If you are running Win7 or a flavour of Win8 you have probably seen the pop-up nagging you to reserve your copy of Windows 10 before the official launch on July 29th. That deadline is a little misleading, if it has you concerned, you still have until July 29 2016 to use your free upgrade. What the reminder does do is give Microsoft a chance at a large initial adoption rate of the brand new OS which is rather necessary to restore confidence in them as an investment opportunity after the lukewarm Windows 8 adoption numbers. One question does still remain about the licensing which we are still awaiting an answer to. What does the future after that date hold for those who like to reinstall OSes on a regular basis; if you only possess a Windows 7 serial number and take advantage of the free upgrade before the deadline, will you get a way to install a fresh copy of Windows 10?
If you do have to buy a new license for Windows 10, the prices will remain as they were for Windows 8, Windows 10 Home will retail for $119, Windows 10 Pro for $199 with an upgrade from Home to Pro costing you $99. If you want control over when your updates are installed you might want to get some friends together to invest in a volume licensing agreement as patches are now pushed out and installed immediately. As we have mentioned Windows Media Centre will disappear as will any Windows 7 desktop gadgets you might have installed along the way but one mildly surprising omission that The Inquirer spotted was a change to DVD playback, which will also be an extra feature or else be handled by superior open source players. If for some reason you still use floppy drives, the new Windows will not natively support them but as with the previous version you should be able to locate drivers.
As for hardware, DigiTimes has heard word of very low priced Broadwell based laptops being released by Lenovo and Acer. Acer will be releasing a pair of models, an 11.6" at $169 and a 14" for $199. Lenovo's will be more expensive at $250 but will be a convertible Yoga machine which explains at least part of the premium pricing. It will be interesting to see how these will compete with existing products on the market, including Microsoft's own Surface.
"The Windows 10 notebooks are an 11.6-inch notebook (US$169) and a 14-inch clamshell-type notebook (US$199) from Acer and a 14-inch convertible Yoga notebook (US$249) from Lenovo. These devices will be manufactured by Inventec, and target mainly against Chromebooks."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Intel Compute Stick Performance Surprises Under Ubuntu Linux @ Phoronix
- Intel's Broadwell goes broad with new desktop, mobile, server variants @ The Tech Report
- Fedora 22: Don't be glum about the demise of Yum – this is a welcome update @ The Register
- Intel gobbles up chipmaker Altera in $16.7 BILLION splurge @ The Register
- Tossed all your snaps into the new Google Photos? You read the terms, right? … RIGHT? @ The Register
- Blackberry Defeats Typo In Court, Typo To Discontinue Sales of Keyboard @ Slashdot
- NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Review @ Hardware Canucks
They invaded my Win7 setup
They invaded my Win7 setup without my knowledge or consent with advertisement! no mebntion at all that his update was an ad for windows 10! This is a an adware FFS! Man I HATE this kind of shady business. I un-installe KB3035583 and prevent its re-installation. Fuck you M$.
It was an optional kb update
It was an optional kb update from last week. (one of 3 actually). Don’t be mad at Microsoft when you checked the box beside the update without knowing anything about it.
They have been pushing the
They have been pushing the same nag-ware out since windows 8 was offered, and it’s a job just to keep up with the unnecessary adware that M$ is attempting to foist, and it needs to be stopped. I have made sure to not download this nag-ware and it’s best to just disable automatic updates. Windows 10 is not getting on any of my current computers, I do not want any cloud based OS, or cloud logins just to use my software, or PC/laptop. I’d like a global taskbar option, if just to keep up with any popups or malicious activity that may start up automatically from a webpage. Virtual desktops are fine as long as any web browser is restricted from opening up any new browser instance to only the currently active virtual desktop’s scope, I do not want to have to chase open applications across multiple virtual desktops. I like the global taskbar, as I can keep tabs on running applications. Windows 10 even if it is better than 8, is still a dog as far as the start menu is concerned, the tiles have just been moved to clutter up what was a easy start menu under 7. Windows 10, like 8 before it, is just a spork of an OS, always trying to be a desktop/phone OS and never doing either desktop or phone well enough. I’ll take the full spoon and the full fork method and keep windows 7 for the desktop, and the phone OS out of my face and way.
You don’t have to log into
You don’t have to log into the cloud, just use a local login. Start doesn’t have to have to contain the new apps just un pin them. I’m pretty sure you don’t have to use virtual desktops either if your worried about managing apps across them.
I’m sorry, but it wasn’t
I’m sorry, but it wasn’t optional. It was in same category as critical and important. Selected by default. It should be described in simple way what is the purpose of add-on. KBxxxxxxx suggest update to fix some problem not add trojan like software.
Personally removed that trojan-bloatware. I will decide if I switch and I don’t enjoy being bullied to move. For now 101% certain I will not, because 10 removes many items I use every day, it prevents a lot of older software to run properly or at all. To put it mildly it’s totally ****** OS from what I’ve tested so far. Nooooo thanks…
You consented by installing
You consented by installing the update that enabled this last week. It wasn’t a required update. Maybe you should read about the optional updates you install?
