Windows 10 free?

[emperor76]

Hi all, today I noticed a notification on the bottom of my screen regarding upgrading to windows 10, it says it's free, but further looking online is suggesting to me they might be releasing a pretty stripped back version in the hope people installing will pay for the premium services, is this right, and if so, will the version I'd get be worth running?

 

[cb600fshornet]

I don't think it's stripped back as such, they're getting rid of some things such as:

Desktop Gadgets (not really needed with the charm bar)
Windows Media Center - Slow and clunky anyway, I always used third party software
Internet Explorer - Replaced with Windows Edge for the most part
Separate DVD playback software required - Third party stuff has always been more effective anyway.
Some generic games are also being left off

 

[emperor76]

I don't think it's stripped back as such, they're getting rid of some things such as:

Desktop Gadgets (not really needed with the charm bar)
Windows Media Center - Slow and clunky anyway, I always used third party software
Internet Explorer - Replaced with Windows Edge for the most part
Separate DVD playback software required - Third party stuff has always been more effective anyway.
Some generic games are also being left off

Thanks, I've never like media centre anyway, I use i tunes, even though I don't own an Apple device, I like the format for managing my music, I use VLC for watching dvd's, I hate ie, always used Firefox, Chrome and Waterfox, and don't like the games, so it's looking more and more appealing to be fair, the main concern I have now, is will I be able to put it on a dvd as an iso image so I can do fresh installs, I hate having to install from inside windows

 

[cb600fshornet]

I agree certainly with VLC, lightweight and pretty good at what it does!

I'm not aware of any process in place to get a free .iso image, I've got no idea how the Windows 10 download will come through, or whether you'll get an option to burn it to DVD too... I feel the same about it, I'd sooner use external media to install it, but I don't personally think Microsoft will give us that option!

EDIT: If this article is anything to go on, then yes, we will be able to clean install from a .iso! http://arstechnica.com/information-...lean-installs-of-the-free-windows-10-upgrade/

 

[Celegorm]

Media Center was already gone with windows 8 (you could pay for it if you had pro) which was sad as it was actually very good at handling live TV if you had the right setup.

Otherwise the free upgrade is a fully functional version of windows 10.

 

[emperor76]

I agree certainly with VLC, lightweight and pretty good at what it does!

I'm not aware of any process in place to get a free .iso image, I've got no idea how the Windows 10 download will come through, or whether you'll get an option to burn it to DVD too... I feel the same about it, I'd sooner use external media to install it, but I don't personally think Microsoft will give us that option!

EDIT: If this article is anything to go on, then yes, we will be able to clean install from a .iso! Yes, you'll be able to do clean installs of the free Windows 10 upgrade | Ars Technica

I think that's me sold then, although I'm a little worried about this for a year thing. Briefly considering trying to get the evaluation version to check it out, but I've just done a full windows 7 format and reinstall, and I really don't want to do it again, I suppose I could dual boot for a bit, I just hope it's more like Windows 7 and less like which I just found unbearable

---------- Post added at 12:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:31 PM ----------

Media Center was already gone with windows 8 (you could pay for it if you had pro) which was sad as it was actually very good at handling live TV if you had the right setup.

Otherwise the free upgrade is a fully functional version of windows 10.

I've only tried it for music, to be fair, when I started using I tunes, I had an i pod nano, got used to the format and just used it ever since, with phone music players getting very good and cheaper large micro sd cards getting so cheap, Apple lost their appeal for me very quickly, I tried twice to like Windows 8 and found that I'd rather pull my front teeth out with a bottle opener

 

[cb600fshornet]

I tried twice to like Windows 8 and found that I'd rather pull my front teeth out with a bottle opener

I too tried Windows 8 a while back, and in it's original incarnation I'd agree it was difficult to use, Windows 8.1 makes it easier (though admittedly still not as easy as Windows 7).

When you get forced into an upgrade you kind of adapt to it though, I bought a Windows 8.1 laptop recently so I was forced to use it, and now I'm fairly happy with it, I just tend to use the search functionality in the start menu/page more often!

I've also found compatibility to be excellent, I had an issue with an older game (Empire Earth if anyone is interested), but this was actually related to the newer graphics card drivers, and as I have Optimus (dual GPU, Intel HD4600 and Geforce 825M), I could choose to use the HD4600 card (with older drivers intalled) which supported the game.

 

[emperor76]

I too tried Windows 8 a while back, and in it's original incarnation I'd agree it was difficult to use, Windows 8.1 makes it easier (though admittedly still not as easy as Windows 7).

When you get forced into an upgrade you kind of adapt to it though, I bought a Windows 8.1 laptop recently so I was forced to use it, and now I'm fairly happy with it, I just tend to use the search functionality in the start menu/page more often!

I've also found compatibility to be excellent, I had an issue with an older game (Empire Earth if anyone is interested), but this was actually related to the newer graphics card drivers, and as I have Optimus (dual GPU, Intel HD4600 and Geforce 825M), I could choose to use the HD4600 card (with older drivers intalled) which supported the game.

I know when I used it, I used a third parts start menu program, anything just to get what I liked about the previous windows, if it isn't broken, don't fix it, I thought they messed up with Vista, XP was a brilliant operating system and seven seems like the best operating system since that.

I do agree with you about the compatibility though, I did like the fact it does everything for you, you install windows, it instantly finds all the drivers for all of you stuff, I did like that, but overall, it just annoyed me.

Empire Earth, not heard of that, did a very brief Google search, is it anything like Civilization, I love the Civilization series

 

[cb600fshornet]

Yeah it's a little like civilisation! It's a strategy game with comparable features, newer games probably far outstrip it now though!

 

[Smart_Guy]

I don't think it's stripped back as such, they're getting rid of some things such as:

Desktop Gadgets (not really needed with the charm bar)
Windows Media Center - Slow and clunky anyway, I always used third party software
Internet Explorer - Replaced with Windows Edge for the most part
Separate DVD playback software required - Third party stuff has always been more effective anyway.
Some generic games are also being left off

As far as I know, the above removals are originally intended for Win10. I think the OP is about a further stripped version made specifically for the free upgrade.