7 Good Things About Windows 10
Windows 10 has been battered in the trade press lately. While some of the criticism has been justified, much of it is overblown and distorted. The truth is that tens of millions of people are happily using Windows 10. So just to balance things, here are seven good reasons to upgrade your Windows 7 or 8 system to Win 10... |
Windows 10 Has Some Good Stuff Inside
Any new operating system is bound to have a few kinks and bugs. But some in the tech press really went overboard, spouting and magnifying wild rumors about Windows 10. You've probably seen some of the stories... Windows 10’s “telemetry” tells Microsoft everything that you do with your computer and secretly sends your personal files to MS HQ! No, it doesn't. And exotic bugs in updates that afflict half a dozen users temporarily are no reason to eschew Win 10 forever.
Yes, the constant nagging to upgrade your Windows 7 or Windows 8 computer can be annoying. I've already covered how to prevent that in Is Microsoft Forcing Windows 10 on You?. But there are plenty of good features packed into Windows 10. Aside from the fact that it's the most security-conscious version of Windows, here are seven that deserve to be highlighted:
#1: It’s free, at least until July 29, 2016, the first anniversary of Win 10’s release. It’s also easy; in fact, one of the humbuggers’ complaints is that it’s too easy to accidentally upgrade your system to Win 10. Just surf on over to Microsoft’s Upgrade to Windows 10 page to get started.
#2: It’s easily undone. For up to 30 days after you upgrade to Win 10, you can roll back to your previous version of Windows with just a handful of clicks. Just type “Recovery” in the Start menu search box and find the page shown below; click the “get started” button under “Go Back to Windows X.” The process takes only about 15 minutes. Yes, you can upgrade and downgrade multiple times; I’ve done it on my test machine without issues. See my article How to Undo a Windows 10 Upgrade.
#3: It rejuvenates old computers. I have been very impressed by Win 10’s performance on a six year-old Acer laptop. I keep my machines tuned up with Advanced System Care Pro and other utilities, but Windows 10 makes everything happen significantly faster than it does under previous versions. If your computer is irritatingly slow no matter how much you tweak it, Windows 10 may be the shot in its arm you need.
#4: The Start menu is back. Its absence from Windows 8 caused worldwide angst, and rightfully so; Start is the comforting home base of Windows, the point from which many essential tasks can be launched no matter what else is happening on your screen. Windows 10’s Start menu has more features than ever in a new, three-column format. The left column displays most-used apps, power, user settings, quick links and a button to see all your installed software. The middle and right columns are made up of pinned apps and "Live Tiles" -- Windows apps that dynamically give you information, such as weather, stock information and sports scores.
#5: Continuous updates. Windows 10 is the last major overhaul of Microsoft’s operating system that you will ever need to learn. Henceforth, changes will be introduced continuously and largely automatically, much as Google products continually evolve without upending users’ worlds.
#6: Cortana, Win 10’s personal assistant is Microsoft's answer to Apple's Siri. Cortana’s search box, sitting in the taskbar, can answer many common questions, find files stored locally and on Microsoft OneDrive, set reminders, send emails with voice commands, and much more.
#7: The new Action Center in Windows 10 organizes all your notifications from apps (i. e., “you have new email from...”) and the system (“Enable some sort of antivirus program”). It provides access to Quick Action buttons to control system settings that users frequently want to adjust.
There’s a lot more good about Windows 10, but these are my favorite improvements. Is there anything else you particularly like about Windows 10? (If you're a W10 hater, feel free to chime in too.) Your thoughts on this topic are welcome. Post your comment or question below...
This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 14 Mar 2016
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Most recent comments on "7 Good Things About Windows 10"
(See all 72 comments for this article.)Posted by:
Fran
21 Mar 2016
I work with classes for teaching seniors computers and in the last few months I have installed Windows 10 on 15 laptops and a desktop (mine) with no problems at all. While Windows 7 is still my first love, I have no complaints about the new OS.
By the way, I am 87 years old.
Posted by:
John
21 Mar 2016
2 reasons not to upgrade to windows 10:
1. If you used Windows 7 Pro and utilized virtual PC/XP mode, after you upgrade, XP-Mode is no longer there!
2. Windows 10 does not support any DVD/CD writer/reader! So basically now my DVD writer does not work! The DVD does not show in device manager nort on "This PC"
These are what I have discovered since upgrading. Wonder what else I will discover before it is too late to go back to Windows 7 Pro!!!!
