Many people are afraid to install Windows 10 Operating System(OS) because they will be taking a chance on losing the safety, productivity and familiarity of their favorite OS. Since Micro Doctor deals with many Business Computer Systems we have seen the good and bad sides of the new OS. At this time, Micro Doctor is not recommending to upgrade your business computers until we know if all your applications will run on the new free Windows 10.
Of the people that have installed Windows 10 on their home machines, most of them have said they wish they had not installed Windows 10. One lost the ability to access their printer, another lost their Microsoft Office software and a third lost a favorite Solitaire program from Windows 7.
Besides the compatibility worries, many users are worried about privacy and security in the new operating system. Ever wonder when you look up a new grill you are thinking of purchasing and later that day an ad for the same grill appears on your Facebook newsfeed? Microsoft is using the free Windows 10 OS to learn about its users just like Google. This means that what you are searching for and visiting on the internet is worth more than the cost of buying the latest Windows OS, hence the free promotion for Windows 10. Microsoft may be heading to a subscription based software model, but offering the latest Windows 10 for free until July 2016.
Until next year there is no hurry to upgrade, since the upgrade is available to anyone with Windows 7 & 8. My friends and family that upgraded have complained about missing features, being unable to print and scan and incompatibility with current applications they use. Luckily Windows 10 is not a huge code change from previous OS, thus a lot of features and programs work fine under Windows 10. Unfortunately, if you have one of the 10% of programs, hardware or applications that don’t work with Windows 10, it is a significant issue for you.
Luckily Microsoft allows you to downgrade if Windows 10 is not compatible with your hardware or software. However, I have heard you must decide within the first 30 days because the downgrade option disappears.
I love Microsoft Products but I hate the way they release products. Could they communicate their intensions on licensing and downgrade options better? YES. There are tons of new features but we must explore and read about them online to learn all the nuances of the product.
Windows 10 contains the new EDGE browser which I absolutely love for the speed and use of your maximum screen resolutions size. However MANY programs and add-ons no longer work with the new browser. I am a big fan of Roboform password manager and it is NOT supported by the EDGE browser. Edge does offer to save your password like Safari but it is not as elegant and elaborate as Roboform. This leads me to wonder what other Explorer add-ons are not going to work with EDGE.
Overall Windows 10 addresses several drawbacks in the current OS and does take a page from Apple’s book of LOCKING down the browser for security and protection of the platform.
Lastly let’s talk about privacy. In the free version of Windows 10 they are giving us a free OS for a blatant attempt to use, sell and prosper from our browsing habits. With the paid version and corporate editions they seem to be backing off on that. But just beware sometimes the things that are free are really the most costly in term of privacy, security and marketing. Sharing of WIFI information between home users has a lot of people a little scared of upgrading. If we all took the time to read Microsofts terms and conditions, I am sure we would say no thanks. For now I recommend staying put on you current OS (operating system) and wait until the corporate giants battle Microsoft into reducing the infiltration of privacy.
Mark Richmond
President and Visionary at Micro Doctor Inc.