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David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP
Senior Member
Username: david_axt

Post Number: 1415
Registered: 03-2002


Posted on Tuesday, June 09, 2015 - 06:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I got a notice the other day that says I can upgrade to Windows 10 for free within a certain period of time.

What are your thoughts about upgrading an operating system?
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Specifications Consultant/Web Publisher
www.localproductreps.com
Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: nwoods

Post Number: 672
Registered: 08-2005


Posted on Tuesday, June 09, 2015 - 07:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I've been playing with a Beta for a little bit (a few hours). I personally really like Win7, hate hate HATE Win8, and never used 8.1 which was supposed to dial back the radical changes between Win 7 and 8 (which for example, reintroduced the start button in Win8.1).

Playing with Win10, I like it. It's still a big jump from Win7, but more intuitive than Win8 was. They seemed to have done a good job preserving (or re-introducing) the GUI usability acceleration features of Win7 (docking windows to sides, pinning apps, search from anywhere, aggregated file shares, etc...) while fully implementing the live tile concept of Win8. Legacy apps look less....legacy oriented, the overall GUI is more seamless from app to app, and the desktop is far more intuitive for me (compared to Win8). I like the use of white space in key apps like Outlook and File Explorer, and the OS is very fast on my standard Win7 box. Noticeable improvement in boot up and log in time. Happily, unlike Win8, you can actually navigate and do stuff without having to have a touch the screen in Win10. Overall, I see no reason not to use it, other than you no longer have control on updates (they are forced on you automatically unless you have the pro/enterprise version).

I will be running Win10 on my home PC, my work PC, and in Parallels on my primary machine, which is a MacbookPro Retina
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP
Senior Member
Username: david_axt

Post Number: 1417
Registered: 03-2002


Posted on Tuesday, June 09, 2015 - 07:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Thanks Nathan! That was a good user review.

A friend of mine cautions against upgrading operating systems. He says that computers were designed to work with certain operating systems. I am not sure that I believe that. I will be upgrading from Windows 7 Pro.

Windows 10 better work very well or there will be a lots of upset users!
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Specifications Consultant/Web Publisher
www.localproductreps.com
Colin Gilboy
Senior Member
Username: colin

Post Number: 402
Registered: 09-2005


Posted on Tuesday, June 09, 2015 - 08:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I too have been running the Win 10 Preview on a second computer I use on a stand up desk. This is a somewhat slow by today's standards and started as a Vista machine, upgraded to Win 7 as part of a package of updates I purchased.

I have disliked Win 8.1 on a portable without a touch screen (a $250 HP Stream) due to the charms popping out from the side when I least expect.

I set up Classic Shell on my Win 10 machine to best simulate Win 7 and am very satisfied.

It is my understanding that any Win 7 or 8 machine can be upgraded at no cost to Win 10 in a 1 year period. I see that Microsoft wants all computers to be Win 10 so they can eliminate past OS updates.

My major concern is my main computer I use for 4specs due to the programs I have, some of which are 15 years old. My plan is to purchase a new 256 gig SSD (solid state drive) to replace the 128 gig SSD I currently use. After cloning the current drive, update the cloned drive and see if I have any problems. I can always go back to the first drive and decide what to do.

It is my understanding that all future updates for non-enterprise users will be automatic to ensure that all computers are current. There is a way to prevent updates when on a charged line (ie via your cell phone hot spot).

I plan to wait until fall when the first batch of updates to solve problems is released.

The HP Stream will be interesting - is has a 32 gig SSD rather than a hard drive and I expect that Microsoft will have to have a special update for this computer. Check Amazon to see why this is their best seller in lap tops. I have this and a Chromebook and use both and prefer the HP Stream for daily use. I purchased an out-of-box one for $180 and it runs everything I have thrown at it. I would not run 20 open browser windows or some thing else stupid. I use the Chromebook more when traveling as the screen resolution matches my desktop for remote operations.
Colin Gilboy
Publisher, 4specs.com
435.200.5775 - Utah
800.369.8008
Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Member
Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip

Post Number: 319
Registered: 02-2014


Posted on Friday, August 14, 2015 - 09:28 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

On my secondary laptop I updated to Windows 10 and it is crawling, just terribly slow. It was a little slow before on Windows 7 but not bad.

I will not be putting Windows 10 on my newer laptop. I just do not like it, the task bar is crowded, things are not organized well, right-clicking on Explorer or hitting Windows-E no longer take me to anything I'm looking for like libraries and my computer. Not sure the benefit here, especially because it must be more demanding on my hardware that it cannot run on my secondary laptop worth a crap. This laptop is a 2Ghz dual core but it is an i3. My new laptop is an i7 but I'm not going to junk it up with bloated crap anyway. Just my opinion for now. Maybe they will clean it up if other people have these problems.

