What will I gain from W10?

[BuaBS]

You do know that this free upgrade to Windoz 10 comes along with some rather egregious invasion into your privacy, right?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-02/surveillance-state-goes-mainstream-windows-10-watching-logging-everything

If Edward Snowden's patriotic exposure of all things 'super secret surveillance state' in America were not enough, Newsweek reports that, as 10s of millions of hungry PC users download the free upgrade, Windows 10 is watching - and logging and sharing - everything users do... and we mean everything.

You do know that every time that you use Google or Yahoo or any search engine, it also collects information and shares it with online advertising companies. Most websites you visit, attach cookies to your browser. Microsoft isn't doing anything different than Android, Apple or Amazon.

That's why privacy concerned people use duckduckgo plugins & DoNotTrackMe in firefox.

And stay away from Google & yahoo & bing.

Of course Youtube =Google too , but you don't have to have an account to watch the video's.

There are alternatives for google maps too.

Here in Thailand IP addresses change every day .

But what difference would it make to any-one that has a tweetter & facebook spy account?

A talking computer is very appealing , but not if it gets it's information from the spying search-engines.

[bubba]

No worries. Everything will be fixed in Windows 12.

[pendingo]

Well, I downloaded Windows 10 to my Windows 7 laptop pretty seamlessly and then spent the last couple of days ironing out and finding updates for my printer driver and other necessary drivers. The only problem I have now is I don't have any indication that Caps lock or Numbers lock is on so if anyone knows of a fix for this I will be grateful but it's no big deal.

Also there are no standard Freecell and Hearts games any more which used to come as a package but again it's no big deal.

As for the privacy issue it is possible to toggle a little yes/no button for each app you have in settings which can be somewhat tiresome.

All in all despite the above I like my new Windows 10 and have managed to work around its issues.

All my desktop items from Windows 7 are still there and work ok.

As regards security there is no such thing as absolute security whatever operating system you have.

If anyone including the governments of your countries and their agencies want to look at what you are up to they will do so whatever system you have and however much security you think you have.So if you're feeling paranoid throw away your smartphones, smart televisions, pc's, laptops (or notebooks) and tablets and don't use the internet.

Edited August 3, 2015 by pendingo

[pendingo]

You do know that this free upgrade to Windoz 10 comes along with some rather egregious invasion into your privacy, right?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-02/surveillance-state-goes-mainstream-windows-10-watching-logging-everything

If Edward Snowden's patriotic exposure of all things 'super secret surveillance state' in America were not enough, Newsweek reports that, as 10s of millions of hungry PC users download the free upgrade, Windows 10 is watching - and logging and sharing - everything users do... and we mean everything.

You do know that every time that you use Google or Yahoo or any search engine, it also collects information and shares it with online advertising companies. Most websites you visit, attach cookies to your browser. Microsoft isn't doing anything different than Android, Apple or Amazon.

You can get AdBlock and that works very well with Google and YouTube.

If you use Yahoo within Google it also cuts out the advertisements.

[alocacoc]

The satisfaction from helping Microsoft stay in business.

Er, Win 10 is free. How does that help them stay in business?

Related, I reserved a copy and am still waiting to be told it's ready. Could be weeks. So I just downloaded a copy. What was the point of reserving if you get it last?

Figure out where does major Companys make the most money.

For instance;

Microsoft makes 39.5% of its money from Microsoft Office. Windows OS, Win7, Win8 only 9.7%. Windows Server & SQL Server makes 24.3%. Xbox 0.5%

And now, guess where Google makes money; 37.3% MOBILE search ads. I guess MS wants to move its clients to mobile devices because there sit the money. To be sure this business is profitable, MS must collect plenty of datas. It's all about to quantifying informations.

Edited August 3, 2015 by alocacoc

[Dustdevil]

I have a five-year-old Asus laptop with a bad keyboard (usable, as you can see, but bad. Characters tend to fly around all over the place on whatever I'm typing and I haven't been able to fix that problem for two years. I don't think I'll buy any Asus again) and ministorage space of about 250 gb, and slow response. So now that Windows 10 is out, I'll soon buy a new laptop.. The Start button is back, and it combines Windows 7 with touch-screen capability. Should be OK, better than what I'm typing on now.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Dustdevil

[balo]

You will gain nothing really .

Stay with Windows 7 if you can , the most stable windows Microsoft ever have created.

Unfortunately if you buy a new laptop the old drivers will not work so you're stuck with the new OS.

I switched from Win XP to Win 7 in 2012. Call me a late bloomer.

Win 10 I might give a try in 2020....

