Is Windows 10 Worth Waiting For?

Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President of Operating Systems and the Devices Group Team, recently announced at Keynote once Windows 10 OS is released on July 29th, 2015, it will be running on 1 billion devices within the next 2 or 3 years.

If you are currently running Windows 7 or 8, you’ve probably heard the news or have seen the new upgrade to Windows 10 Reservation icon in the lower right corner of your screen.

Is Windows 10 the upgrade that everyone has been waiting for? Once the update rolls out, many I.T. Managers and Directors will slowly be forced into implementing the new software and possibly new hardware. For the I.T. Asset Liquidation community, this upgrade may be very beneficial triggering an influx of I.T. assets into the market.

I have experienced that upgrades like this can be a real headache not for just end-users, but for people in the I.T. Industry. Software and hardware drivers may be scarce as the rest of the software community tries to get updated.

A Complicated History

I believe when Microsoft launched Windows 98 they got it right. Then they had to mess it up with Windows Millennium, which was a flop. Quickly, users moved to Windows 2000, which was great! Windows XP came out so-so, and finally Windows 7….wowed us all.  Windows 7 was adopted by corporate I.T. as network deployment worthy.

In my opinion, Windows 8 fell short. Most end-users never liked it for many reasons, but mostly because the start button was removed from the OS. Windows 8 was a more touch-based platform that did not resonate well with end-users. As end-users we are still hanging on to Windows 7 for as long as we can until the next great upgrade comes out.

Microsoft is not down and out! I think that Microsoft got the message loud and clear. They have learned what the market wants, and have implemented structural changes company wide. With the emergence of a new CEO, the purchase of Skype, and now a free upgrade to Windows 10, we are hopefully beginning to see a lot of change for the better.

A Free Upgrade: A First For Windows OS

Up until now, Windows OS upgrades for 95, 98, 2000, XP, 7, & 8 have all come at an additional cost to the end-user. Considering that Windows 8.1 was more of a service pack than a free upgrade, Windows 10 will be a first free upgrade for Microsoft.

For Microsoft to take on the risk of losing potential upgrade revenue for Windows 10, I believe they must have a clear long-term plan to recover this potential loss. Microsoft has yet to reveal what free is really going to cost them or even us end-users in the years to come.  The answer may lie in the shift toward more cloud-based services and products.

The bottom line is:  Windows 10 is something that Microsoft must get right.  They are aware that their competitors will take market share for every wrong move that they make.

Things to Know Before You Upgrade

This new push for Windows 10 upgrade reservations is an intentional effort by Microsoft in their goal to reach 1 billion devices. This is an aggressive move, but not an unexpected one, given the success of Android and iOS. However, there are some things you should know before you reserve your Windows 10 upgrade:

• Windows 10 does not incorporate Windows Media Center.
• You will have to install a separate media player for DVD viewing (try Free VLC Player – my personal favorite).
• End-users with a home license will no longer have the liberty to procrastinate installing updates. Any Windows update will automatically be installed on your system unless you have the PRO or Enterprise versions.

Alternatives to Upgrading Now

If you are hesitant to reserve your Windows 10 upgrade now, here are some options for you:

• Continue to use Windows 7. I would recommend upgrading to a solid-state drive (SSD) and upgrade RAM to at least 16 GB. This will help prolong the use of the current OS.
• Switch to Linux, another great alternative.
• Lastly, wait for Windows 10 to get any bugs worked out — then jump on board.

My Prediction

Windows 10 will be a huge success for Microsoft. Windows 10 promises to be the best of both worlds:  touch ability with the corporate I.T. compatibility ready for network deployment.  It looks like I.T. Managers, C.I.O., Directors, and Network Engineers will be eager to deploy new assets with this upgrade.

From an end-user standpoint, having one familiar operating system from cell phone, tablet, gaming console, to a laptop will lend consistency. The learning curve will be minimal as most users are familiar with Windows OS from other devices. The upgrade is free, so at this point there is no financial downside to implementing Windows 10 OS.

So, Myerson’s prediction is spot on in my opinion. If anything, I think the goal will be achieved a lot sooner than predicted.

Many in the professional I.T. community have embraced the Windows 10 OS upgrade. Many of the comments I’ve read about the technical preview have been positive.  As for me, I’ll be waiting to upgrade to Windows 10 until probably June of 2016. I recommend you do the same and stay with Windows 7 for at least a year after the release date.  Here’s why:

• Windows drivers are not yet optimal. There will be a flood of end-user complaints with issues and security, which will hopefully get resolved quickly.
• It’s best to wait until all third-party apps are working optimally with the new upgrade to avoid any frustrations with the transition.

These are my personal views and opinions, and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me.

I would love to hear from you!