so I delete some files and try an upgrade installation.
Problem 3: Upgrade fails because Windows 10 does not support my graphics adapter. FFS, it's Intel integrated graphics on a 4-year old machine! On this basis, Windows 10 won't install on 80% of home computers.
Why I'd never buy a Laptop with Intel Integrated Graphics again (including a Macbook). Intel did it with the Centrino chipset, on the release of Windows 7, preventing thousands of Laptops been upgraded.
Suport can be as little as three years with Intel.
Never again, now I always choose either an AMD or NVidia based chipset. NVidia get about 8 years of support and with a bit of jiggery, even vintage NVidia 7600GS chipsets work in Windows 10.
"Problem 1: no sticker on the laptop, so I have to download a 3rd party tool to read the licence key."
In my experience with Dell XP laptops the key retrieved is actually some sort of OEM bulk install key. It is the same key value on several laptops of the same model. It fails in a way that says it has already been used. The key on the MS sticker hidden in the battery compartment appears to be unique and will re-install the OS - at least once.
Problem 2: MS doesn't accept the licence key (from a Samsung laptop running OEM Windows 7) so I delete some files and try an upgrade installation.
Sounds a bit like when I tried it out. If you are using a machine that was installed from OEM, chances are that it will only work if you run the upgrade from a currently running session rather than from the installation disc boot.
Problem 3: Upgrade fails because Windows 10 does not support my graphics adapter. FFS, it's Intel integrated graphics on a 4-year old machine! On this basis, Windows 10 won't install on 80% of home computers.
I'm not so sure that the figure will be as high as that but drivers have always been an issue with any given release of Windows. I've had problems in the past with Intel integrated graphics with versions of Windows as far back as Windows 2000, and I've even had to fiddle various versions of Linux for some Intel based graphic installations. Much as I hate Microsoft for their latest Shitware, I suspect that the problem here may have more to do with Intel or, at the very least, Intel and Microsoft aren't talking to each other.
All of which begs the question: is it acceptable to take advantage of an offer Microsoft's made to a very deserving group of users? Make us proud, Reg readers.
The question raises a slight Dilemma. The Blue Badge system, free parking for those with disabilities in Right Pondia, is regularly abused. Taking advantage of Microsoft's offer...?
For the moment I find myself incapable of describing the conflict that is presently in my head which, for the moment is preventing me from expressing a properly reasoned view of the situation.
Errr... OK, you can have a Blue Badge but only if you own a Trabant. Uhm... We have noticed you have enabled large fonts. May we recommend Bob's Opticians, they have a branch in Bognor Regis just 200 yards up the road from you. Yes you can downgrade to Windows 7 but we are unable to recover or implement Assistive Technologies on your downgraded version and the Upgrade To 10 messages, as scaled according to your last setting of large fonts, will be presented as a 107x106 gif image which you either will not notice or otherwise be incapable of clicking on the right part in order to refuse the Upgrade to 10. Have a Nice Day. Team Microsoft 10.
Abusing the blue Badge scheme means that you are depriving someone with a legitimate need of a good that's in limited supply. Not something that applies to WinX.
Thanks. Most succinct but it would seem you have not thought my Dilemma through. I'll go for the downvotes...
Would you wish Windows 10 on a cripple?
If you're married to Windows, you may as well go for 10
I expect down votes, but I've yet to have a problem with it in my company.
My company so I can do what I want to, if you wish cyberattacks on us then so be it, but group policy and Windows 10 is working like a dream for my staff.
Except for those staff who keep nagging us to get Macbooks and iPads - the latter a surefire way to get this director's attention and not in a good way.
"I expect down votes, but I've yet to have a problem with it in my company."
no down vote from me. Only pity.
Don't worry, you'll have "that problem" soon enough. It begins with Pro being unable to avoid the ads now. You think Micro-shaft will stop THERE? You think they won't force-upgrade some new "feature" on you that REALLY causes you grief? Past behavior often predicts future performance, and so far Micro-shaft's past (and current) behavior supports MY predictions pretty well.
Back in the early 90's, Ernie Ball (makers of guitar strings and related stuff) suffered a rather nasty surprise audit and was fined $100k or so. The owner of the company said "@#$% Microsoft" and switched over to a Red Hat-based solution. Saved enough money in a year to PAY! THE! FINES!. After that, it was all SIGNIFICANT cost savings.
here's a link to the article
And, I bet it's even EASIER to UPgrade your company to Linux, now, than it was >10 years ago.
but I've yet to have a problem with it in my company.
But are you using Win 10 'free'/consumer edition or do you use the Enterprise edition? They are different and are certain to move further apart in the coming years...