Edited August 3, 2015 by balo

[Si Thea01]

Headaches and frustration.

Received a message last Thursday to indicate that as I had Win 7, then I could download free but had to reserve a copy. Did this, received and downloaded it last Sunday. No sound, was quite slow to start with, lost some apps. Went on line to Microsoft help, was number 317, three hours later I was number 2 in the queue, did not move from that for another hour so terminated it. Went to local computer shop, checked it over, downloaded anew driver and low and behold, had sound. Charge was horrendous though, zero. Can complain about Microsoft but not the local computer shop.

Now working okay, speed has improved but a number of programmes are not in sync, therefore at this stage have no access. Also have a radio app but when working, cannot open any other programmes, have to close it first, open any others then I can go back to the radio app. Can't comment on anything else, as still learning.

[Si Thea01]

You will gain nothing really .

Stay with Windows 7 if you can , the most stable windows Microsoft ever have created.

Unfortunately if you buy a new laptop the old drivers will not work so you're stuck with the new OS.

I switched from Win XP to Win 7 in 2012. Call me a late bloomer.

Win 10 I might give a try in 2020....

I should have, that's for sure. Had Win 7 since release and very few problems. 2020 is a bit of a way off, I might or might not make it, so I took it on, sorry I did now.

[BB1950]

Flustration!

[gk10002000]

In general, and for the vast majority of users, the Win 7, 8 and now 10 do nothing except cause people headaches, have to upgrade or replace their computers. Most people use basic Microsoft Office applications, WORD, EXCEL, Powerpoint, and possibly ACCESS. Most people use the internet for research or fun and entertainment. Most people maybe join sites such as Facebook, twitter, use emails such as Hotmail or gmail. Most people use Adobe for PDFs. I use it do do my USA taxes which are fairly simple since I don't itemize. The IRS and most states publish their tax forms in writeable PDF format. The operating system should never have been allowed to drive what people need. The operating system should be just something to help host applications that people use.

Corporate wise, large companies such as Northrop Grumman have to re-host >200,000 PCs. Productivity drops overnight as people wrestle with the menu and interface changes. Applications that used to run on XP and that were used for a decade no longer work and often take huge amounts of time and money to now convert or update to work with Win 7 or later. It is like changing the railroad track width after the railroad cars have been built. You have to change your railroad cars!

I don't need anything new, but Microsoft forces it. My XP computer just died and I just bought a Win 7 PC for 400USD delivered to my door. It is much less than the price I paid 10 years ago for my old used Toshiba Satellite and it is easily 5 x the computer in RAM and HD and CPU power. I just hate Win 8 interface. Why a company would change something that nobody asked to change and few people liked after the change is beyond me. It shows arrogance from Microsoft that I hate. If it were some other type of company that changed their product or company without your asking for it, most people would stop using that company. Here's hoping Win 7 will survive at least a decade.

[hugh2121]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Don't have to queue, it's a good OS, no problems for me anyway, I came from 8.1.

I tried that and I currently have 8.1. In fact I tried it 3 times. Each time the download ended with "Something Happened"

I described what happened on Microsoft Q & A site and received a reply along the lines of....."If you still have your 8.1, you are incredibly lucky. This method of upgrade asks for a KEY which you don't have. Be patient and wait for the auto download."

Maybe I was "lucky" as I was trying to download to a USB and not to hard disc on computer.

There is no warning of this before attempting this download.

[hugh2121]

In general, and for the vast majority of users, the Win 7, 8 and now 10 do nothing except cause people headaches, have to upgrade or replace their computers. Most people use basic Microsoft Office applications, WORD, EXCEL, Powerpoint, and possibly ACCESS. Most people use the internet for research or fun and entertainment. Most people maybe join sites such as Facebook, twitter, use emails such as Hotmail or gmail. Most people use Adobe for PDFs. I use it do do my USA taxes which are fairly simple since I don't itemize. The IRS and most states publish their tax forms in writeable PDF format. The operating system should never have been allowed to drive what people need. The operating system should be just something to help host applications that people use.

Corporate wise, large companies such as Northrop Grumman have to re-host >200,000 PCs. Productivity drops overnight as people wrestle with the menu and interface changes. Applications that used to run on XP and that were used for a decade no longer work and often take huge amounts of time and money to now convert or update to work with Win 7 or later. It is like changing the railroad track width after the railroad cars have been built. You have to change your railroad cars!