I asked a few questions on
I asked a few questions on the Microsoft Community page earlier today, which was replied to by a moderator. Mostly a cut and paste job about how you’ll be able to create recovery media and side-stepped my fresh install vs upgrade question;
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_upgrade/upgrade-only-so-no-w10-fresh-install-option-via-w7/33e0b992-02e3-49a6-9206-2245a07ecbb9
Things are unclear. I hate
Things are unclear. I hate when we don’t have enough information. Will the W10 copy we get from the free upgrade be locked on our hardware? I doubt but it’s unclear. What will happen if I buy a new SSD as a main storage or a new Mobo / CPU? Will the license key from my legit W8 work with the W10 copy/is? What happens to those who will change hardware and want a classic old school clean install via an ISO DVD? No information about the licensing.
Windows stores its activation
Windows stores its activation information in the UEFi of your motherboard now, so yeah replacing the mobo will count as a “new computer” and therefore may need a new license, though in the past you’ve always just been able to call them, punch in the license key, say you bought a new computer and ditched the old on and get it activated anyway.
Windows can also store its
Windows can also store its activation information in the BIOS and manufacturers have been doing this since Vista.
But Microsoft doesn’t store this information there, the manufacturer does. And that hasn’t changed with WinX.
How do they do it for
How do they do it for machines that don’t support UEFI then?
Microsoft has said they will
Microsoft has said they will provide ISO images. They have said that they will store your activation information in the Microsoft Store, so they know its your machine.
They have said this free upgrade is for the life of the machine, which means when the motherboard goes, so goes that license.
Unless you have a Win7 or Win8.1 license that allows you to transfer to a different machine. In that case, you will probably need to Install Win7/8.1 once, activate it like you have to do today, then upgrade. And you are back in business.
There will be ways to do this, even if Microsoft doesn’t enable it by default. Is it easy? How comfortable are you with the command line? If that question doesn’t scare you, then don’t worry about it.
*Some of the information in this post are references to articles by Paul Thurrott at thurrott.com.
My plan is to replace an 8
My plan is to replace an 8 year old PC running a legit copy of Win7 Pro shortly.
I fully expect to be able to build the new PC, install Win7 on it and then upgrade to Win 10. (Then scrap the old machine or convert it to a linux box)
Big thumbs-down if I can’t do that.
I like the WinX name though,
I like the WinX name though, but Microsoft may not thanks to its similarities to OS X.
Win X Free upgrade?… Hmmm
Win X Free upgrade?… Hmmm when your not paying for it YOU are the product.
The upgrade may be free, but
The upgrade may be free, but any functionality or improved functionality after the free upgrade period expires may disappear for any and all, security updates will always be no charge until the OS’s EOL, but the base OS that you get within the first year, most likely, will not be eligible for even the usual first 5 year’s free support, or product improvement cycle like the past windows OSs were, expect every little improvement/upgrade to be an optional extra and for the windows OS to gradually and insidiously metamorphosize into a subscription OS as a service pay to play system.
So that Free upgrade is a free upgrade, but a lot of the other included functionality of the OS, and product improvement is going to cost everyone, the free upgrade into an OSAAS model will come with some very small print that will legally define just what it will cost for any added functionality after that first year. Your new subscription servitude awaits, all of you longhorns when the gates close and the only way out is through the processing plant, that first year’s grass was good grazing, and you got so fat for “free”, see you at the steak house.
Your new subscription
Your new subscription servitude awaits. LOL Only after MS has released ‘stunning’ user base /adoption figures for Windows TEN which are pretty much gonna be all the sheep who auto upgraded. Note Win TEN just for the guy who doesn’t like Win X…. Everyone knows your Win 10 is really Win 2 😉 You then call it the FFS edition only after first major program / driver fail following the upgrade.
Please don’t propagate the
Please don’t propagate the “WinX” name, it’s Win10 FFS.
What makes the FFS edition of
What makes the FFS edition of winX any different than the regular winX.
It comes with Solitare.
It comes with Solitare.
Yes, it is Win10, but it’s
Yes, it is Win10, but it’s pronounced Win X
Where can I grab an ISO to
Where can I grab an ISO to throw on a USB for future clean installs? Please don’t say torrents.
Also for future clean installs do I reuse my Win8 key?
Wish I knew, still waiting on
Wish I knew, still waiting on the official word. Likely you will be able to grab WinX through Technet and other Microsoft sources.
I just assumed that the
I just assumed that the pop-up was some clever malware that I’d been dumb enough to become infected with (hey, after enough decades, something is bound to slip once, right?).
Uhhh what about an upgrade
Uhhh what about an upgrade path from current technical preview users??? MS said it would be possible, I even have a VM of windows 7 running so I can get the key. The question is whether I can input that key.
I think this gives me some
I think this gives me some peace of mind.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9334/microsoft-confirms-you-can-clean-install-windows-10-after-upgrading
I’ve noticed that domain
I’ve noticed that domain computers aren’t getting the notice to update, which is a good thing. We’ve got some psychotic apps that break if you look at them wrong, I’d hate to roll back Win10 installs on 5,000 machines.
I use a domain at home, but
I use a domain at home, but not enterprise Windows nor a DC or AD structure. That will be the difference as I did get the notice.
BRB setting OU policies to
BRB setting OU policies to block!