You first experience with Windows 10?

[Pawelk198604]

I just installed a free upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1

What I most like is the return of the king, which is of course the Start Menu, most Microsoft went to their senses, or they had had enough of reading posts on the forums of pissed off users of their system, and they returned to what was good about the previous versions Windows

[spudman2]

I've heard that they've stripped a lot of the functionality out of it, and that basic windows programs will need a monthly subscription in order for you to use them. For instance, I've heard that there will be a 30 second ad between every game of Solitaire, but you can remove it with a 10$ a year fee. Also, that windows 10 will be unable to read DVD's... unless you pay a yearly fee.

Of course, these are all from one source, Forbes, so I wait to see more correlating observations.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/08/05/windows-10-charging/

[arkie87]

I've heard that they've stripped a lot of the functionality out of it, and that basic windows programs will need a monthly subscription in order for you to use them. For instance, I've heard that there will be a 30 second ad between every game of Solitaire, but you can remove it with a 10$ a year fee. Also, that windows 10 will be unable to read DVD's... unless you pay a yearly fee.

Of course, these are all from one source, Forbes, so I wait to see more correlating observations.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/08/05/windows-10-charging/

Why would anyone pay to read dvd's, when you can just download VLC for free? What is microsoft thinking?

[Pawelk198604]

Why would anyone pay to read dvd's, when you can just download VLC for free? What is microsoft thinking?

At least they can rest assured that the European Commission did not accuse them of unfair competition again

[MinimumSky5]

Why would anyone pay to read dvd's, when you can just download VLC for free? What is microsoft thinking?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I think that's the best representation of Microsoft now

now. I'm still on windows 7, and from the looks of it, I shall be staying on 7 for some time to come.

[rtxoff]

DVD playing app costs 15$ and it doesn't even play Blu-Rays. However you will get this app for free if you upgraded from certain versions like W7 pro and better.

[Pawelk198604]

When I was updating a little afraid that I will have to reinstall all the games and programs it turned out that I do not have. The only thing I had to reinstall were drivers from Nvidia, everything else were in place, i mean Steam, especially my favorite games KSP and Europa Universalis IV

[steve_v]

DVD playing app costs 15$ and it doesn't even play Blu-Rays.

Seriously? Goodbye Micro$oft. Burn in hell.

[0111narwhalz]

Microsoft has what I like to call "Windows Syndrome." Odd versions are good, even ones suck. XP? good. Vista? Bad. 7? Good. 8? Bad. 9? Would've been good, but they skipped it. 10? Apparently, bad as well. The same holds for updates. x.0? Bad. x.1? good. You get the gist. I, personally, am staying win7 until the next odd version and reviews. Or moving to Ubuntu. I miss my Linux.

[Nibb31]

I've heard that they've stripped a lot of the functionality out of it, and that basic windows programs will need a monthly subscription in order for you to use them. For instance, I've heard that there will be a 30 second ad between every game of Solitaire, but you can remove it with a 10$ a year fee. Also, that windows 10 will be unable to read DVD's... unless you pay a yearly fee.

"I've heard" is hardly a believable source.

The Windows App store contains free and paid apps, just like the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. You don't have to pay for extra software, but you can if you want to.

They haven't stripped any "functionality" out of Windows, unless you count Solitaire and those other crappy games as "functionality". Who used them any way?

If you want to read DVDs, do like you always did, with extra software of the free or paid variety.

- - - Updated - - -

Microsoft has what I like to call "Windows Syndrome." Odd versions are good, even ones suck. XP? good. Vista? Bad. 7? Good. 8? Bad. 9? Would've been good, but they skipped it. 10? Apparently, bad as well. The same holds for updates. x.0? Bad. x.1? good. You get the gist. I, personally, am staying win7 until the next odd version and reviews. Or moving to Ubuntu. I miss my Linux.

*yawn*. Old meme is old.

Windows 10 is actually pretty good. Why don't you try it before you criticize it?

[ComradeWolfe]

I was going to reply earlier with my concerns about Windows 10 and why I'm hesitant to upgrade. Then I re-read the title and decided not to post because I have no actual experience with Windows 10. Please remember that when dragging a new OS that you have yet to try through the dirt.

[steve_v]

Well, I haven't used it myself... But I've watched 3 other people (so far, counting) get really angry with it.

So I guess that counts as "experience"?

[J.Random]

My first experience, updating notebook:

1. Download - install - reboot - no network. All devices are there, but no interfaces. Rollback.

2. Found out that's because Cisco VPN client was installed. Uninstall, repeat #1.

3. At least now there was network connection. Trying to install Cisco VPN - BZZZZ. Error. Tried installing DNE software, tried Dell client - nothing. At some point instead of error in the middle of install it has begun to drop the "Cisco VPN client is not compatible with this OS version" message without even starting the installer. Very informative.

4. Tracking. Tracking everywhere. Even when you disable tracking, your system will send data. Adding insult to injury, updates are automatic. My system will decide when it wants to reboot? More importantly, if some update breaks the OS completely, you won't be able to prevent it from installing.

5. Store apps. Undeletable vendorware. Like XBOX app. Why would I want this crap on my PC? It's ridiculous.

6. Then I saw a certain screenshot of someone talking to russian MS techsupport, asking if he will be able to reinstall Win10 a year later for free. The answer: you will have to buy a key in a year, even if you have used your right for a "free" update. It will be free only until you need to reinstall. MS Win10 FAQ states kinda otherwise, but it doesn't mention the time period. Looks like a classic bait and switch.

7. To hell with it. Rollback? BZZZZ. It seemes that at some point recovery partition was overwritten, even if it wasn't supposed to for at least a month. Now it's Win10 or nothing. Great.

