Considering an upgrade to Windows 10? Windows 10 brings you improved versions of the features you love in a familiar, easy-to-use package. With Windows 10 you can:
- Get comprehensive, built-in, and ongoing security protections to help keep you and your family safe.
- Connect across devices to bring your favorite apps and files with you, anytime, anyplace.
- Stay efficient and productive with a Windows that’s familiar, fast, and secure.
- Browse the internet faster and safer with Microsoft Edge.
- Work the way you want. Windows adapts to you, whether you have a personal preference or a unique work style.
Since support for Windows 7 ended, users did not any choice but to upgrade to Windows 10, unless you want to lose security updates and support.
The Windows 7 faithful have nothing to fear, though; Windows 10 isn’t much of a paradigm shift from the now-decade-old OS. And in my experience (and that of many I know), it’s been pretty delightful to use. Things like Windows Hello face login, clipboard history, touch-screen support, multiple virtual desktops, Quick Access in File Explorer, Cortana voice assistant, and even the Edge browser improve my daily computing.
Sure, those few souls who depend on Windows Media Center for their home entertainment will be disappointed to find it gone in Windows 10, and some may be running very ancient software that’s not compatible with the updated OS. Privacy is another issue, but you can disable usage reporting (though you lose some of the best new features), and you don’t even need to sign into an account.
The key takeaway, however, is this: In most of the things that really matter—speed, security, interface ease, compatibility, and software tools – Windows 10 is a massive improvement over its predecessors.
A major thrust of Windows 10’s design was to be more familiar to users of pre-8 versions of Windows and more attuned to use with a mouse and keyboard than Windows 8, with the return of the Start menu (albeit in modernized form) a major part of that effort. Nevertheless, Windows 10 is a chance for everyone who missed out on all the real performance, security, and feature advances in Windows 8 and 8.1 to get caught up.
Windows 10 was a free upgrade until summer 2016. If you buy a new PC, it will certainly come with the new OS.
Windows 10 has now seen several feature updates since its initial release in 2015, all of which, like those for macOS, cost nothing. Once you get Windows 10, you’ll never need to pay for upgrades again. Some updates have even improved the updating process itself, with more control over when they take place. You can even delay updating Windows for an extended period if you prefer.
Note that Windows 10 has shed features that weren’t used by a large enough audience for Microsoft to continue offering them. Things like the aforementioned Windows Media Center, Windows 7 desktop gadgets, and a few more trifles bit the dust. The May 2019 Update removed a half dozen more components that are even less widely used.
An underlying reason to upgrade, aside from any features listed here, is to take advantage of advances that come with newer technology; simply experiencing the little conveniences and updated design that accompany any new operating system can be refreshing. Several of the advantages listed below were also features of Windows 8.1. But a major goal of Windows 10 is familiarity and a much simpler learning curve than Windows 8. From that standpoint, Windows 10 aims to give you the best of both worlds.