How are people finding Windows 10?

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

I tried the WIN 10 upgrade and 24 hours later dumped it! It removed software that i use regularly because w10 found it non compatible. Further to this some of my hardware would not work with it particularly my Epson printer which is very good. An R300. 6 inks. It wants to run everything for you with a new way of doing things so it's another learning curve which I dont want. I know of nobody who likes it and with the advent of advertising encroaching on everything you do it puts one off ever converting completely.

It does load quicker and it uses different terminology for things now. Will I ever convert,,I doubt it as I am happy with WIN 7 but not as happy as I was with XP.

Obviously there will be people who fall straight in with it and it will become the main platform for them, others will diversify into other platforms.

Clive. I have had to buy another printer now as my R300 started getting blocked, jets 8 years old now. I bought a Canon Pixma but I cannot get inks locally!

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Mac OSX ………..

(OK OK I'll get me coat now! )

Norman

[wendy jacksonParticipant @wendyjackson]

I hated windows 10. it looked to me nothing for then a selling platform for 3rd party film companies. also a lot of my programs stopped working. I have returned to windows 7, much better and all working again. We also have a Mac in the household and that's much better then windows in so many ways. when this pc gives up, I will go Mac.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Ady, Wi 32 & 64 bit programs are compiled to run on Intel architecture processors, but phones universally use ARM architecture processors, so the answer is almost certainly not.

[AlanWParticipant @alanw96569]

I have found no issues with W10; It still runs my trusty CorelDRAW! 9.0. I can't say that I LIKE it because I hate having to re-learn where everything is. My last employer, when I had to work for a living, would change the site-wide operating system every three or four years (after careful evaluation behind the scenes) so I became used to accepting the inconvenience. I was always told it was progress and that I must keep up with the times.

Alan

[Dennis RaynerParticipant @dennisrayner52782]

I upgraded from W7 to W10 to use Edge as IE kept on crashing. Then I found that EDGE is incompatible with RoboForm so I was advised to use IE still. Also Microsoft Money will not run in a W10 world. I am now a W7 user again but experimenting with Chrome and Firefox in lieu of IE. Very frustrating – cannot understand Microsoft's strategy.

[Peter HallParticipant @peterhall61789]

Just be careful. My laptop went OK, but I upped my netbook to 10 before I got the logo in the taskbar. It's now on a perpetual loop: starts up, then windows needs to reboot, shuts down and starts all over again. I spent an afternoon searching online for a fix and haven't found one yet. It's rendered the machine unusable and I can't get into it to do anything about it. I've found lots of people online with the same problem, but Microsoft seem uninterested in providing a solution.

Pete

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

I have tried Windows 10 on more than one occasion. Didn't like it – I thought that the look was very chunky and like something from the eighties. It also doesn't like my Nvidia video card, especially with the latest drivers. I've gone back to Windows 7 Pro. Far more stable.

Dennis – Microsoft Money, as you say, doesn't run on windows 10, but you can download Windows Money Plus de Luxe from Microsoft (for free) and that does. It has the look and feel of the older program and is compatible with the old files, too. Just don't forget to make a back up of your Money file before you use the newer program.

John

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

I upgraded from 8.1 with the thoughts that anything would be better. So far it is mostly better but still not as user friendly for me as XP.

[clivelParticipant @clivel]

The general consensus from people I have dealt with seems to be that if you are running Windows 7 stick with it, the disadvantages, including the risk of problems such as Pete's, of upgrading to Windows 10 far outweigh any advantages.

For those running Windows 8 or 8.1 there is less likelihood of problems when upgrading, so it may be worthwhile, although other than a more Windows 7 like UI, there don't seem to be any especially compelling reasons for upgrading.

Either way, it has been my experience, that when upgrading from one MS OS to the next, given the number of UI changes that seem to have been made for no other reason than change for change’s sake, it can take anywhere from a day to a week of wasted time, trying to mould the OS to fit the user's working habits.

Clive

 

Edited By clivel on 30/12/2015 17:55:42

[BrevaParticipant @breva]

My own system in Win 7 and I found it reliably and easy to use. I couldn't be bothered with Win8.

I have heard plenty of complaints about Win 10 from friends.

It seems logical to me to wait until the last minutes of the free version before installing Win 10, if even then.

Historically, Microsoft have taken some time to iron out bugs in new operating systems, so I let them get on with it and save myself the possible hassle.

John

[Dennis RaynerParticipant @dennisrayner52782]

John, – I uninstalled my version of Money and downloaded as you suggest before I realised it was a W10 problem and not a Money one. For me it still did not run and when I searched the internet there were various suggestions for a fix which all involved editing the Registry. Some reported it worked and others that it didn't. That's too scary for me which is why I'm a W7 man again.