What I do LOVE about Windows 8.1 on the newer laptop after getting used to it, is specifying with the touch screen as another pointing option. Fantastic! Wish list: Dual touch screen monitors of a large size.
Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: nwoods

Post Number: 686
Registered: 08-2005


Posted on Friday, August 14, 2015 - 10:01 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

That's interesting Chris. I'm having the opposite experience. I have an older pc that I upgraded to Win10. This machine is a 9 year old Core 2Duo 2.5ghz machine that's slightly over clocked and has 4gb ram. I used to run 32 bit Win7 (which only sees 3gb of ram), but did a clean install of 64 bit Win10. My WindowsExperience Score actually moved up from 6.3 to 6.7
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP
Senior Member
Username: david_axt

Post Number: 1427
Registered: 03-2002


Posted on Friday, October 30, 2015 - 01:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I have upgraded to Windows 10 on three of my computers and have been very pleased with the results. My oldest computer runs faster and the system never crashes (knock on wood) anymore. I would encourage everyone to upgrade. It does take a little time figuring out how to do things in Windows 10 since I am used to Windows 7. That said the Windows 10 search box saves me time instead of poking around the system.
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Specifications Consultant/Web Publisher
www.localproductreps.com
Colin Gilboy
Senior Member
Username: colin

Post Number: 415
Registered: 09-2005


Posted on Friday, October 30, 2015 - 01:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I finally upgraded my main computer used for 4specs to Win 10. I purchased a 256 gig solid state drive, cloned the old ssd just in case and the move went smoothly.

Do look into Classic Shell as an overlay so the menus and all look like Win 7. Free, by the way.

http://www.classicshell.net/

avoid the .com version.
Colin Gilboy
Publisher, 4specs.com
435.200.5775 - Utah
800.369.8008
John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: bunzick

Post Number: 1653
Registered: 03-2002
Posted on Saturday, October 31, 2015 - 02:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

It's good to hear people have good experiences with Windows 10. I'll be upgrading my two desktops soon. (I had Win 8 on a touch-screen laptop, and like most, found it confounding. I've updated that one already.)

Chris, the reason you can't get to Explorer is that it has been replaced by Edge. I can't say how it compares to Explorer.
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP
Senior Member
Username: david_axt

Post Number: 1428
Registered: 03-2002


Posted on Thursday, November 05, 2015 - 12:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Microsoft is making a big effort to get Windows 10 on as many computers as possible. My guess is they are tired of having so many different operating systems. Microsoft will probably start pulling the plug on support older operating systems very soon.

The following was copied from KOMOTV.com news article:


Microsoft: Windows 10 to launch automatically on some PCs

REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft wants Windows 10 on as many PCs as possible, so it's no longer waiting for people to request a free upgrade. In the coming months, some older machines will start the upgrade process automatically.

That's a change from the way Microsoft delivered Windows 10 after its release this summer. Initially, owners of PCs running Windows 7 or 8 had to make a request, then wait to be notified when it was available for downloading.

Now the company says it's offering Windows 10 to all eligible users through the Windows Update service, which notifies PC owners when various software upgrades are available. By early next year, Microsoft will re-categorize the upgrade from "optional" to "recommended." That means the process will start automatically if users have Windows Update set to download all recommended updates.

Many PC owners use that setting to make sure they don't miss vital security fixes or essential upgrades. Some might question whether Windows 10 is essential, though Microsoft says it contains important security features and other improvements. The company also wants to increase demand for Windows 10-related apps and services.

PC owners can decline the upgrade, even if it's downloaded automatically. In a blog post, Microsoft executive Terry Myerson said users will get a prompt asking if they want to complete the change. He also said the program will save a copy of each user's old operating system and settings for 31 days, so people can switch back.
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Specifications Consultant/Web Publisher
www.localproductreps.com
Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Member
Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip

Post Number: 343
Registered: 02-2014


Posted on Monday, January 11, 2016 - 11:01 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

How to fix Microsoft's latest Windows 10 update blunder: nuked Office templates
Microsoft pushed out yet another problematic Windows 10 update, and it erases customizations made to the 'normal' template in Word 2016.

If this might apply to you, consider turning on your script blocker if you like and here is some additional info:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3018001/consumer-electronics/how-to-fix-microsofts-latest-windows-10-update-blunder-nuked-office-templates.html

(It does not apply to me because Windows 10 killed my first computer I put it on, so I will sit this one out.)
Liz O'Sullivan
Senior Member
Username: liz_osullivan

Post Number: 202
Registered: 10-2011


Posted on Friday, May 20, 2016 - 12:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Have any MasterSpec users switched to Windows 10 recently? I am still putting it off. Do I have anything to worry about regarding MasterSpec/Windows 10 interactions?
Ronald L. Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: specman

Post Number: 1403
Registered: 03-2003


Posted on Friday, May 20, 2016 - 12:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I'm using it and I like much, MUCH, MUCH better than Windows 8.
Ron Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP
www.specsandcodes.com
Liz O'Sullivan
Senior Member
Username: liz_osullivan

Post Number: 203
Registered: 10-2011


Posted on Friday, May 20, 2016 - 12:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Thanks, Ron. That's reassuring. Maybe I'll take the plunge next week.
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP
Senior Member
Username: david_axt

Post Number: 1480
Registered: 03-2002


Posted on Friday, May 20, 2016 - 02:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

I too like Windows 10. My only complaint is that Edge (replacement for Windows Explorer) is very very slow. Sometimes it will take MINUTES for a webpage to appear! I used Google Chrome instead.

Is anyone else experiencing issues with Edge?
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Specifications Consultant
Axt Consulting LLC
Ronald L. Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP
Senior Member
Username: specman

Post Number: 1404
Registered: 03-2003


Posted on Friday, May 20, 2016 - 02:52 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

David, I agree with your assessment about Edge. At first I liked it, but then I started experiencing problems with interaction on some websites. Then I tried those same websites on Google Chrome and had no problem. From that point on I have used Google Chrome almost exclusively.
Ron Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP
www.specsandcodes.com

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