Windows 10 free upgrade for 7 & 8 users

Just last night a new little icon showed up at the lower right of my screen, by the time and date. As I pass the cursor by it reads "Get Windows 10".

That really sounds like a wonderful way to spend the next thirty days taking my anti-anxiety medicine.....:pinch:

They said that the didn't want those with "illegal" copies of the OS to continue running them, and most of the people that have those "illegal" copies don't even know about it. It's also good PR and plus people are more likely to purchase something again if they enjoy it for free.

> What's up with MS giving out a new platform for free? pros/cons?
MS is trying to avoid having to support an obsolete operating system for a decade, a la XP.

Clicking on that icon looks to be a recipe for disaster.

I'm in the Windows Insider Program and have tested several Windows 10 builds. I like it. A lot. I think it will be a much easier upgrade for those still on Win7, since the Start menu is back. Now that I've had Win8 on my Surface Pro 3, I've really grown to love it. But it really is touchscreen intensive. With Win10, there is a tablet mode, so you can choose to have a Win8-style interface when needed, instead of having it thrust upon you.

However, I've not tested any CAD or anything like that, so that's anybody's guess at this point.

> What's up with MS giving out a new platform for free? pros/cons?
> Is this the crack that finally hooks you for life, ha ha

Quoting from my [msg=319784]post yesterday[/msg] "I'm half expecting Windows to follow the lead of the CAD companies by requiring an annual subscription and refusing to allow saves to earlier versions file formats."

Just adding a little encryption/compression to the file as a "security precaution" that requires a current operating system to open the file. Those running "unsecured" or unregistered operating systems would be unable to open files. The result, subscribe or be cut out of the business community.

Such a move would tend to increase the popularity of Linux.

> I think it will be a much easier upgrade for those still on Win7, since the Start menu is back.

Start -> Shutdown is back? ...that was always an weird one for me.

That is the big thing for me. What is the cost going to be in the future (as well as compatibility).
They keep touting the free upgrade for the lifetime of the device it is installed on. OK, I'll believe it when I see it on that one.

Also, just read this morning that the Home version is not going to give you an option on installing updates, it will just download and install them all on its own. Can't wait for that first bad patch to roll out!

Win XP was fantastic, and still on one non-internet machine. Win 7 is just fine on all the rest of our machines - and it will stay that way for as long as possible.

> Such a move would tend to increase the popularity of Linux.

Files created in Linux could be considered "unsecured" and not accepted by those using the secured operating system. Inevitable that would include many government agencies, larger architecture and engineering firms etc. How many of these already require file submissions in "dwg, dgn, doc or xls" format compatible with a specific version of AutoCAD, MicroStation, Word or Excel? As soon as the required software version will only run on a secured operating system what are your options.

As outlandish as this may sound this would likely be an extension of the "[msg=314625]digital signature/certificate[/msg]" technology that has be mentioned here numerous times. The registration number of your operating system would become a key to generate a secure code. The receiving computer would be able to verify the validity of the code by checking with a Microsoft security server. Of course the computer checking the code would also need to be secure to gain access to the security server. If you can't verify the secure code you can not open a secure file.