[CotswoldsPhilParticipant @cotswoldsphil]

My laptop, originally Win 7, is now 4+ years old – I did not like win 7 from the get-go after years of working with XP. I managed to collect all the drivers and install XP onto a replacement HDD in the laptop with some difficulty. I'll get to Win 10 shortly…

Teased by the Win 8 hype I eventually installed a fresh installation of Win 8, now 8.1 (following various updates) onto yet another HDD, I've run Office 2000, and Dreamweaver/Fireworks – (web authoring tools) and DCAD 3000 on win 8.1 with no trouble since then. They just need running in administrator mode. Win 8.1 appears to load very quickly, although a regular reboot via a forced power-down seems to improve things. What I don't like about Win 8/8.1 and most likely Win 10 is the regular heavy use of the CPU, HDD and fan following an update. It seems as though the intention is to shorten the life of the hardware.

I never liked Win 7 – I find it very slooow even compared to XP, so I eventually upgraded the original Win 7 OEM disk to Win 10 – I fell for the hype again! All seemed to work OK after a lengthy install. However, I've yet to try and install all my legacy applications and see how it turns out.

Perhaps I will be a convert, if I can use my legacy applications on win10 (they work on win8.1) I hate the perpetual (costly) upgrade path – if it ain't broke…

Phil

[steveteeParticipant @stevetee]

How are people finding Windows 10?

All over my computer everytime I turn it on! It is asking me to upgrade. No thanks, the not very old saying , " If something is free it is the user that is being sold" is very true, and so I don't want it, thanks. I think windows is finished , how do I know , when I leaned forward and tried to use my laptop as a touch screen and had to go back to the ' old fashioned ' mouse to move round the screen. I think touch screen technology will wipe the floor with Windows in the next few years. As for Win 10 I went into system 32 and changed the folder GWX to ' dont GWX' now the annoying reminders have gone away.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

I have tried to update To W10 on two occasions, on an (approx) 18 month old 11" touch screen Asus notebook that came with W8 pre-installed.

The first time was early on in the W10 campaign after running the checker, and being informed that there would not be problems.

Well some of my programmes would not run, including the touch pad/buttons and Internet Security, needless to say I went back to 8.1.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to try again, the checker said all would be OK.

All seemed to go well, apart from the fact that it seems to make big dent in my ISP download allowance.

After the install a couple of the minor programmes did not work, not to be deterred I decided to persevere for a while.

Running the machine for a couple of days showed that operation had slowed and the wick needed turning up somewhat, also the mouse pointer seemed a bit intermittent.

Again I returned the machine to 8.1, this time I started to get warnings about no security products installed, indeed I found that all security systems were disabled even Windows Defender (which would not restart).

Having been online without protection, I had to download and re-install my Internet Security product and start again.

W10 never again! In fact having used an iPad for a couple of years now, my next PC is more likely to be a fruit based system.

 

Edited By V8Eng on 30/12/2015 19:29:23

[NJHParticipant @njh]

V8

I had been running Windows machines since the very early days with few problems. My kids though are artists and graphic designers and have been on at me for years to " get up to date Dad" and buy a Mac. Last year I did so and bought the big machine with the 27" screen. I really like it – it does mean doing things a bit differently but it is very stable. I am used to Microsoft Word , Excel etc and I bought the MS Office for Mac package so that is OK. My interest, other than ME, is photography so Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop work seamlessly on the Mac. OK it is an expensive machine but I will judge the true cost when next it is time to change. As a "best of both worlds" position my wife has a Windows machine running Windows 8 . We each have an iPad and I have an iPod ! One nice little touch is that the iMac, iPad and iPod calendars are all synchronised so entering an appointment in one appears on all.

Regards

Norman

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by AlanW on 30/12/2015 16:53:11:

I have found no issues with W10; It still runs my trusty CorelDRAW! 9.0. I can't say that I LIKE it because I hate having to re-learn where everything is. My last employer, when I had to work for a living, would change the site-wide operating system every three or four years (after careful evaluation behind the scenes) so I became used to accepting the inconvenience. I was always told it was progress and that I must keep up with the times.

Alan

That's good. Corel 10 is one of my mainstays.

Also good that everyone who says they don't like it was able to revert. (so far).

> We each have an iPad and I have an iPod ! One nice little touch is that the iMac, iPad and iPod calendars are all synchronised so entering an appointment in one appears on all.

I have a multi-user licence for Office 365, if only I could the Apple users at home to use Outlook instead of 'What's App' and 'FB' to plan their lives I could have a fighting chance of knowing when I'm meant to pick my daughter up from college

Neil

[“Bill Hancox”Participant @billhancox]

I purchased a new Asus desktop with 8Gs ram and 2 Tets storage for my daughter for Christmas. I selected the Win 8.1 platform. I have two Phd computer gurus in my extended family who both say I made a wise choice (for a change). I am using 8.1 and like it. I loved XP.

