Windows 10 - free upgrade to those with PC using Windows 7 or 8

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by joblack

I have decided to NOT upgrade to Windows 10 (from Windows 7). In our company we will stay on Windows 7, too.

Reason: huge privacy concerns (telemetry, ...).

2020 we will upgrade to ReactOS and/or Linux. Goodbye Microsoft surveillance ...

Is ReactOS actually a viable operating system for getting work done yet? I thought they were still an alpha operating system.

Well, maybe by 2020.

[crossi]

My new computer came with Windows10 and so far I hate it. My old one was running Vista and the one before that XP and I liked either of them much more. I hate the whole concept of web based computing, touch screens, tiles, apps instead of programs and tablet interfaces. I want to own the programs not pay monthly rental and I want all my data that I don't specifically send to the web to be in my computer where I control it and can find it.

[HarryT]

I'm slightly puzzled, crossi. You can use Windows 10 exactly like Vista if you wish to. No touchscreen, apps, web-based computing, etc, if you don't want them. I was a little wary moving from Windows 7 to 10, but I must say I really like Win10.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by crossi

My new computer came with Windows10 and so far I hate it. My old one was running Vista and the one before that XP and I liked either of them much more.

I hate the whole concept of web based computing, touch screens, tiles, apps instead of programs and tablet interfaces. I want to own the programs not pay monthly rental and I want all my data that I don't specifically send to the web to be in my computer where I control it and can find it.

I don't see how those two parts of that paragraph relate. Windows 10 is not web based, nor does it rely on any sort of subscription or rental software, or a web software based model. And it doesn't require you to use the tablet interface stuff. It certainly is designed with integrating that stuff for people who do want it, but it's not like it's ChromeOS. I can see reasons for disliking Windows 10, but those aren't it.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by ring0_event

For the Windows 10 telemetry issues, Spybot Beacon might help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1kGMCfb2xw

https://forums.spybot.info/showthrea...for-Windows-10

I know these 'solutions'. The problem is that it's not clear if it will remove the telemetry issue and Microsoft can still enable it with every new update.

I have no guarantee that Microsoft will not spy with the telemetry 'function'. And I don't understand why Microsoft forces people to give up their privacy. No way ...

[ring0_event]

Hi joblack,
I re-enable these settings each startup. I don't know if it's enough or not, but if you or anyone else here has any better solution (paid or not), please don't hesitate to post it here. And a cursory search on Google shows that Windows 7 and 8(.1) may also be similarly tainted. Does upgrading to Windows 10 Pro allow one to turn it off?
As for why MS does it, I think it's clear: they want to harvest data in order to sell it. Otherwise, why bother?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by crossi

My new computer came with Windows10 and so far I hate it. My old one was running Vista and the one before that XP and I liked either of them much more. I hate the whole concept of web based computing, touch screens, tiles, apps instead of programs and tablet interfaces. I want to own the programs not pay monthly rental and I want all my data that I don't specifically send to the web to be in my computer where I control it and can find it.

You liked Vista? I thought Vista was awful. I was happy to dump it for Windows 7.

As for Windows 10, it's not web based, the tiles you can ignore, you don't need a touch screen, it's not a tablet interface, you can own the programs you buy and not pay a monthly rental. Any rental software would be the same on any version of Windows from 7 on up such as Office 365 or Adobe Creative Suite.

I think you have Window 10 all wrong.

[LinuxArie]

Originally Posted by joblack

2020 we will upgrade to ReactOS and/or Linux. Goodbye Microsoft surveillance ...

After january 2020 you can still use windows 7 for non internet use. I doubt if ReactOS is really capable by that time to replace windows. Linux / windows 7 dual boot or windows in VirtualBox / VMware is a good choice

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You liked Vista? I thought Vista was awful. I was happy to dump it for Windows 7.

I bought a "new" (Dell E6400) laptop cheap on Craigslist that came with Windows 7 Enterprise. I sliced out about half the hard drive and installed Linux Mint 17.3 on it, but decided to temporarily keep Windows 7 as a back-up for my wife (first dual-boot machine I've had in about 7 years). But the Windows 7 install wasn't right (running all the time in the background), so decided to reinstall Windows on that partition. Since it had a Vista Business license, I went ahead and installed a 64 bit version of Vista.

I ran into a few glitches (wouldn't install downloaded programs, like Chrome! -- which, incidentally, is no longer supported on Vista about a month after the 32 bit Linux version went away) but I found a "permission" setting for these files and actually don't mind Vista much. This was the last version, so by then I think they had pretty much got the bugs ironed out -- unfortunately it was too late for Vista. It's a whole lot like Windows 7, but a little "lighter." If I keep Windows on that partition I'll probably eventually install Windows 7 (in a year or so when Vista support ends).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by LinuxArie

After january 2020 you can still use windows 7 for non internet use. I doubt if ReactOS is really capable by that time to replace windows. Linux / windows 7 dual boot or windows in VirtualBox / VMware is a good choice

I tried ReactOS. It definitely is not close to being ready for anything. I would think that, by 2020, Chrome OS (if it hasn't been merged into Android by then) would a better choice than ReactOS. A full desktop Linux would be even better.

[joblack]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I tried ReactOS. It definitely is not close to being ready for anything. I would think that, by 2020, Chrome OS (if it hasn't been merged into Android by then) would a better choice than ReactOS. A full desktop Linux would be even better.

We'll see. When the crunch comes and ReactOS won't be ready I will take Debian Linux.

A lot of things can change in five years.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by ApK

And it doesn't require you to use the tablet interface stuff.

There are some settings you have to use the tablet apps to modify, so it's not correct that you can totally avoid the tablet interface. The truly pathetic thing is almost universally the tablet interface settings apps are worse than the old settings programs in Windows 7 and earlier.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You liked Vista? I thought Vista was awful. I was happy to dump it for Windows 7.

A lot depended on what version of Vista you had. I had Vista Home Basic on a laptop and it was close to the worst OS I've ever used. (Windows ME being the worst one.) Once I eventually put a clean install of Windows 7 on it, it was like an entirely different laptop. It ran better than it had run out of the box with Vista, and this was years later. But my dad has a desktop that has Vista Home Premium and it's not too bad. Windows 7 is better, but not such a huge leap as with Vista Home Basic.

Originally Posted by joblack

We'll see. When the crunch comes and ReactOS won't be ready I will take Debian Linux.

A lot of things can change in five years.

Debian is probably what I'll switch to as well.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Manabi

... (Windows ME being the worst one.)...

Worse than Bob?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by wodin

Worse than Bob?

That wasn't the OS...

[dordale]

Originally Posted by Manabi

There are some settings you have to use the tablet apps to modify, so it's not correct that you can totally avoid the tablet interface. The truly pathetic thing is almost universally the tablet interface settings apps are worse than the old settings programs in Windows 7 and earlier.

Just curious--what settings do you have to use the tablet interface of Windows 10 to modify? I upgraded both my laptop and desktop to Windows 10 several months ago--and to my knowledge, I haven't used the tablet interface on either since.