With all the teething problems Windows 10 seem to be experiencing,.....

[laislica]

Buy a laptop with no OS and install a version of Linux such as Mint or Ubuntu. If you have access to a computer now download the required files to a USB drive, then install on the new PC.

I have a non technical friend who tried this. No luck. Back to Win 7. Not sure what all of the issues were, but he couldn't figure it all out.

The key word is non technical which includes me. I will stick by Windows 7 the devil that I know. Dealing with computer and internet problems brings out the worst in my personality.

I have a 4 year old Sony Vaio which had 7 running fine. However, I had swapped the original hard disk from half a terabyte to 1 Tb but it was very slow. I used the 10 availability to have a new solid State Disk installed, the shop did it no installation charge.

I installed 7 pro again and then did the upgrade to 10 pro.

Of the available versions I read that the professional version is perhaps the best, functionality wise.

There were some small issues with graphics drivers but 10 sorted that out itself, it found the correct ones and all good.

My problem was that 10 now looked like 8.1 and I loved 7 and hate 8.1.

Very easy though, There is a small icon om the start bar and clicking that made the appearance of 10 look and behave just like 7.

I checked the time for the clean 7 install to start from shut down and how long it took to shut down.

With the new SSD it was faster than with the slow HHD.

Then after installing 10 I checked the times again and it is much faster than any windows ver I ever had.

I do not use Cortana or edge and I tweeked the security settings so Microsoft dont monitor much of what I do.

I use firefox as a browser cos I love all the extensions to stop pop up ads , translation etc.

Choosing to create a clean install and then re-installing all the programs I need was a great idea.

Over the 4 years, the lap top had become cluttered with various programs I had tried and not bothered to uninstall.

These programs are what contributed to the previous slowness and instabilities.

Every now and again, Windows says it is installing updates and takes an extra min or two on shut down/startup but it is usually faultless.

The only update issue I saw was with the .1 update, it sneakily reset all the security settings to allow Cortana, edge and various monitoring etc.

It didn't take long to change them back to how I want it though.

There are many Youtube video clips that show you how to do this.

Here is one of the many links that explain how to take control of your computers security after installation

I did a clean install on two desk tops and two lap tops. and everything has been good and for me, I am happy.

Fore sure the pro version is the best windows yet.

Can't comment of the home version because I have no experience of it.

However, effectively there are only two versions for small business users and home users to choose from:

Home Edition or Professional Edition.

The Enterprise Edition is only sold with the bulk license conditions and would be hard for normal consumers to purchase.

Remember that the Microsoft plan is that they will eventually stop supporting older windows versions.

So will software providers.

At some point in the future you may be forced to upgrade to whatever 10 will have become because it will be the only Version of Windows that MS support.

Read a few of the upgrade or not blogs like

http://www.howtogeek.com/226100/the-windows-10-faq-everything-you-need-to-know/

This link reminds you that you can only get a free upgrade until June 2016 (I think)

After that you must pay.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2015/may/28/five-questions-about-free-upgrade-microsoft-windows-10

[laislica]

what other options do I have if buying a new laptop?

Check that your laptop supports Win7 or if there are drivers you can download for it. If there are, do that. otherwise your options are pretty much, Win10,Ubuntu or Linux. It really comes down to how you're going to use it tho. For some things you have to use Windows.

yes, but are they really so important that you would sacrifice your virginity for it?

i went to school without electronic calculators, i can easily live without some of the stuff that i have to use windows for.

He he, when I went to school there were no electronics!

Radios had valves, that was it. Transistors hadn't been invented yet!

It didn't stop me from learning and getting on with computers and software etc.

[Chicog]

I downloaded Win 10 a couple of days ago, a number of problems. Firstly bluetooth doesn't work any more, and while I have searched around on the net for a solution, the ones that I have found, so far, have not been successful fixes. Also, by default Win 10 steals 80% of your internet bandwidth, which, while I have high speed fibre optic has meant difficulties in downloading email sometimes. This is a criminal act in my opinion, I am paying for something which someone else is using, without permission and without even telling anyone. Microsoft are using our computers as P2P to soften the load on their own servers while going through the massive rollout of Win 10. So far I am far from impressed.

