So the day is finally here. Microsoft today launched Windows 10 giving the millions of people who own Windows 7 and 8 computers a chance to obtain for free to the company's latest operating system.
Now the questions that remain are: should I upgrade to Windows 10, should I not to upgrade to Windows 10 and if I want it how do I, a tech novice handle the job?
To help all those considering taking this step Acer has kindly loaned out an Aspire V3 laptop running Windows 8.1 so it could be updated on the day of the launch.
The reason that the decision to take the plunge and swap operating systems is more difficult with Windows 10, is that Microsoft is offering Windows 10 for free to anyone owning a computer currently running Windows 7 or 8. In the past the company always charged a fee, generally around $100, for its latest operating system. That alone, along with the complexity of personally handling the upgrade, scared off many people and they simply stuck with the software that came with their computer.
However, with Win 10 being a freebie more people will seriously consider making the change even if they are not particularly tech savvy. The good news is the upgrade process is painless and can be completed by even a computer novice.
The reasons to make the change.
Microsoft is hyping a few key features it believes will sway people to upgrade. Primarily that 10 will work across all hardware platforms computer, tablet, smart phone and even Xbox One. So if a consumer owns a tablet or phone running Windows, as opposed to Android or iOS, he or she will be able to seamlessly move between devices.
Microsoft has also resurrected its famous Start button and the desktop interface itself is a mix between Windows 7, which is much beloved by its users, and Windows 8, which is basically despised by many of its users. This gives those who decided against moving up to Windows 8 an additional reason to give Windows 10 a try.
There is also a new browser, dubbed Edge, in Win 10 that offers the neat trick of being able to annotate a web page directly and then share it with another person. In addition, Microsoft has moved Cortana, its version of Siri or Google Now, to desktops and tablets. It has been available on Windows Phone for over a year.
Once you have gone through Microsoft's pitch, and maybe check out a few others views on the differences, the next step is download the software.
How To Download and Install Windows 10
Several months ago Microsoft began prepping people for Windows 10 through desktop notifications.
The first thing the company did was let everyone know that a small Windows icon would now reside in the task tray in the lower right hand side of the desktop screen. Click the reserve button and the preliminaries are completed.
Once the reserve button is clicked you are taken to a page where you must put in an email address and you will then receive a confirmation email that the reservation is completed. If you again click on the Windows icon a new image is displayed showing that your PC is capable of running the new software and saying a message will be sent notifying you that Win 10 has downloaded and is ready to be activated.
This morning the Aspire started normally in Windows 8.1 mode, but when the Windows icon in the task tray was clicked a new screen opened up stating that the upgrade was now available, that a license had to be agreed to and a button to get started. The nice thing is if you are still a little skittish you can let the computer keep running the old OS, but you have Windows 10 ready and waiting.
Once the continue button is clicked a new message appears stating that computer will have to restart several times. Next you are prompted to save all your work and you can choose to start the upgrade immediately or schedule it for later.
Hitting the start now button opens an Administrators window asking for permission to allow the software to make changes from the computer. You have to be signed in as the computer's administrator to move on.
When that is done the license agreement appears, you must agree with it or else the upgrade will not take place.
Next a rather familiar Windows Update window appear and says the computer is being configured. This segment of the process takes about five minutes to complete, depending upon your Internet connection speed.
The computer then goes through a restart sequence and a note stating “Upgrading to Windows 10 appears with a meter showing the percent completed. This portion takes about 45 minutes to complete and the computer will restart a few times during that period.
A general set up screen is next, choose express settings, and you will be taken through a quick run through of what Windows 10 can do.
You must then sign into your Microsoft account and you are finished.
