Within 6 months since Windows 10 was launched, it was already downloaded over 14 million times.
Let’s take a peek at various benefits and disadvantages of Windows 10, as well as the Windows 8 and Windows 7, to see which best suits your needs.
Windows 10 has come with a large number of pros, but also there are some significant cons.
Cost makes Windows 10 worth the upgrade, while some Windows 7 and Windows 8 users will not get Windows 10 free through an upgrade, a number will have to pay the standard retail costs: $119 for ’Windows 10 Home’ and $199 for ’Windows 10 Pro’.
The key reason for getting the latest edition of Windows is Microsoft will support it for longer than both Windows 7 and Windows 8. The Windows Lifecycle page is divided into two sections: Mainstream Support and Extended Support.
Mainstream support is the deadline for adding new features and functionality and Extended Support is when Microsoft will stop supporting the platform with security updates. Windows 10 gives five more years Extended Support over Windows 7 and two more years over Windows 8.
Flexibility and universal apps – The Operating system will be run across all future Microsoft devices.
Some of the biggest benefits of this are:
• Apps in the new Windows Store will run on any device which means a single version of Angry Birds works everywhere.
• Microsoft’s ‘Continuum’ feature allows you to potentially connect a phone or tablet to a monitor and keyboard and use it as a PC and also Windows 10 does run through every device and the user interface can adapt to its environment.
• For serious gamers, Windows 10 brings with it DirectX 12. Initial reports suggested DX12 would bring a 30%-40% performance gain over DX11. Windows 7 and Windows 8 will never get access to DX12.
• Streaming games from an Xbox One also support the new operating system.
• Longer support: Windows 10 gives five more years Extended Support over Windows 7 and two more years over Windows 8.
• It offers online search based on Cortana, a voice assistant ported over from Windows Phone. It works like Siri on iOS and Google Voice on Android.
• It has Edge Browser which is much faster than Internet Explorer.
• In addition to this Windows 10 finally adds Virtual Desktops like those long seen on Linux and Mac OS X. It allows you to create multiple virtual desktops.
• Windows 10 is more intuitive than Windows 8 and much of that comes down to the return of the Start Menu.
What makes it worth staying on Windows 7 or 8:
• Mandatory updates: Windows 10 may be more secure and up-to-date of this, but Microsoft’s decision to force updates upon users also has significant downsides.
• Stability: Windows 10 is brand new and it has launched with a surprisingly large number of bugs, which you won’t find in Windows 7 and Windows 8.
• Broadband Hog: Windows 10 will consume more of your bandwidth than Windows 7 or Windows 8, neither of which do this.
• Lost features: It won’t affect too many users, but the fact is Windows 10 does kill some features Windows 7 and Windows 8 users consider essential. Some of these are no desktop gadgets, no native DVD playback, etc.
• Brutal Enforcement Policies: Microsoft requires users to accept these terms in its Windows 10 EULA (end-user license agreement) and security updates now sidestep Windows Updates and are installed to all versions of Windows 10 without warning.
Given the way Windows operating systems evolve over their lifecycles, we can start drawing conclusions compared to the differences between it and its predecessors. Windows 10 is an improvement on both Windows 7 and Windows 8 and in time it will be considered one of the great Microsoft releases. Windows 10 is both the best and most troubling Windows version. Those determined to be on cutting edge will upgrade to Windows 10 and love it, but fans of Windows 7 and Windows 8 should wait a little longer.
