Windows 10?

[Ernesto75]

To-morrow, 2 August, will be the launch of the second main upgrade for Windows 10.

But to avoid saturating servers Microsoft will do that by waves of 50 or so.
It will be a sort of 'feature pack 2'.

It will be named 'Redstone'.

For the users, few new features will be seen: those already existing will be rendered more 'stable'.

So this week do not expect too much from your computer if you are under Windows 10.

And if you are not under Windows 10 consider you lucky.

[Rick Danger]

Originally Posted by Ernesto75

Officially the free upgrade is finished.

But the users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 can still upgrade freely.
There are websites for that.

For example:
http://www.ginjfo.com/actualites/log...faire-20160801

I apologize mon ami. But I'm an illiterate American who didn't learn French (LOL).........

[Rick Danger]

Kudos to Microsoft for continuing to make the free Windows 10 upgrade available to those with physical challenges. It's a good step in the right direction.

TechRepublic

Free Windows 10 upgrade still available to these select users
The free upgrade for Windows 10 ended on July 29, 2016. However, users who need assistive technologies can still get it for free. Here's how.

By Conner Forrest
August 1, 2016, 8:45 AM PST

Exactly one year after its initial release, the Windows 10 free upgrade program has officially ended. For most users, if you missed the July 29 deadline, you're out of luck and you'll have to pay $120 for a copy.

For certain users, though, a free upgrade to Windows 10 is still available. For customers who use assistive technologies, Windows 10 is still available as a free download here. Simply click the "Download Now" button, and an EXE file will begin downloading to your machine.

Microsoft recommends that users check with their provider(s) to make sure that their assistive technology will still function properly with Windows 10.

One reason why the upgrade is still available to these users is due to the fact that Microsoft added a host of additional accessibility features with the update. In a Microsoft Developer blog post in early July, the company detailed all of the individual changes.

The screen reader feature, Narrator, got new languages, faster text to speech, new modes for punctuation, and many other updates. Microsoft Edge, Mail, Cortana, and Groove also got accessibility updates, and new developer tools add accessibility for developers working on a Windows machine.

Microsoft isn't the only company adding new accessibility features to its products. Apple is known for its accessibility features on the iPhone and iPad, and recently added the ability to track fitness for wheelchair users on the Apple Watch. Google also added a few accessibility updates to Android and Chrome OS back in April.

Once you've determined if Windows 10 will work with your other technologies, the question becomes whether or not it's actually worth downloading. Upon its initial release, perceived privacy issues made it unpopular with some users, and compatibility issues and missing features may still cause some problems. But, new features and better access to data could make it the OS of choice for some users.

Currently, more than 350 million devices are running Windows 10. The free offer helped bolster install numbers in the beginning, but the lack of mobile strategy on Microsoft's end seemed to hold them back from meeting their 1 billion device goal. Windows 10 is on its way to being a successful upgrade campaign, but it still has a few hurdles to clear first.

About Conner Forrest
Conner Forrest is News Editor for TechRepublic. He covers startups and enterprise technology and is passionate about the convergence of tech and culture.

[lagerlout]

Good for them but....
It won't be long before scummy scammers start setting up web pages to take advantage of this. You would want to be absolutely sure you were getting it from a safe site

[rlg118]

"If you haven't received the update, consider that a plus."

http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/...rrives-slowly/

[Ernesto75]

Since I am under Windows 10, I notice lots of anomalies:
- Win 10 do not like databases that are not from Microsoft:
This morning I had problems having my databases working when usually there is no problem: it took me 3 relaunch of Windows 10 to have them finally working normally, and I really didn't like that. Now I have an error message which tells I should consult the 'management'.
- the other day it was BitDefender not Working: I had to reload.

When you want to change the parameters the new ones won't stay long. You have to monitor them very closely. That is very tiring.

That was exactly like that with (the defunct) Vista.

[Ernesto75]

Funny, I can't help noticing changes in Microsoft policy?