If that is verbatim I am staying away until I have no other option !

It's not verbatim, it's utter tosh.

by default Win 10 steals 80% of your internet bandwidth

This is complete crap.

There *is* a setting that allows you to share your updates with other computers on your network or on the internetm, but to say it uses "80% of your bandwidth" is an outright lie.

It is extremely simple to turn off: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-update-delivery-optimization-faq

But it is a two-way street; it means you can get updates from other sites than Microsoft. A nice concept, but too early while many people still have limited bandwidth.

As I've said repeatedly, anyone worried about privacy issues can just install one of the many freeware solutions like this one:

https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

Then you'd better start worrying about Google, Bing, Alexa, cookies, etc.

[laislica]

To upgrade or not to upgrade:-

Next generation of CPUs will require Windows 10, earlier versions not supported

Microsoft has announced that they will not be supporting the next generation of CPUs in older versions of Windows. This means that, soon, Windows users wanting to upgrade their processor on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 machines will receive no updates to support their efforts.

This was revealed in a post on the Windows Blog titled Windows 10 Embracing Silicon Innovation published by Terry Myerson, Executive VP of the Windows and devices group. While the post assures that there is to be extended support for security, reliability, and compatibility for Windows 7 and 8.1 users, is also states:

Going forward, as new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support.

And that’s the important bit, only Windows 10 users are to be supported if they want to adopt the upcoming silicon generation, including Intel’s Kaby Lake, AMD’s Bristol Ridge, or Qualcom’s 8996. Anyone who wants to upgrade on Windows 7 will find themselves on their own.

With the post also announcing that Windows 10 now has 200 million active users, this does feel like a way to further boost adoption of the new operating system by strong arming more tech conscious users into installing it. Not that I would dissuade them, I am very happy with my free upgrade.

All of this comes in the wake of Microsoft announcing they would no longer be supporting Windows 8 with any further updates, so I suppose Windows 7 and 8.1 users dodged that bullet at least.

Full story http://features.en.softonic.com/next-generation-of-cpus-will-require-windows-10-earlier-versions-not-supported?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=60593&utm_content=articles-next+generation+of+cpus+will+require+win&utm_term=operating-systems_windows_opinion_microsoft&emn_item=4151177&emn_nwl=1467912

[Chicog]

Next generation of CPUs will require Windows 10, earlier versions not supported

Microsoft has announced that they will not be supporting the next generation of CPUs in older versions of Windows.

So what Microsoft are saying is that if the next generation of processors don't run outdated versions of Windows, they are not going to put the money and effort into fixing them.

Why should they?

Having said that, the report above is very misleading, as Microsoft WILL support legacy versions on a selected number of devices:

• Windows 7 will continue to be supported for security, reliability, and compatibility through January 14, 2020 on previous generation silicon. Windows 8.1 will receive the same support through January 10, 2023. This includes most of the devices available for purchase today by consumers or enterprises.
• Going forward, as new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support. This enables us to focus on deep integration between Windows and the silicon, while maintaining maximum reliability and compatibility with previous generations of platform and silicon. For example, Windows 10 will be the only supported Windows platform on Intel’s upcoming “Kaby Lake” silicon, Qualcomm’s upcoming “8996” silicon, and AMD’s upcoming “Bristol Ridge” silicon.
• Through July 17, 2017, Skylake devices on the supported list will also be supported with Windows 7 and 8.1. During the 18-month support period, these systems should be upgraded to Windows 10 to continue receiving support after the period ends. After July 2017, the most critical Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 security updates will be addressed for these configurations, and will be released if the update does not risk the reliability or compatibility of the Windows 7/8.1 platform on other devices.

Computers are so cheap now they are almost as recyclable items as microwaves or vacuum cleaners.