As we can see from the review of the Anniversary edition; past experience with Win10 is no indicator of future experience. To me, it does seem that those who waited and avoided the free upgrade will have the last laugh...
Since you're running Enterprise, I'm inclined to agree. It's the many small shops that are going to be running "Pro" or, gods help them, "Home" versions of Windows 10 on their computer(s). How much PII leakage of customer data may occur, simply because they don't know how or can't be arsed to button up the phone home data slurps?
Yes, I know I'm being paranoid, I occasionally get paid to do that professionally.
Corporate environments pretty much demand they have to stick with MS due to the time and money invested over the years. Contrary to what others think, it is NOT easy getting a business system switched over to something else. Pushback from users and manglement and then the shear amount of time to convert everything are the biggest problems facing any conversion.
I'm no fan of Win 10 but the business version is actually the better and more private version.
I still wish more places went with Linux.
Corporate environments pretty much demand they have to stick with MS due to the time and money invested over the years. Contrary to what others think, it is NOT easy getting a business system switched over to something else. Pushback from users and manglement and then the shear amount of time to convert everything are the biggest problems facing any conversion.
No, it's never easy to get directors to approve a move from Windows. It's because so many of them know little else and are often afraid of the alternatives. Generally it all comes down to being familiar and comfortable with something, an affliction that affects corporates at so many levels.
The exec that sees computing in terms of brand names rather than tools to do a job.
The analyst that has spent years learning how to rig a domain to do what they want and would feel nervous outside the realm of Redmond.
Microsoft has had years to build this sort of bias up and knocking it down again will probably take a long time too, but seeing what they have done this time and, of course, what they did last time with Windows 8 - a mistake that Microsoft seem to be admitting given their move away from TIFKAM - only goes to accelerate that downfall. Sooner or later even the corporates will see that.
Windows 10 is full of bugs and security problems. But not as much as Windows 7. Windows 8 is broken because of a UI that was incorrectly designed that way in the first place. So yes, I'd install Windows 10 on a computer, just because it fixes many of the problems in the older versions. It's Microsoft's fault for making such atrocious Operating Systems in the first place.
Köszönöm. With the score standing 0-3, I upvoted this post because on my Thinkpad W520, MS refused to automatically install Win10 because it was not ready ... I wondered if the W520 was "ready" for Win 7 Pro 64-bit, which it came with from the factory. There definitely are bugs in Win 7. Most obviously, I turn off the trackpad in Control Panel, but if I have to reboot, Win 7 turns it on again. Networking isn't up to snuff, and troubleshooting / diagnostics is just as useless (which is "completely") as it was in Windows 95. If we're Windows "fans", and I guess I must be because I continue to use it, the reason is that it does certain things well, not that it is a panacea. I used to like OS/2. [insert emoji].
Is anyone going to pay for Windows 10 with all the privacy concerns there are? I read some article on another site where they justified the spying, injection of ads and apps into your system (yeah thanks for a free preview of CandyCrush, that's EXACTLY what I wanted on my PC </sarcasm>), etc. because Microsoft is giving away Windows 10 Upgrades. But now they will still do that, and expect you to pay for an upgrade? Unlikely.
Of course, you always have the Microsoft tax on newly purchased PCs and Laptops and phones (hah!), but apparently Microsoft needs more money! So whether you pay them or not, they're going to spy on you and feed ads to your PC, and people lying about needing assistive technologies are the ones being crass here?
I'm just worried a stuck key on my keyboard will make Microsoft think I'm struggling and now upgrade me automagically via the assisted technology upgrade Route, post 29th July.
or is it...
I'm just having trouble holding up two fingers and typing at the same time, but surely, that might be enough for MS to force an assisted upgrade on me?
I just bunged in a SSD, installed Win10 Pro using my Win7 key and once confirmed it was activated, took the SSD out and went back to my Win 7 install.
If I eventually have to go Win 10, my work PC at home is provided by work, so I'll go Win 10 Enterprise and lose all the BS M$ intend to push out to the tiles - or whatever marketing name they call them now.
I downloaded the latest Win 10 iso, 64-bit, and then just let July 29th pass. Can't say I was "too busy". Did not put the Win 10 on a stick, nor burn a DVD+-. Just let it go. Aaaaaaaaaah. I'd have to say that my Windows 10 un-Experience so far is calmness, like a G & T late on a muggy afternoon. Not a 10, maybe a 7.
I am fairly sure that this is very close to telling your readers how to get the software illegally, I am sure the legally minded can give a clearer view than I as to if you are suggesting deception, I would guess that if Microsoft was to notice a large number of users doing so, it would then change it's process and in the end hurt the very people they are trying to help out.
So I am not too sure why you felt the need to publish this artificial, I would love to know you motives
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