Posted by:
Jake
25 Mar 2016
Cliff, I too do a lot of Family Search work and in my quest to replace Ancestry every one I tried works fine with Windows 10. Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic 7, and Family Search all work well with Windows 10. Perhaps you should check with the comapnies for compatability problems. Just trying to be helpful.
Posted by:
Gregory
26 Mar 2016
I updated to win/10 a few months back,but last week the curser and things went weird. I thought it might be win10 so I updated again, but no.
I use free trial antivirus and I read about a free one , so I put it on,it give the pc a clean and bang it pulled out 4 things a worm a trogen and other crap.
Now the pc is great. It's best to check your antivirus as things can sneak through as I found. Being on a disibility pension I can't afford top notch antivirus, so if your on free antivirus ect, be careful with win/10 and once you use 3rd party, defender shuts down for good I think.
Posted by:
Deb
27 Mar 2016
I have set up a Surface 3 for my SO and after every other windows 10 update, it deletes the modem and I have to download the drivers again! Uggghhhhhhh!
Posted by:
Roy
27 Mar 2016
I read your article, and most imp[ortantly I read all the comments
As an experienced user of various Windows platforms for teh last 25 years, i would like to say, this Is one of teh biggest pieces of crap I have seem from Microsoft so far, and I do not like the way they are constantly trying to trick me Into upgrading, by slyly Incorporating the Windows 10 upgrade Into Important Updates.
I use Windows 7 Professional.....the best OS they have made so far.
I will not Upgrade to Windows 10
Also, the only comments you make appear to be regarding your lack of payment from Microsoft..
I dont doubt they havent paid you, as I dont think you are as much of an expert as you like to think you are.
Thank God, i am more experienced, and dont have to listen to a so called expert like yourself, and smart enough not to anyway.
I do however pity people who have listened to your bad advice, and ultimately paid the price.
I find It disgusting, the reasons you have given for teh Windows 10 upgrade....you should be drawn and quartered.
To eevryone who reads this guys articles, treat them like a Jerry Lewis comedy, and take them all with a grain of salt.
I am only staying subscribed, for teh enjoymenty, and laughts I get out of reading, what you consider, as expert advice
X = Unknown quantity
Spurt = A drip under pressure.
Posted by:
Ken
27 Mar 2016
I love Windows 10, and yes, the bootup time is much faster. Only two issues:
1. The latest large update (a few months ago): I wasn't aware that it was such a huge update, and needed my PC quickly, so I was quite miffed when I had to let it run for a few hours. After that, there were several issues (like not shutting down properly, broken icon links). I think it took about a week to settle down, and now it's fine again.
2. It's VERY unforgiving with peripheral device removal (Sony VIAO laptop). Although I always use the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon, I occasionally forget, and Windows sometimes won't release it. With Win 7, I would generally take a chance, and it would be ok. Win 10 crashes horribly, and does not recover; it requires a switch off and a cold boot. :-(.
Posted by:
Nick
27 Mar 2016
OK.. Here's been my experience with windows 10.. AWESOME! Especially with an AMD based computer.. My games actually run smoother and with the new update for drivers where it uses unused cores as extra gpu shaders has sped up a lot of my old games that stuttered a bit under windows 7 and 8.1... Now I'm eagerly awaiting DX12 to become mainstream in gaming for the asynch computing which AMD gfx chipsets starting from the 7500 series all take advantage of.. I do agree that the apps included with windows 10 should not have been released as commercially ready as edge and the mail client are both horrendous.. I too, use both firefox and thunderbird as well.. So for me.. I love windows 10 but the included apps are garbage..
Posted by:
Andrew
27 Mar 2016
For whatever it's worth, I've been using Microsoft operating systems since DOS 1.1, which means I know what a crappy OS looks like. (There were a couple of versions of Windows before Widows 95, for example.) I have a self-built desktop running an AMD processor and upgraded from Winows 7 Pro. I have had no issues. None. There's a learning curve, but once I was through it,I found everything is still there, and in many cases, much improved.
Posted by:
Da id Halten
27 Mar 2016
I was sceptical to Windows 10, but I have now upgraded mine and two job-PC's: Now: its quite stable, and better than Windows 7 (which i have just loved for so long).
Posted by:
27 Mar 2016
windows 10 is great.
Can set up and run just like previous OS from Microsoft.
I have ran it on 10" and large laptops
Have installed it for friends.
Worst case is may have to do a clean install after updating if a problem comes up.
Negative comments may be from folks that do not understand computers as well as they think they do.