8. Spent a couple of hours downloading different Win8/8.1 distributions with WUDT until one of them accepted the BIOS product key.

9. Back to Win8.1 on notebook, now dualboot with Debian, where I actually spend more time than in Windows. I don't think I will even try to update my main Win7 desktop at all. At least until I see some changes in Microsoft's attitude.

[Ignath]

This thread is making me glad I didn't install on my work laptop (likely will never now) and more sure than ever that I'm going to cancel the "upgrade" from 7 to 10 on my Desktop.

[Nibb31]

I upgraded all 5 PCs in my house from various versions of Windows 7 and 8 to 10, and it was absolutely painless. No reconfiguration, no drivers to download, no programs to reinstall. It all worked flawlessly and has been the smoothest upgrade I've ever seen.

[J.Random]

You've been using it for a week. Give it some time to disappoint you.

BTW, about these automatic updates. It's not the first one, either. The first one I've read about was an unstable NVidia driver update forced by Windows Update.

[Cydonian Monk]

My first experience? It works perfectly. For me, for my VP at work, and for three other people I know that are using it.

The only thing I've found that doesn't work is the config screen to change the background image of the lock screen. And that's a big "who cares" for me since I only see that screen once in the two seconds between boot-up and when I log in. If you like to waste electricity and leave your PC on all the time you may have a problem with that. (Boot times for Win10 are in the 2-3 second range for me, and most of that is in the EFI startup.)

Offline single-player Solitaire is still free, and doesn't have ads (none that I've seen, though I only played five or six games). What has ads is the online multiplayer Solitaire, and you can get rid of the ads for $10/yr. Personally I think my XBox Live subscription should cover that, but as I don't see the point in Online Multiplayer SOLITAIRE I'm not really going to complain.

That said, I'm lucky my Nvidia card uses a slightly older chipset, as it seems the newer chipsets had some problems on release day. Those issues appear to have since been fixed. MultiDisplay support was also strangely broken for one person I know, but Windows Update downloaded a new driver that fixed it shortly after reboot. YMMV.

[micha]

Played with it on a couple of VM's. Really dislike the interface, but then again, a lot of OS/App updates are going the same way (flat shaded, few/no borders between GUI elements, kindergarten colours (or, even worse, just greyscale), etc etc). There was a reason we went from flat stuff to faux-3d. Seems all the new graphic designers have forgotten that and want to stamp their own style on the current gen of GUIs. Meh, at least give users the option to skin the interface back to something sane. Or at least ensure there's a huge boost to performance.

Apart from that I'm somewhat wary about the amount of tracking; I've turned it all (or as much as is possible via the standard interfaces) off, but packet scanning still shows lots of traffic going to Redmond. Also wary about forced updates, I hack all of my Win7 boxes to NEVER update unless I tell it to (involves various hacks otherwise even Win7 keeps turning stuff on, gah!, worst thing when you come into the office the next day to find your boxes have rebooted and you've lost work).

Core-OS functionality-wise, it seems to be ok, but I'll wait and see how the rest of the world gets on first. So I don't see myself performing the "upgrades" from Windows 7 on my actual machines anytime soon. Not that I use Windows much at home - 99% of my time is in Linux anyway. Unfortunately various hardware vendors (eg Garmin) refuse to support other OS's.

[Pawelk198604]

In my opinion, Windows 10 is cool and the coolest is the return of the classic start menu

There were also a few minor flaw, as the need to re-install the nVidia drivers but it is not yet so difficult to do?

The only thing that really pissed me was that system when attempting to log showed me a "fatal error: the problem with the launch of start menu" but pressing the "reset" button on the computer did the trick

[Duxwing]

Tracking? Creepy. I'll switch to Linux.

-Duxwing

[Mikki]

Download came for me yesterday, i looks like it has swapped out my Kaspersky Lab antivirus program...

Very interesting, Kaspersky is somewhat a serious Company...

MS, are you serious?

[sal_vager]

I have not used Windows 10 yet, I'm not really planning to, but I am seeing some odd issues in the Support section from Windows 10 KSP players.

Most probably stem from Win10 needing newer graphics drivers, and probably has only partial Dx9 support, openGL as well seems broken on Win10 for some.

Also, not much actual science in here, this is better in the Lounge.

[Pawelk198604]

The only thing that pisses me off is the lack of Cortana in the Polish language :-(

[problemecium]

o_o

Reading the above has firmly cemented my confidence that I've made the right call not updating. I heard about the mandatory updates a while back, which was the initial reason I didn't switch, but the rest of this stuff brings it to a whole new level.

[xtoro]

Update for me was great. Love the new look and features and the new Edge browser. Overall I find it faster than 8.1. And it didn't mess up my Linux dual boot loader. As for tracking/privacy stuff, it's easy to change in settings. But upon upgrade/install, don't use express settings, use custom and then you have the option to turn off all those things right from the start. Anyone concerned with privacy should probably not use Gmail or Hotmail and run their own email server, oh and don't use any google/andoid programs or use Facebook etc etc etc.... Or better yet, if you're that concerned, just never connect your computer to the internet, problem solved as that's the only way to ensure 100% privacy.

Drivers for my graphics card and everything work perfectly and I love having Cortana on my PC because it's been very handy to have on my phone. I for one won't be going back to previous versions.

- - - Updated - - -

As for DVD playing, I've always used VLC because it loads fast, it's lightweight and free. Then again, I can't remember the last time I watched a DVD even though I own hundreds. My PC build has a bluray drive but I never bothered to plug it in. Between Netflix and other digital media, there no need for discs anymore. In fact, I'm going to be hooking up an HDMI input to start capturing the movies I bought through my cable provider too.