I don't need anything new, but Microsoft forces it. My XP computer just died and I just bought a Win 7 PC for 400USD delivered to my door. It is much less than the price I paid 10 years ago for my old used Toshiba Satellite and it is easily 5 x the computer in RAM and HD and CPU power. I just hate Win 8 interface. Why a company would change something that nobody asked to change and few people liked after the change is beyond me. It shows arrogance from Microsoft that I hate. If it were some other type of company that changed their product or company without your asking for it, most people would stop using that company. Here's hoping Win 7 will survive at least a decade.

I read on Microsoft website that 7 will be supported until at least 202? (was maybe 2021) and 8 for an extra year. I wish I could have got 7 when I bought this computer but I couldn't find a genuine copy locally. Lumbered with 8.1.

[hugh2121]

The satisfaction from helping Microsoft stay in business.

Er, Win 10 is free. How does that help them stay in business?

Related, I reserved a copy and am still waiting to be told it's ready. Could be weeks. So I just downloaded a copy. What was the point of reserving if you get it last?

Figure out where does major Companys make the most money.

For instance;

Microsoft makes 39.5% of its money from Microsoft Office. Windows OS, Win7, Win8 only 9.7%. Windows Server & SQL Server makes 24.3%. Xbox 0.5%

And now, guess where Google makes money; 37.3% MOBILE search ads. I guess MS wants to move its clients to mobile devices because there sit the money. To be sure this business is profitable, MS must collect plenty of datas. It's all about to quantifying informations.

Why pay for Microsoft Office?

Libre Office is free. Slow to load but does all that Word and Excel do (I only use those 2)

[arjunadawn]

You do know that this free upgrade to Windoz 10 comes along with some rather egregious invasion into your privacy, right?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-02/surveillance-state-goes-mainstream-windows-10-watching-logging-everything

If Edward Snowden's patriotic exposure of all things 'super secret surveillance state' in America were not enough, Newsweek reports that, as 10s of millions of hungry PC users download the free upgrade, Windows 10 is watching - and logging and sharing - everything users do... and we mean everything.

You do know that every time that you use Google or Yahoo or any search engine, it also collects information and shares it with online advertising companies. Most websites you visit, attach cookies to your browser. Microsoft isn't doing anything different than Android, Apple or Amazon.

Actually, your searches can be managed with such things as duckduckgo, startpage, private browsing, Proxies, VPN, cache dumps on exit, deny scripts, active x, limit cookies only to visited sites, change browser header and footer, etc. You can significantly obscure a signature online. Who wants to do this? Anyone who believes having nothing to hide grants just as much right to stay anonymous as those with something to hide!

What I have noted or vaguely grasped so far with Win10 is a vast optin, at multiple levels. Yes, even from setting up initial accounts I only later realized I could have chosen small print for a local account. You see, MS wants the hotmail or related login. You therefore remain, logged in. So, irrespective of all the above steps to maintain online dignity your data is captured locally- not at the router- not at the ISP- not the site- not in the stream of ports and such. The data is effectively keystroke captured. This did not concern me with Apple because it is a novelty thing for me. I use ipad for reading books, quick net peek in bathroom, and my iphone with effectively no location aware apps. I retained my private castle. Win10 seems to abuse that fantasy.

[mxyzptlk]

I upgraded one of my machines from Win 7 Pro to Win 10 Pro....next day I reinstalled Win 7 Pro. From my perspective the only gain by moving to Win 10 was a whole load of unwanted bloatware.

Edited August 4, 2015 by mxyzptlk

[fang37]

I am surprised. W 10 is being flouted as the solution to all. I am happy with W 7 Pro. Now?

What persuades me is that if I do not upgrade now, I will have no choice later. Other versions will be phased out & W 10 is IT - the best (?) & the last of Windows. MS tell the absolute truth - don't they?

The publicity for W 10 - enormous.

[gk10002000]

"solution to all". I had no problems with my XP computer that just died. It did everything I needed. I was able to just buy a Win 7 computer that will do all I need. I really hate a company telling me what I need. This is like Obamacare. The government is telling me what they think I need for minimum essential coverage. taking away all my price and service options

[crabdog]

"solution to all". I had no problems with my XP computer that just died. It did everything I needed. I was able to just buy a Win 7 computer that will do all I need. I really hate a company telling me what I need. This is like Obamacare. The government is telling me what they think I need for minimum essential coverage. taking away all my price and service options

W.t.f are you talking about? If you have a Win 7 computer that does all you need then why are you here whining about Win 10? Upgrading to Win 10 is OPTIONAL. As others have said 7 will be supported for another 5 years. If you're really so butthurt over Microsoft you can always change to Mac or Linux.

[sammygood]

isn't there a big privacy issue, like sending all your requests to ...so you get more targeted ads

google already does it.. do we really need one more ?