Use it till it breaks. Buy a new one.

[Nicolas32]

Safest option to use Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB with some other tools to remove all the spyware crap and also rebuild the OS .. the tools i have use are ? MSMG ToolKit to remove spyware of the ISO then use once installed to block all MS Address for spyware via firewall is DWS Lite..

Please understand LTSB doesn't come with any apps or other thing and is more of a pure OS and doesn't get updated too often compared to other Windows 10 versions ?

[impulse]

Too many bugs in it imo, I installed it and got rid of it, Google Chrome is better.

Google Chrome is not an operating system - no comparison can be made.

Oops...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome_OS

[Rob13]

^Chrome OS is not a conventional OS and it's doubtful any user would download it. It comes pre-installed on chrome books Minnie doesn't know what he's on about

Edited January 27, 2016 by Rob13

[Bench499d]

Safest option to use Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB with some other tools to remove all the spyware crap and also rebuild the OS .. the tools i have use are ? MSMG ToolKit to remove spyware of the ISO then use once installed to block all MS Address for spyware via firewall is DWS Lite..

Please understand LTSB doesn't come with any apps or other thing and is more of a pure OS and doesn't get updated too often compared to other Windows 10 versions ?

Windows 10 Enterprise is only available to volume licensing customers. Don't think you should trust third party toolkits either modifying the ISO. You should only ever install using the official ISO which you have downloaded and compared the signatures.

[Nicolas32]

Safest option to use Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB with some other tools to remove all the spyware crap and also rebuild the OS .. the tools i have use are ? MSMG ToolKit to remove spyware of the ISO then use once installed to block all MS Address for spyware via firewall is DWS Lite..

Please understand LTSB doesn't come with any apps or other thing and is more of a pure OS and doesn't get updated too often compared to other Windows 10 versions ?

Windows 10 Enterprise is only available to volume licensing customers. Don't think you should trust third party toolkits either modifying the ISO. You should only ever install using the official ISO which you have downloaded and compared the signatures.

Personal trust them over being spy on via MS to be honest you now also need to head over to a site mydigitallife.info as it more related to everything MS / Windows ?

[Chicog]

Too many bugs in it imo, I installed it and got rid of it, Google Chrome is better.

Google Chrome is not an operating system - no comparison can be made.

Oops...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome_OS

Where is the Oops?

Google Chrome is what everyone understands to be a Web Browser.

Chrome OS is Google's attempt at an Operating System and integrates Google Chrome.

There is also a Firefox Browser and a Firefox OS.

I think it's important to understand the difference.

[Chicog]

Safest option to use Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB with some other tools to remove all the spyware crap and also rebuild the OS .. the tools i have use are ? MSMG ToolKit to remove spyware of the ISO then use once installed to block all MS Address for spyware via firewall is DWS Lite..

Please understand LTSB doesn't come with any apps or other thing and is more of a pure OS and doesn't get updated too often compared to other Windows 10 versions ?

I don't think there is "spyware crap" unless you are talking about bloatware added by OEM vendors.

Most of Win10's privacy settings are just that, settings. You can't "remove" them without removing key elements of the OS.

http://www.howtogeek.com/221864/digging-into-and-understanding-windows-10s-privacy-settings/

[impulse]

Too many bugs in it imo, I installed it and got rid of it, Google Chrome is better.

Google Chrome is not an operating system - no comparison can be made.

Oops...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome_OS

Where is the Oops?

Google Chrome is what everyone understands to be a Web Browser.

Chrome OS is Google's attempt at an Operating System and integrates Google Chrome.

There is also a Firefox Browser and a Firefox OS.

I think it's important to understand the difference.

Chrome isn't an operating system, but Chrome OS is an operating system? That's parsing it pretty finely.

It seems like Minnie the Minx has a computer that runs on the Chrome OS. He/she appears to be content with the computer running the Chrome OS. That's a valid option to answer the OP's question: what other options do I have if buying a new laptop?

