Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Ten

As I mentioned last week, Windows 10 finally came out and I was (eventually) able to download it. That eventually is there for a reason. It was such a pain in the ass to get started. First of all, if you want it for free you have to reserve a copy, which I did months ago because as I spent an entire post talking about, I really, really hate Windows 8.

So there was this little icon in my taskbar that said “Reserve your copy of Windows 10!” months after I had already done so and then, when it finally came out…nothing happened. I got sick of waiting and went to Windows Update and sure enough, there was “One Important Update” waiting to be downloaded. But that wouldn’t do it on its own. Because of course not.

Whatever. I clicked download the update and…well, something happened this time, it started downloading, but then it told me that my antivirus software had to be uninstalled for 10 to download. Reluctantly, I did that. And it still wouldn’t frigging download.

I stopped the process and restarted it a bunch of times before it worked—and I have no idea why it started working, just that it did. The ordeal was over, I had Windows 10. The question was: would it be as much of an abomination as 8?

Answer: no, but only because that would be close to impossible. Still, it’s not terrible. It has an actual start menu instead of that horrible page of Apps, and while that’s better, I’m still a little ambivalent about it. It seems to work, but part of me thinks that I only like it because I hated the other one so much. And speaking of things that are hated, they finally got rid of Explorer. Instead they have “Edge”, which is basically Explorer with a new name, I don’t know why they bothered. Yes, it’s different, but it still sucks and I’m sticking with Chrome.

Despite how annoying it was to install, I have to say it’s a definite improvement. I have heard people report varying degrees of frustration and even computer breakage, but those seem to be a small minority. Even my complaints about the installation don’t seem to be common, and it seems it’s just the usual Microsoft “We tried really, really hard this time and it almost works!” stuff. If you have Windows 8, absolutely upgrade and enjoy a user interface that is something like user friendly. Anything else (especially Windows 7…sigh, remember that?) and you can wait until you get a new computer.

I HAVE SPOKEN.

12 comments:

  1. Downloads and upgrades are such a pain. I still have Windows 7 (my work got to beta test Windows 8, so no way was I downloading that one) and I'll wait just a bit longer for all bugs to be ironed out before downloading Windows 10.
    And haven't used Explorer in ages. I use Firefox.

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  2. I haven't run Windows on a home computer in years for a good reason, but my office still uses Windows and OMG, you think 8 was bad on it's own? Try attempting to understand it when the whole OS is in Japanese. We were told we could buy the English version, but they forgot to tell us it would be an addition $400 freaking dollars to do so! So now we suck it up and every time we get an error box we just click random buttons until it goes away. :(

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  3. My son is still having issues with 10. I'm not getting it any time soon.

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  4. A little box on my computer pops up every morning offering to upgrade me to Windows 10 for free -- so I don't know why you had to reserve your copy.

    I answer the box every morning with "Hell No!" and dismiss it. My current laptop was purchased solely on reports of how easy it was to wipe out Windows 8 and install 7. In fact, this is the second laptop of that specific model I've purchased, for that specific reason.

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  5. I do go back and forth between Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome, depending on the site I'm using- or if I have to open gmail- but I use public or campus computers for everything.

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  6. I could be Alex's twin (minus the coolness and the techie know-how). I have 7 and I use Firefox.

    Still debating whether I should get a Mac next time around...

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  7. I still have Vista. My faithful little laptop is too old for anything else.

    Chadwick's computer has Windows 8, and I'm planning to upgrade it (and maybe start using it-- my laptop can't last forever, I'm afraid) as soon as I remember the freaking password.

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  8. I dread the day our work computers have to be changed to a new operating system… I have a hard time with Windows computers anyway, so change anything and I'm at sea.

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  9. Glad you like it, sort of. I guess it couldn't get any worse. I'll upgrade when I get a new computer, but not until then.

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  10. OF COURSE it was a pain to download. OF COURSE. Why would Windows ever be easy to use or install?? ARGH. I have Windows 7, and I've resisted getting a new computer, even though I really need one, because I never want to deal with 8.

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  11. Okay, I haven't made the step yet. I have 8 and I'm not having trouble with it so I'm reluctant to poke the bear. I hate turning off my antivirus.
    Susan Says

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  12. The download took forever. I've also had one or two restarts since then. I hope I don't get a lot of those, although I did get plenty of them under 8. I'm always frustrated when I can't use my computer when I want. I do like 10, though.

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Please validate me.