Windows 10. Is it worth it?
So, a question we have been asked a lot over the last few weeks and months has been about Windows 10 and whether to take the free upgrade or not? And in all honesty, it's a tricky one to answer.
On the one hand, Microsoft are offering a free upgrade to their latest Operating System, an OS that usually would cost around about the £100 mark, so that's a solid thumbs up on their part. As well as offering this version for free, Windows 10 will not be releasing Service Packs but will instead be updating the OS via cloud updates - again a big plus.
So what's the downsides? Well, simply put you're getting the latest OS from Microsoft but as with all just released software it tends to be...well, buggy. The latest cloud update for Windows 10 comes out on August 2nd (called Redstone 1) and that is still being beta tested at the moment. Meaning that even if you install Windows 10 today, in a matter of weeks you'll have to update to the latest version. Whilst it's not the end of the world, when you already have a perfectly acceptable version of say, Windows 7, being subversively forced to upgrade is a little bit of a downer.
Don't get us wrong, there is plenty good about the new Microsoft OS and we have clients that have been very happy with the changeover, however, we have also had to deal with quite a few compatibility issues, ranging from unresponsive or glitchy programs to network conflicts when connected to a network with other non-windows 10 PC's.
If you are wanting a definitive answer as to whether the upgrade is worth it, I would say it depends on how you implement it. If you are an individual user then here are a few things to consider:
- Windows 7 will remain supported up to 2020.
- There is an easy way to roll back to Windows 7 (within 30 days) if you're not happy.
- It is FREE
- The specs needed. In our interactions with clients PC's, we have found those running low-mid spec computers often have the most problems. We would advise only taking the upgrade if you are confident your PC can handle it.
And for a team or group? Very tricky. It opens you up to the latest apps and programs and above all - it's FREE! But it does have compatibility issues and can potentially cause connectivity problems, however, if you are going to do it we would advise updating all your PC's to Windows 10, not just selected models.
Please bear in mind that this free upgrade is only available for the next 7 days (valid until the July29th) so the time is now to make a decision.