Windows 10 vs Windows 7

Windows 10 better than Windows 7.

Here is  a post from a trusted programmer friend of mine: Scott Jibben (Runspot) for those of you that are gun-shy after the Windows 8 debacle. For those of us that had to uninstall the disaster that was Windows 8 and replace with the trusty 7, you may have major reservations on jumping into Windows 10.

There are a few  things you should know.

1. Windows Media Center is no longer supported or allowed on Windows 10.  This software is used to record/play TV (with a TV tuner card) and most people do not use it (I do…).  Most people will use Windows Media Player (which IS still included with Windows 10) to play their music and video files.
2. Microsoft has been giving Windows 10 for free for OEM licenses and it is a pretty good upgrade.
3. Microsoft has been pushing their “Store” with Windows 8 and even more with Windows 10.  It is nice to log into your Microsoft account and download/install software that you purchase from the “Store”.  Basically they are trying to promote their “Store” so that it works like the Apple system.  For me, I think that it is more of a blessing than a curse.
4. Windows Updates are NOT optional with Windows 10.  They get installed automatically by Windows 10 and it can’t be turned off.  For you and me, this is a GOOD thing.  It should prevent viruses and other problems.

Overall, I would describe Windows 10 as the best of Windows 7 + the best of Windows 8.1.  Yes, Windows 8.x was a disaster, but there were some things that I do like about it.

Windows 10 upgrades come out more frequently.  Microsoft just released a new version 1511 which in old Windows would have labeled a “Service Pack” or Windows 10.1

I really like Windows 10 on my laptop because of the new stream lined interface.  Here is an example:

Windows 8.1 window snippet:
Old DOS

Here’s the same DOS window in Windows 10:
NewDOS

It isn’t that big of a difference, but it does save space on my laptop.

Windows 10 has virtual desktops.  That is, you can create several “desktops” and run different software in each desktop.  With Windows 7 you could switch between windows.  Windows 10 extends that so you can group related tasks/windows together on a desktop and switch between desktops.  If I didn’t have three monitors on my computer, I’d use this feature a lot.

Currently my main development box is Windows 8.1.  I plan to switch to Windows 10 when I get some more computer parts.  I want to get a spare hard drive and clone my computer before I upgrade.  If the upgrade doesn’t work out well, I can swap the original boot drive back and be back to Windows 8.1.  I hope that the upgrade isn’t a problem because I don’t want to run a fresh Windows 10 install.  It usually takes me about 2 to 3 days to get all my software back on a fresh install.  Fresh installs usually run better though…