Musing 2015 #2 – Windows 10

So, by now most people have heard that Microsoft is giving away its next generation operating system, Windows 10, for free. No, there is no gimmick, there is no catch, it is free. However, as we all know, there is no such thing as a free lunch, or am I looking a gift horse in the mouth? All old sayings aside, yes, the upgrade is free compared with previous operating systems that Microsoft has released. However, the cost of the upgrade may be quite high, lets find out why.

First few questions I ask with a new operating system are;

Will it run WELL on my hardware?

Just because the system meets the minimum standard for the new operating system does not mean it will run well. Each new feature and enhancement in the new operating system requires resources. Hardware that ran the previous operating system nicely may not run so well with the new. Sluggish response, long load times etc. can eat into your productivity quickly. Sometimes it is just a case of an upgrade to video hardware or memory to ensure smooth operation or, it may mean a replacement system.

Will my currently installed software run?

Most mainstream software packages that you have will probably run OK on the new operating system but, what about that older application you just can’t get anymore or the industry specific application that you rely on? We need to look at each application on a case by case basis and check before we upgrade.

What if I need to go back to the old operating system for some reason?

This upgrade claims that, if you need to ??????? you can revert to the old system within 30 days of the upgrade. However, this relies on the upgrade process having sufficient disk space to capture a ?????? of your current system. Also, there is no mention if your data reverts back to the state it was in 30 days ago. We are concerned as if you try and go back, you are warned to backup all data before you go back, this could be a precaution (and we are in favour of being cautious with your data) or it is an indicator that your data will not be preserved. And, of course, our testing indicates that the mechanism for reverting back is not 100% so you may have to re-load the older operating system, applications and data manually.

So, after reading the above, is the upgrade free? Well, again the software is free but as with anything, due diligence is required before proceeding. For example, my personal laptop was indicating I qualified for the free upgrade so I clicked to reserve the upgrade. Only to be told my hardware did not support the new operating system. On the other hand, my work PC has not prompted me to reserve my free upgrade despite the fact that it is more than adequate to run the new operating system. Somewhat confusing, eh?

Our conclusion? Since the upgrade is free for a year past the release date (Currently July 29th/15) , talk to your HardSoft Systems representative @ 1-800-263-8433 FREE about your hardware, plans for applications, your industry specific applications, your current applications etc. and they can guide you through a review. Then we can come up with a plan to test the upgrade on a select number of systems to test, once the testing is deemed successful, then we can roll out to the balance. Any hardware upgrades can also be planned around work schedules, business peak times etc. This plan can be for right now or anytime in the next year which gives us time to plan properly for a smooth upgrade.