Did they obtain the services of a more clever publicity agent?
Suddenly everybody (or almost everybody) seems to think Windows 10 is the future.

I did some search on the IT with the words 'Windows 10' and then everyone is becoming dityrambic. The brownshirt practices are rarely mentionned (when they are) and you can see only praises.

I read a recent article by their CEO adjoint: obviously he is very confident in Windows 10 future, including the telephony.

But meanwhile, it is STILL NOT MATURE.

By the way, I am waiting for this famous anniversary upgrade which should be like a Service Pack One (they will not admit it of course).

Now for the moment, each time I plug a machine under Windows 10 I am asking myself : will that work this time?

[beutelwolf]

Originally Posted by Ernesto75

To-morrow, 2 August, will be the launch of the second main upgrade for Windows 10.
...

So this week do not expect too much from your computer if you are under Windows 10.

On a new tablet/pc I had bought a month ago that update install rendered it inoperational for a couple of hours. The little thing only has 26GB, most of which have been consumed already (mostly by the OS). Sooner or later I expect to have to linuxify it to keep it working...

[Ernesto75]

Originally Posted by beutelwolf

On a new tablet/pc I had bought a month ago that update install rendered it inoperational for a couple of hours. The little thing only has 26GB, most of which have been consumed already (mostly by the OS). Sooner or later I expect to have to linuxify it to keep it working...

Obviously intelligence and cleverness are not a priority at Microsoft's.

[Rick Danger]

Originally Posted by Beutelwolf

On a new tablet/pc I had bought a month ago that update install rendered it inoperational for a couple of hours. The little thing only has 26GB, most of which have been consumed already (mostly by the OS). Sooner or later I expect to have to linuxify it to keep it working...

Somewhere in all the postings on this thread is one of my "rants" I loosely termed "Operating Systems 101". It basically represents what I learned in technical college about what a computer OS is supposed to consist of.

Over the years Windows has become more and more of a resource hog as new features (or if you prefer, "bloatware") were introduced: browser(s), media players, search tools, etc.

While Microsoft will no doubt claim this "enhances the user experience" or "by embedding these features with Windows it makes them more efficient, secure, and easier to use", I still argue that these are APPLICATIONS and do not belong as part of the operating system. We have seen over the years how embedding Internet Explorer in Windows makes the OS less secure.

SO, these features add unnecessary overhead to the system and make the overall OS less secure. And by not allowing a user to uninstall these "features", or install alternate products of their choice Microsoft is doing nothing more than forcing users into using products and underlying services that they may not want at all or in part. And this additional overhead makes it hard for me to believe claims that somehow a newer version of Windows is faster than previous versions. I don't rule it out necessarily, but I certainly am not going to accept Redmond's claims at face value.

I remember the early days of web browsers when you made YOUR CHOICE of product, downloaded and installed it: Netscape, IE, etc. And despite claims to the contrary Microsoft was taken to task by regulatory agencies for attempting what amounted to restraint of trade when they embedded IE into Windows.

Think of it this way: if Cortana, Edge, Groove, et. al are so great why does Microsoft exclude these features from their Enterprise or Educational versions of Windows 10? Why? Because they are not stupid enough to risk forcing their bread-and-butter large enterprise and institutional licensees to switch from Windows because they are trying to ram these features down their throats. Ditto the forced updates.

By the way, IT professionals who's firms are not large enough to qualify for Enterprise licensing are not happy with the change to Cortana that Microsoft made in the Anniversary version of Windows 10 that negates the ability to shutoff that feature. My mailbox overflowed when that little change was announced. Please DO NOT believe that "the war is over and peace has been declared".

Again, the lack of user choice at the consumer level is one reason I chose not to go with Windows 10. And believe me, if I can get my hands on a copy of Windows 10 Enterprise Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) or Windows 10 Education Edition I'd steal it in a heartbeat!

I have nothing against Microsoft or Windows 10 per se. But if it's the choice between supporting a billion dollar corporation versus the rights of consumers, I'm on the side of consumers and open computing 100%.....