Not a negative statement but I have seen this.
10 will run live mail2012 and IE11 if you still prefer.
Patience and practice will make you a believer in 10.
Posted by:
Kago
28 Mar 2016
Thank you for giving us the beautiful of Win 10.
I have used Win 10 and I do not like it.
Downstairs I exclusively use XP and upstairs I use Win 7 but most of my network is on XP.
Most people use computers for:
- internet 90% mail youtube news ....
- music and video 9%
- games 1%
- forget about offices, most of their software when optmized can run on a PII machine
Why change when it still work perfectly?
Posted by:
Bill Bennett
28 Mar 2016
Contrary to some of the comments - or commentators self described - I am not an expert on computers. (I'm also 87). Just know how to use my desktop for the things I need or interest me. Yes, I went along with one of those MS "important update" messages and installed W-10. Went smoothly - no problems. Found my various icons and shortcuts stayed put, and the tiles I was afraid would cover the whole screen didn't. I did have to hunt down the control panel, but added it to the "tiles" so no problem there. Had to get used to a few other quirks.
The one problem I'm having is every once in awhile there is a click, the screen goes blank. The 'puter runs for a few moments then usually shuts down. (Sometimes, it just reboots). I start it up and it takes me back to exactly where I was with no loss - so mostly just an inconvenience. Other than that I'm quite happy with 10.
Posted by:
Bud Deppeler
28 Mar 2016
I lost audio when W10 was installed by a download. The operating system was preloaded on my HP so I don't have a disk to load the missing audio driver. I think that PC-Matic has tried to load the driver in question but I get the following error code. IDT - Audio Device - IDT High Definition Audio CODEC Error 0x8007001f. Any ideas?
Posted by:
Chuck in Persia
28 Mar 2016
Windows 10 continues the heritage of making everything integral and if you don't want a feature, it's just too bad.
I don't need cloud computing and don't want it. I don't want "Edge". what benefit is it for me? Cortana? Who cares? I don't need it, either.
Why can't MS offer a bare bones OS with good security features and let the consumer OPT-IN to features instead of jumping through hoops to OPT-OUT. I am seriously contemplating dumping W-10 and going back to W-7. My platform is a PC.
Posted by:
Derek
28 Mar 2016
I agree with Don (March 15): "some formerly simple things are amazingly difficult on it. Seems it always takes 6 clicks to do what 2 clicks used to." Going into safe mode was a nightmare in 8.1 and probably still is in 10.
As for faster performance, I find software painfully slow to load in 10, especially Firefox and Thunderbird, my most-used programs.
There are the usual Microsoft annoyances and at least one new one. There is now no way to permanently exorcise the language bar from the task bar. It is useless for most people, hence a waste of space.
Posted by:
SLG
28 Mar 2016
I upgraded from Windows 7 and am rethinking the decision. For one, I have a limited data plan (the curse of living in a rural area), and the new OS seems to take more of it for itself. Consequently I've been hit with much larger overage charges. The upgrade itself was huge. Secondly, after the first update Airplane Mode turned on and wouldn't turn off--consequently no internet. What desktop needs Airplane Mode? Microsoft support was no help. I had to restore to before the update. And now, after adding a app to read ebooks, the program replaced my Windows password with my Microsoft account password, giving me a bad few minutes trying to access the computer. Plus I won't be using Edge or Cortana or other resource-heavy programs that come with it. I will likely choose to go back to Windows 7.
Posted by:
mike
28 Mar 2016
Forcing Candi crush games on us is a big insult. And you can not remove it. Shame on Microsoft.
Posted by:
Azzprin
30 Mar 2016
I prefer W7 over W10.
I do use "Clasic Start" to make W10 look more like how W7 and previous versons looked.
I run W7 and W10 on one computer and the other W8 and W10. Dual booting.
The forced W10 auto updating can be annoying.
Durring one forced update it restarted my PC durring a fight in Dying Light and the zombies got me. :(
W10 boots as fast as my W7. I timed both from push of the power button to the window screen. If there is any difference in time, it is not noticable.
Posted by:
Kyal
31 Mar 2016
ANOTHER BARRIER TO UPGRADING TO WINDOWS 10
When I attempted to upgrade to Windows 10, Microsoft informed me that my graphics card is not supported in Win 10. I have the Acer Aspire AX1420G-U5832, a low profile desktop, with the NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE graphics card. NVIDIA is not writing any more drivers for this card. So, regardless of Microsoft's offer of a free upgrade, I am relegated to Windows 7.