Launch day. Well, for some. For many, they'll be waiting a few days, weeks or even months for their copy of Windows 10. Whilst you're waiting for Windows 10 to turn up, here are a couple important things to know.
Free?
Sort of. It's free if you qualify for the free upgrade. That means you'll need to be running either Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows Phone 8.1. You should have already received a notification asking you to reserve your copy. If not, you'll get one soon or you'll be told when the upgrade is ready to be installed.
Windows 10 will be free for the "life time of the device", which should mean free for as long as Microsoft supports the OS, with no surprise subscription costs down the line. Microsoft ends mainstream support for users in 2020, and extended support in 2025.
If you're not already running Windows (or an older version), you'll need to buy the upgrade- which costs $119 for the Home edition, and $199 for the Pro edition.
There IS a cheaper workaround to paying, which involves becoming part of the Windows Insider programme. This means you'll get a free copy of Windows 10, but you'll also be subject to early releases of updates – essentially a beta tester. The only downside – and it's a big one – is that you're a guinea pig for future updates, which might not be stable and seriously affect your computer's performance and Windows experience. If you're a casual user, this isn't for you.When will I get it?Tomorrow is the official launch day (10am ET), but there's every chance that you won't get the actual upgrade tomorrow. Windows Insiders will get it first, then those who have reserved a copy will be pushed the upgrade in waves.
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Unfortunately Microsoft refused to give me a specific timeframe, citing the fact that there's millions of devices to roll out to. I raised the concern that some people might be waiting weeks, or even months, and I was told that it's "not going to be that kind of timeframe." And that, "the goal with this [Windows 10], releasing earlier in the year, is because we want to get it out there fast. By Christmas we want to have hundreds of millions of users worldwide."
But I wasn't told, emphatically, that all users who have reserved their copy will get the upgrade before December.
In short, it's a waiting game.
Will my device run it?
The system requirement for Windows 10 aren't exactly taxing, few people should have any issues running the new OS.
Bugs and automatic updates
Windows 10's mandatory updates are already causing problems for some users, as Forbes contributor Gordon Kelly reports:
"The flaw revolves around Nvidia graphics cards with users taking to Nvidia's forums to report Windows Update is automatically installing new drivers which break multimonitor setups, SLI (dual card) configurations and can even stop PCs booting entirely which pushes Windows 10 into its emergency recovery mode."
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However, Microsoft reacted yesterday and released a tool that allows users to block or uninstall problematic updates, Forbes' Anthony Leather reports.
Some readers also pointed out to me last week that they had an issue with the Edge browser and family accounts. Some had said that despite setting up separate Microsoft accounts for children on one computer, and turning Bing Safe Search on, the restricted accounts were still able to visit inappropriate sites and images. I tested this out on the latest build (102040) and I couldn't find an issue, which suggests it might've been fixed with the last update.
It's worth noting that any reported bugs are relevant to build 10240, which isn't the final RTM (release to manufacturing) version. The point of the Insiders programme is to catch these updates before they're released to the general public, so anything potentially damaging should be caught before it spreads. With that said, it's pretty much the final version and any issues should've been ironed out by now.
No mobile version, not yet at least
Microsoft is staying silent on when the mobile version is being launched. Reports have suggested sometime later this year, as Microsoft rushes to finish the software. Microsoft told me that it will have a new flagship phone for Windows 10 later this year, most like the heavily rumoured Lumia 940 XL.
Developers love it
I asked a Windows developer to give me his opinion on Windows 10 from developing perspective. Overall, he was impressed by Microsoft's latest offering, in particular the new app store.
"The new app store means I can write an app once and put 4 different 'skins' on it, which makes the app compatible for Xbox, desktop, Windows Phone and tablet. A lot of this skinning is also automatic, which should reduce the overall development time."
He continued ""I'm really eager to see just how good this some of this auto skinning is, and with the ability to write one app and potentially have it available on four different major platforms, there really is a big incentive to have a go."
Check out the rest of the article here
Things that won't work on launch day
TechRadar's Mary Branscombe has detailed what features from Windows 10 will be missing on launch day. The most glaring omission is some of the more advanced features in Microsoft's new internet browser, Edge.
"You can't pin a site to the taskbar from Edge, for example, and you can't drag a tab from one browser window to another – or drag a file into the browser window if you want to upload it to a site like OneDrive."
Branscombe continues "But the big feature that's missing from Edge that we know won't arrive until the autumn is extension support. Edge will never support most of the add-ons and plugins that Internet Explorer does, although it has Flash built in. We know that it will get the same kind of extension model as Chrome, where extensions are written in HTML and JavaScript rather than as binary plugins like ActiveX controls."
Read the rest of her breakdown here.
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Jay McGregor is a journalist who writes for The Guardian, Forbes, TechRadar and is a correspondent for BBC's James Hazel show. Follow on Instagram @that.review.show
Source: Windows 10: 7 Important Things To Know
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