Bill

[Iain DownsParticipant @iaindowns78295]

I've upgraded several machines to windows 10.

When it worked I'm fairly happy with it. On 2 or 3 machines it allowed me to upgrade, but then didn't really work. The main culprit was the video card which either didn't work at all or only at low resolutions. In two cases I backed out (latpops). In the other (Madam's computer), I've ordered a new video card.

I'm also a tablet user and I think it's poor on a tablet. Windows 8 was much better. Windows 10 has worse battery life, the 'improved' mail and calendar applications are terrible and crash erratically. And this on Microsoft's Surface 3.

If you have a recent desktop and don't mind learning a few new tricks it's worth the upgrade.

Iain

[MM57Participant @mm57]

Win 7 -> Win 10 upgrade here. No problems.

Was a bit concerned about my "precious" programs, but Win 10 runs:

• Thunderbird for email
• Firefox/Chrome/IE (but EDGE is a bit naff IMHO)
• my CAD package for PCBs (Diptrace)
• my C compiler (Codevision) programming via STK500
• Atmel Studio 7 programming via STK500
• Arduino 1.6.5
• the PICAXE programming editor
• AND my ancient Microsoft Money Plus Deluxe v17.0.120.3817

…all with no issues

Edited By MM57 on 30/12/2015 21:10:00

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I upgraded two machines to Windows 10, one from 8.1 and the other from Win 7 Pro. Both upgrades went smoothly and I like the look and feel. As others have noted there are problems with "clutter", not all applications are guaranteed to run after the upgrade, there might be hardware and driver compatibility issues, and there are a few bugs.

But it is the privacy issues introduced by the upgrade that that caused me the most grief. Sorry Neil but I found the amount of information being leaked by Windows 10 to Microsoft and their partners to be unacceptable, and I also disliked various strong nudges during the install that encouraged me to adopt new applications like Cordova that "share" even more of my information. The problem is that the customer has to hunt down the offending features and turn them off manually. And it turns out that the only way to completely stop your computer reporting back to Microsoft is to buy the professional version.

My advice is to proceed with due caution. Don't just accept "recommended" settings, don't set up a Microsoft account unless you need one, and don't adopt the likes of Cordova and Edge unless you specifically want them. (They're not evil, but…) Make sure that features you don't use are disabled: for example do you really want applications to be allowed to access your microphone or webcam?

Most of the internet is a good thing but never forget it has a dark side. There's spam, malware, spoofing, hijacks, phishing, bots, trojans and people who collect and sell details of your interests, contacts, and spending patterns. Some of data collection and misuse is criminal. I think it wise to manage the risks and wasn't pleased to find that Windows 10 opened me up by default.

Cheers,

Dave

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

I upgraded my Windows 7 to 10 and it installed and worked without issue but I only use that computer for one very large program (Ham Radio Deluxe) that refuses to cooperate on my Linux machine. Only had limited use but I think Windows 10 is probably the best modern MS offering so far.

[Martin CottrellParticipant @martincottrell21329]

Posted by NJH on 30/12/2015 16:17:08:

Mac OSX ………..

(OK OK I'll get me coat now! )

Norman

+1 Norman, no faff & it just keeps on working!

Martin.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by CotswoldsPhil on 30/12/2015 18:34:28:

I hate the perpetual (costly) upgrade path – if it ain't broke…

Interesting comment, Phil. How will you like the subscription path instead – which appears to be where everything is headed these days and at first sight seems almost obscene for the home user?

Looked at in one light though, subscription software could be seen as just another version of the upgrade path with a couple of differences:

– The user is forced to buy and install the upgrade (since earlier versions expire).

– The software vendor is no longer obliged to make significant ( albeit mainly cosmetic ) changes to justify the upgrade – which might not be a bad thing on your principle of " if it ain't broke ……".

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Posted by NJH on 30/12/2015 20:16:24:

V8

I had been running Windows machines since the very early days with few problems. My kids though are artists and graphic designers and have been on at me for years to " get up to date Dad" and buy a Mac. Last year I did so and bought the big machine with the 27" screen. I really like it – it does mean doing things a bit differently but it is very stable. I am used to Microsoft Word , Excel etc and I bought the MS Office for Mac package so that is OK. My interest, other than ME, is photography so Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop work seamlessly on the Mac. OK it is an expensive machine but I will judge the true cost when next it is time to change. As a "best of both worlds" position my wife has a Windows machine running Windows 8 . We each have an iPad and I have an iPod ! One nice little touch is that the iMac, iPad and iPod calendars are all synchronised so entering an appointment in one appears on all.

Regards

Norman

Thanks Norman.

I have been using Windows since 3.1, upgrades always seemed variable but most were not too bad, I used to like Win 95 at home and work.

When the new Workshop expense is sorted I will look into it more, if I have any cash left that is!

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