Then along comes a purist who claims Minnie can't compare Chrome with Windows because Chrome isn't an operating system. (Mind you, Chrome OS is an operating system- that's what the OS stands for.) One sentence shut down the entire discussion of a perfectly valid option for a lot of folks who use their laptops for web browsing and... Well, I don't know what else Chrome OS can do, but a discussion along those lines would have been on topic and quite interesting given the OP's question.

To be honest, I thought Chromebooks ran on Android until I actually did some Googling as a result of this thread. Being as cheap as they are, I may go out and buy a Chromebook just to see what it's all about. I learned something in spite of myself.

Then I read this: http://www.cnet.com/news/3-reasons-why-google-may-be-folding-chrome-os-into-android/

But for 5,000-8,000 baht, I may give one a whirl anyway, if only as a entertainment device that I won't blow a gasket if I lose it on the road or drop it off a moving boat. Can't find a Windows option in that price range that has more than 2Gb of RAM, which chokes Windows almost to death. The same 2Gb of RAM on a Chromebook? I don't know.

Edited January 27, 2016 by impulse

[Rob13]

^ go re-read miinie's post. He said he had Win 10 installed but didn't like it so he installed Google Chrome. Win 10 is an OS';Google Chrome is a browser. Doesn't matter because you wouldn't download and install Chrome OS anyways, you would buy a Chromebook with it pre-installed. His post makes no sense,

[JaseTheBass]

What are people doing to worry about MS/Google/AN Other 'spying' on their PC?

I really don't care if Bill Gates wants to peruse my fine collection of art movies or see a bunch of people I haven't spoken to in 25 years posting uniteresting stuff on Facebook.

[Chicog]

What are people doing to worry about MS/Google/AN Other 'spying' on their PC?

I really don't care if Bill Gates wants to peruse my fine collection of art movies or see a bunch of people I haven't spoken to in 25 years posting uniteresting stuff on Facebook.

I don't do much at all.

Use a privacy blocker for Windows 10 to turn off most of the sniffing.

UBlock Origin to block ads.

And a VPN.

[impulse]

^ go re-read miinie's post. He said he had Win 10 installed but didn't like it so he installed Google Chrome. Win 10 is an OS';Google Chrome is a browser. Doesn't matter because you wouldn't download and install Chrome OS anyways, you would buy a Chromebook with it pre-installed. His post makes no sense,

Here's a download site for the Chrome OS: http://download.cnet.com/Google-Chrome-OS/3000-18513_4-75329145.html

Here's another: http://getchrome.eu/download.php

There's about a zillion Youtubes on how to install and run Chrome OS on your computer. Just about any computer. Why would it be any different than downloading and running a version of Linux?

Is it a good OS? Who knows? Nobody with a Chromebook wants to tell us. You diss anyone who tries to discuss it, so who blames them for not offering their personal experience?

But make no mistake. It is an OS. That's why they call it Chrome OS. Google it. Once it's loaded on your machine, you have a user interface and all kinds of capabilities. Without an OS, you would have an expensive brick that may play Pong if you're lucky. His post makes perfect sense. (Even if we disagree with his conclusion)

[Rob13]

So you figured out what an OS does today, good on ya. Tomorrow you can workout the difference between Google Chrome and Chrome OS.

[Chicog]

^ go re-read miinie's post. He said he had Win 10 installed but didn't like it so he installed Google Chrome. Win 10 is an OS';Google Chrome is a browser. Doesn't matter because you wouldn't download and install Chrome OS anyways, you would buy a Chromebook with it pre-installed. His post makes no sense,

Here's a download site for the Chrome OS: http://download.cnet.com/Google-Chrome-OS/3000-18513_4-75329145.html

I'm not sure about your second link, let's deal with the first one. Did you try and download Chrome OS from that link?

[Pib]

Don't confuse Chrome OS with Chromium OS

*****************************************************************

https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromium-os-faq

What's the difference between Chromium OS and Google Chrome OS?

Google Chrome OS is to Chromium OS what Google Chrome browser is to Chromium.

