Windows 10 is here, and it’s here to stay. Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 is the “last” version of Windows, and that all updates to the operating system will be part of Windows 10 from now on. Windows 10 is a free upgrade available for download at the click of a button, and Microsoft has been prompting users to upgrade with increasing boldness.
This biggest question we get about Windows 10 is “should I upgrade?”
Our best answer to this question is “No”. We do not recommend users upgrade to Windows 10. We like Windows 10, and we know all users will eventually use Windows 10, but we don’t see the value in upgrading.
Our top reasons not to upgrade to Windows 10 are:
- Windows 10 doesn’t give you any significant advantages or improvements over Windows 7 or 8.1. It looks nicer, and runs a little faster, but nothing that big.
- Upgrading to Windows 10 can cause serious problems. Most upgrades go fine, but we get calls every week from customers who did the upgrade and then experienced serious problems.
- Software vendors are still catching up to Windows 10. Not all software is compatible with the new operating system yet.
- Windows 10 looks and feels different, which can be unfamiliar and can slow down your productivity.
On the whole, the reward of upgrading to Windows 10 is not worth the risk, at least not yet. The advantages of Windows 10 include a new start menu, improved search, better Windows Store apps, and bit of a security and performance boost. Over time the reward may increase and the risk may reduce, but for now it’s just not worth it.
A few other small caveats to consider:
- Business users in particular should stay away from Windows 10 for now, it’s not worth the risk of interrupting business.
- Home users buying new systems should can go ahead and get Windows 10, in fact they might not have a choice.
- Business users should buy new systems with Windows 7 or 8.1. It’s important to keep your configurations consistent, and likely all of your other machines run 7 or 8.1.
- You can always upgrade to Windows 10 later, but more likely you’ll get it when you buy a new computer in 2017 or beyond.
As you can see, those reasons aren’t worth the risk of crashing your system or creating instability. Windows 10 is a great operating system, but not worth the risk of upgrading. We may change our recommendation later, especially if software vendors stop supporting Windows 7. We don’t expect that to happen in 2016.