Windows 10 Looms Large ins 2015
Announcements have been buzzing in the IT world this week with confirmation that Windows 10 will be the next successor to the current Windows 8.1 – skipping the Windows 9 badge altogether and it’s slated for release around this time next year! Nothing stands still in the IT world and even though Windows 8.1 is still thought of as being the new kid on the block it has actually already been around for 2 full years.
The main push behind Windows 10 is Microsoft’s attempt to have a truly unified operating system for every device from smart phones, tablets & notebooks to desktops & even enterprise servers. Initial reports are positive and it is also now certain that the much missed ‘Start Button’ which disappeared with Windows 8 will make a return. It comes back in the form of a ‘hybrid start button/menu’ combining the convenience and familiarity of the traditional Start button with the larger ‘live tiles’ of Windows 8 for often used apps.
Of course Microsoft are already toting this new Windows version as being bigger than Ben Hur and more innovative than sliced bread – there is no doubting their marketing power! There will be further focus on Internet apps from the Windows Store, Multitasking, Cloud storage & Internet connectivity in general. There will also be the appearance of Microsoft Cortana which (like the existing Apple Siri) is a voice activated, interactive application which will answer many of your questions and complete many tasks simply by us asking.
So should you stop buying computers now and wait? All industry sources are suggesting that Microsoft will upgrade existing Windows 8 & 8.1 users to the new operating system for free. They offer these incentives simply to prevent the possibility of a lull in sales – which would otherwise hurt the IT industry in general. However, this will not be the case with users of previous versions of Windows – such as Windows 7.
The above is one of the reasons that we prefer to recommend the latest versions of Windows to people purchasing a new PC. As an example why would you even consider purchasing a PC with Windows 7 at present when it is already over 5 years old? Right now, Windows 8.1 can be made to look, feel & drive like previous ‘traditional’ versions of Windows and yet in the background it still retains all of the advantages of the most current operating system to date!
We get annoyed when some retailers still push old technology such as Windows 7 to benefit their sales quotas when in fact they are doing their customers a disservice at the same time. Be wary of these sales pitches which can leave you in the technological dusk with no upgrade path! Using these articles we will keep you informed of further Windows 10 updates as soon as they surface.
Future Byte Me topics can be emailed to [email protected] and Bruce is contactable at Kerr Solutions, 205 Musgrave Street or on 49 222 400.
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