• Chromium OS is the open source project, used primarily by developers, with code that is available for anyone to checkout, modify, and build.
• Google Chrome OS is the Google product that OEMs ship on Chromebooks for general consumer use.

Some specific differences:

• The two projects fundamentally share the same code base, but Google Chrome OS has some additional firmware features, including verified boot and easy recovery, which require corresponding hardware changes and thus also don't work in Chromium OS builds.
• Google Chrome OS runs on specially optimized hardware in order to get enhanced performance and security.
• Chromium OS does not auto-update (so that changes you may have made to the code are not blown away), whereas Google Chrome OS seamlessly auto-updates so that users have the latest and greatest features and fixes.
• Google Chrome OS is supported by Google and its partners; Chromium OS is supported by the open source community.
• Google Chrome OS includes some binary packages which are not allowed to be included in the Chromium OS project. A non-exhaustive list:
  • Adobe Flash
  • Widevine CDM plugin (to support HTML5 EME)
  • Google Talk
    • Work is on going to migrate to WebRTC so no plugins will be required
  • 3G Cellular support (but work is on going to address this)
• Google Chrome ships with its own set of API keys while Chromium does not include any
  • Users are expected to set up their own
• Google Chrome OS has a green/yellow/red logo while Chromium OS has a blue/bluer/bluest logo.

Where can I download Google Chrome OS?

Google Chrome OS is not a conventional operating system that you can download or buy on a disc and install. As a consumer, the way you will get Google Chrome OS is by buying a Chromebook that has Google Chrome OS installed by the OEM. Google Chrome OS is being developed to run on new machines that are specially optimized for increased security and performance. We are working with manufacturers to develop reference hardware for Google Chrome OS.

Chromebooks are available for sale now! Check out the Google Chromebook site for more information.

Where can I download Chromium OS?

If you are the kind of developer who likes to build an open source operating system from scratch, you can follow the developer instructions to check out Chromium OS, build it and experiment with it. A number of sites have also posted pre-built binaries of Chromium OS. However, these downloads are not verified by Google, therefore please ensure you trust the site you are downloading these from.

Keep in mind that Chromium OS is not for general consumer use.

I am a hardware manufacturer, who can I talk to about making a Chrome OS product?

The Chrome OS business development team can be reached at [email protected].

[Chicog]

Here's a download site for the Chrome OS: http://download.cnet.com/Google-Chrome-OS/3000-18513_4-75329145.html

Here's another: http://getchrome.eu/download.php

And your second link isn't Chrome OS either.

Cr OS Linux (pronounced like Cros Linux) is the free OS built around the revolutionary Chromium browser - a foundation for Google Chrome. We call it the chrome plated OS, because it is stable and shiny.

This open source project provides a lightweight Linux distribution similar to Google Chrome OS

[Nicolas32]

Safest option to use Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB with some other tools to remove all the spyware crap and also rebuild the OS .. the tools i have use are ? MSMG ToolKit to remove spyware of the ISO then use once installed to block all MS Address for spyware via firewall is DWS Lite..

Please understand LTSB doesn't come with any apps or other thing and is more of a pure OS and doesn't get updated too often compared to other Windows 10 versions ?

I don't think there is "spyware crap" unless you are talking about bloatware added by OEM vendors.

Most of Win10's privacy settings are just that, settings. You can't "remove" them without removing key elements of the OS.

http://www.howtogeek.com/221864/digging-into-and-understanding-windows-10s-privacy-settings/

I have removed around 6 telemetry programs in the OS also now just sorting out a disk /iso ? So then i don't need to install stuff like drivers and also disable some features i don't use with NTLite it's another cool piece of software .. Also running 10240 feels the smoothest i have used so fair in all the windows 10 builds from pro to enterprise ...

Yet they say they are not spying but ?

