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Stifling the temptation to invoke religious comparisons, the long-awaited day of reckoning arrived yesterday with a thump: Windows 10 is finally here.
The buzz anticipating the moment has been cacophonous. But competing with it in your brain, no doubt, are words of caution about whether your organization is ready to make the switch. Should you migrate with this first swell of converts or wait until the technology is a bit more mature?
The web is brimming with data points on either side of the divide around this, “the last version of Windows.”
Should I Upgrade to Windows 10?
We break down the most compelling here:
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No, Windows 10 Is Not Worth It
Time
The upgrade is time consuming. Microsoft says you should, “plan for about an hour for the installation.” Given that older devices will likely take longer, and that the odd problem will inevitably arise around apps and software, you’ll need to set aside a serious chunk of time to tackle this project.
Compatibility
Your system, however compatible, may not be able to handle the switchover. With something as major as an OS upgrade, a whack of factors beyond simple system specs are in play (think drivers, firmware, apps, anti-virus and anti-malware, among other potential wrench-throwers).
Drivers
The printers, hardware and software associated with the system may stop working. New upgrades are inherently unpredictable, after all, and while most of your Windows 7 and 8.1 devices will likely motor on unaffected, there may still be a certain number of hardware and software devices that conk out with the upgrade.
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Yes, Windows 10 is the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread
Streamlined
This is a streamlined, device-agnostic platform that can essentially be reinvented at will. Unique from its parade of predecessors, Windows 10, CEO Satya Nadella told BBC News on release day, is “not just another release of Windows, [but] the beginning of a new era.”
Feature-rich
The new OS offers all kinds of improvements including a better interface (for managing apps and customizing the workspace), multitasking (the Snap feature lets users snap up to four apps) and Cortana (which eases your web searches and reminders setting).
Smart
Windows 10 introduces a new era of the endless platform. Because it’s delivered as a service that’s kept automatically up-to-date with upgrades and security updates, it rewrites the landscape from thinking of an OS as an individual release to thinking of it as version-number-free website. This streamlined updating process not only lessens the workload for users, but makes devices more secure for their automatic patches and bug fixes that don’t require users to initiate a download.
On-demand
The to-the-point favourites- and search-based setup means the system’s cumbersome folder-based organization has gone the way of the dodo. Users can start typing as soon as they open the (newly reintroduced) Start menu to find an app and launch it by name.
Notification
With this version, Microsoft adds a central notification facility, a much-needed addition already in place on nearly ever other OS.