There was this bit of hesitation... Do I really want to get windows 10? The layout is pretty, the start menu is ugly but that can be fixed with Classic Shell. My questions are based on this article
1. Are there going to be ads that appear in file explorer and the desktop/lock screen?
2. Is it faster and/or better than windows 7?
3. How much privacy do I have?
First, the article you link to is a year and a half old. It may have been pertinent at the time, but there have been many, many changes since then.
1. No ads in Explorer or desktop that I'm aware of. Store Apps can hound you with app purchases. Some say MS trying to get you to upgrade Office an the like constitute "Ads", but there are no advertisements popping up all over Windows as in the traditional sense.
2. It is faster and much more secure than Windows 7. Better? That is, and will continue to be, a subjective question. All depends on what you are using it for, what appeals to you, and what you find obnoxious. There are millions of installations, therefore millions of opinions.
3. Privacy depends a lot on your computing and web habits. There are settings to limit what telemetry is allowed, and getting stricter in new builds to come. Again, this is a bit subjective.
Not an all-inclusive response, I know. It is a deep question, with tons and tons of opinions. Do more research on your own and look around this forum for other takes on the subject.
I personally like, and have stayed with Windows 10. Others swear by 7. Some 8. Some even XP. And, yes, some Linux or Mac.
Not sure there is just one answer.
:) TC
To me, the most compelling thing about Windows 10 is it is being developed, and new features appear. Other versions are stagnant.
I remember when Windows first came out - hardly anyone used it preferring to remain with DOS. It was not really until Windows 95 (and to lesser degree 3.1) came out, that Windows started to take over the world. Let's not forget Apple GUIs predate Windows 1.0 by a couple of years, and Windows 95 by 12 years! Until 95, Apples ruled supreme in the GUI market.
Things have changed now. Apple is now looking long in the tooth, and Windows 10 is looking much more the future for near future. Similarly 7/8.1 are long in the tooth now.
1. No
2. Who cares, no measurable difference, you use Applications, not Windows.
3. Depends on your settings.
1. and 3. Depend on your settings in Windows all versions not just Windows 10.
Like it or not Windows 10 is the latest iteration, but remember you use Applications not Windows which is just there on which your applications sit.
I just organise the Start Menu to suit me, no need for Classic Shell.
I see no point whatsoever in that article, most is out of date, and misleading. "Powerful arguments" are just trivia.
Windows OSs that are at least 6 years old are history, much like Windows 1.01, DOS etc.
Hi, I have win 10 pro 1709, it's better than win 10 home IMO:
1 there are some suggestions that i consider adds *but* disabling cortana you can get rid of them, in my experience I managed to disable all of them, ATM, with reasonable effort (i.e. without third party apps/registry hacks), for the future we'll see, win 10 is a rolling release there often are changes.
2. It's more focused towards cloud computing, like you can save your data online and access them from different pc, not faster, different with more features.
3. I don't know.
HTH.
1. Yes. Each upgrade adds more and more, but they can be disabled, mostly (currently about 12 settings).
2. No. Even XP is better. Stuttering is pretty common, even on high-end hardware. Hardware or software can stop working with the next upgrade without a notice and it is released twice a year. Not to mention, that any update can break it down as well. It is highly unreliable. But you might get lucky with the right configuration..
3. None. With some tweaks and privacy tools, you can disable up to 90% of telemetry and that is that.
Then again, if you are a gamer, you have no choice, DX12 and the latest drivers are for 10 only.
An observation: the End-of-Life for Operating Systems dictates no more support from the producers of the OS which in turn means no further support for programs that will run on the OS, programmers will not spend resources in updating old programs and even hardware. It tends to lend credence to the term "planned obsolescence" but is not totally accurate, just convenient to use. And if programmers can't rely on backup support from Microsoft they won't go out on a limb, can't blame them for that. I don't have a running Win7 having Upgraded to Win10 [can get one up in a couple of hours] but do still have a WinXP usable with hardware that doesn't work on newer computers.
Why is the Start Menu so important to many people? I rarely use it since there are multiple other ways to access my applications. I only use it to access my least used applications.
A basic understanding of humans is that we are creatures of habit, like doing things in familiar ways, criticizing them for that is counter-productive. A big change was with Win8 and its all-tiles feature, think Microsoft went too fully to touchscreen use instead of easing into it which with the 8.1 update tried to appease older users. Win10 does a good job. But then the phrase "to each his own" plays a large part in using things.
In looking at your system specs to gauge if your computer is adequate for Windows 10, I note that you've listed Windows 10 Pro as your operating system. I also noted that you were having problems with Windows 10 in July 2017;
Critical_Process_Died BSOD windows 10 Solved - Windows 10 Forums
So I'm wondering if you possibly rolled back to your former OS and failed to change your system specs. If so, you may want to update them a little more fully. That's what the gurus look at when you ask for help.
And now to your questions:
Since the article you link to is more than a year and a half old, it's of no true value in today's computing world. The 2017 Creators Update and the Fall Creators Update have been released since that article was written.
1. Are there going to be ads that appear in file explorer and the desktop/lock screen?
To my knowledge, there has never been any indication that ads will appear in Windows 10, nor do I believe they ever will. They wouldn't be very effective anyway, since when working within Windows 10, you're generally working with a program/app and not the underlying OS itself.
Although I've seen ads in free apps and programs I've never seen them in a retail app/program. Thus, it only makes sense that ads will never appear in Windows 10 since it is a retail product. Therefore, I cannot see any ads on the horizon. A little redundant, but should be said. As far as the "free" upgrade to Windows 10 in 2014/2015 (for the life of the device), Windows 7 and Windows 8.x were "bought and paid for", so technically, so was the upgrade to Windows 10. IOW, you had to have bought one of the underlying OSes in order to get Windows 10.
I will say that the closest thing I've found to ads is in the Start Menu; there are some commercial type apps (Spotify comes to mind) that if you click on them, they refuse to stay off your taskbar. They're easily uninstalled, though; right click and click uninstall. Also, there's a link to buy Microsoft Office (which I already have); however, once again, it's easily gotten rid of.
2. Is it faster and/or better than windows 7?
Yes, from the beginning in 2014, Windows 10 was faster than Windows 7; that's one of the reasons I became an Insider. Windows 10 is better and has more features than Windows 7 and 8.x. As an Insider, I sometimes come out battered and bruised, but there are those here who can work through most of the bugs and help with workarounds. My Fall Creators Update computer just whizzes right along as it should with no problems. Sorry, but I can no longer see how I withstood the slowness of the Windows 7 boot process! I work with and teach senior citizens at a Senior Center on Windows 7 computers, so I have current knowledge about their lack of speed.
3. How much privacy do I have?
You have the same privacy you had before. It's up to you to keep your security measures up-to-date, such as a reliable AV, anti-spyware, anti adware, etc. Further, you should make sure your browser has add-ons that will help to keep you safe. Also, even if you have only one computer, a router with a hardware firewall is advised, if not essential.
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