• People have spent over 11 billion hours on Windows 10 in December alone.
• Over 44.5 billion minutes spent in Microsoft Edge across Windows 10 devices in just the last month.
• Over 2.5 billion questions asked of Cortana since launch.
• Around 30% more Bing search queries per Windows 10 device vs. prior versions of Windows.
• Over 82 billion photos viewed within the Windows 10 Photo app.
• Gaming continues to grow on Windows 10 – in 2015, gamers spent over 4 billion hours playing PC games on Windows 10.
• Gamers have streamed more than 6.6 million hours of Xbox One games to Windows 10 PCs.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Nicolas32

[Rob13]

It spies.

[Nicolas32]

It spies.

Correct Rob ..and consumes too much system resources hint why i like LTSB over other versions ..

[Chicog]

Yet they say they are not spying but ?

I didn't say they are not spying. I said they don't install "spyware crap" that you can remove.

It's all in the settings and registry.

I use this to disable them: https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

But there can be consequences. By way of an example, if you turn off certain settings the "Insider Builds" button is disabled.

[impulse]

So you figured out what an OS does today, good on ya. Tomorrow you can workout the difference between Google Chrome and Chrome OS.

The OP asked "what options (to Win10) do I have in buying a laptop?".

A Chromebook running the Chrome OS is one option. Note very carefully that they're not called ChromeOSbooks. Nope. They're Chromebooks, running on Chrome.

You want to get caught up in petty semantics, and the difference between Chrome and Chrome OS instead of discussing options to the Windows 10 OS, when that's what the OP has specifically asked?

How about this? Chrome is the name of an OS and a laptop running the Chrome OS is an option to a laptop running the Windows 10 OS.

My suspicion is that the Chrome OS will be much more user friendly and have a much faster learning curve than a Linux OS, and will probably run quite nicely on a lower end laptop with limited RAM and CPU speed. And it would be handy to hear about the limitations of a Chromebook.

But you won't see it discussed here because some A/R purists would rather nitpick the difference between Chrome and Chrome OS than discuss constructive alternatives. Or maybe. like me, they didn't realize that Chromebooks run on Chrome, and don't want to admit they hadn't a clue.

Edit: But alas, I digress. You guys go ahead and get back to discussing why the OP shouldn't even be looking for an alternative to Win10. What in the world was he thinking?

Edited January 29, 2016 by impulse

[Rob13]

Yeah, you don't replace Windows 10 with Chrome; browser or OS. The second post makes no sense.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Rob13

[Chicog]

My suspicion is that the Chrome OS will be much more user friendly and have a much faster learning curve than a Linux OS, and will probably run quite nicely on a lower end laptop with limited RAM and CPU speed. And it would be handy to hear about the limitations of a Chromebook.

Limitations of Chrome OS?

You will be limited with software; downloading Skype isn’t an option. If it can’t run in the Chrome browser, you can’t run it on a Chromebook.

That is the dealbreaker for me.

But if you are just into browsing, email, etc. then it's probably an ideal cheap solution.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Chicog

[Nicolas32]

Yet they say they are not spying but ?

I didn't say they are not spying. I said they don't install "spyware crap" that you can remove.

It's all in the settings and registry.

I use this to disable them: https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

But there can be consequences. By way of an example, if you turn off certain settings the "Insider Builds" button is disabled.

Understood loud and clear but i would think the way i have done it will be a lot more cleaner and physically remove it from the iso compared to the other routes / tools plus if ? ever had a problem am not messing about with tools .. and can go and do my tasks also just sorted out drivers / windows updates for my os just need to figure out stuff with services tweaks and regedit tweaks plus also see about importing some other software so can be installed when installing the os and less time consuming?

[Nicolas32]

Here is a good little tool for Windows 10 and saved / cut down the OS to just 7GB compared to 11GB and much higher with other versions plus has a lot of tweaks for improving Windows 10 performance and now also just using under 1GB memory ? By the way i have used 3 tools to make sure the OS is clean and bug free ?

Tool Site

https://www.winreducer.net/winreducer-ex-100.html

Guide

httpwww.guidingtech.com41803custom-iso-windows-10