Windows 10 announced

[editor]

Here's a selection of reviews:

The Verge/Tom Warren

Windows 10 is hugely exciting. I rarely touch my MacBook Air anymore as I find the combination of some good hardware (like the Dell XPS 13) and Windows 10 is a joy to use. I like the direction Microsoft is taking with Windows 10, accepting feedback and ideas from its customers along the way. It feels like the best way to shape Windows into something people enjoy using, rather than something they have to use.

That’s the nature of the Windows cycle: bad version, then a good version. Windows 10 is a great fix to the problems of Windows 8, and that’s exactly what we all expected.

Yahoo Tech/David Pogue

You really are going to love Windows 10. You’ll almost certainly want to upgrade your computers to it, especially since it’s free.

But you might not want to do that tomorrow. I’d suggest you wait six weeks. By then, Microsoft will have swatted most of the bugs, and many of your favorite software companies will have released Windows 10-compatible versions.

Recode/Walt Mossberg

The near-final build I’ve been testing proved surprisingly buggy. In particular, I had trouble with Windows 10’s sexiest new feature, the voice-controlled Cortana intelligent assistant — Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri — which has migrated from Windows Phones to the PC.

Still, some of the new features are promising, the balance between old and new styles seems right this time, and — if the bugs get erased — Windows 10 would be a good choice for Windows devotees.

However, it’s just okay, not disruptive. It’s perhaps what Windows 8 might have looked like if it had been evolutionary, not revolutionary. I doubt it will convert many Mac owners, spur a shopping spree in new PCs, bring in droves of new developers, or save the Windows Phone.

And I advise would-be upgraders who aren’t enthusiasts to wait to upgrade at least for a few months, until the product is more stable and reliable.

Wired/David Pierce

Before we go any further, let’s get this out of the way: You should upgrade to Windows 10. If you’re using Windows 8, 7, XP, ME, or 3.1, you should upgrade. Maybe wait a couple of weeks for the biggest bugs to be squashed, but do it. Why wouldn’t you? It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s a huge improvement on whatever version you’re using.

More: http://gizmodo.com/windows-10-meta-review-download-it-in-a-month-or-two-1720774235

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Does anyone actually use these "digital assistants" like Siri or Cortana? I honestly can't see the point of them

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Does anyone actually use these "digital assistants" like Siri or Cortana? I honestly can't see the point of them

It can be easier or quicker than typing.

But mostly it is useful when the voice recognition is the only interface for the very clever search and natural language processing engines thay they connect to.

 

[2hats]

...and a whole new set of invasive practices are ushered in with it...

Microsoft’s new small print – how your personal data is (ab)used

Microsoft has renewed its Privacy Policy and Service Agreement. The new services agreement goes into effect on 1 August 2015, only a couple of days after the launch of the Windows 10 operating system on 29 July.

Summing up these 45 pages, one can say that Microsoft basically grants itself very broad rights to collect everything you do, say and write with and on your devices in order to sell more targeted advertising or to sell your data to third parties. The company appears to be granting itself the right to share your data either with your consent “or as necessary”.

https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-print-how-your-personal-data-abused/

 

[Mungy]

was thinking about cortana and wondering if it learns browsing habits etc. can just see it now, got a mate around showing them my studio set up and cortana popping up saying "Hey Mungy, it's time for a wank. do you want me to go to big hooters again?"

it was funnier in my head. but better out than in, as my old gran used to say

 

[Dandred]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-10-upgrade-reinstall/

So, if I have to upgrade my mother board it will be a different device, right?

 

[Supine]

How big is the win 10 installation? Feasible for me to upgrade my lappy over a cafe wifi connection?

 

[gentlegreen]

Looks like I'd better plan on getting a new MOBO and CPU as well as graphics card - something good for at least the next 5 years ..

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

How big is the win 10 installation? Feasible for me to upgrade my lappy over a cafe wifi connection?

Just under 3GB

 

[5t3IIa]

does it actually say that? Done one which went ok, touchscreen laptop (which would be more useful) says update not available yet

Do you have a lenovo? I do, and no sign yet

 

[mwgdrwg]

My upgrade icon has disappeared this morning, it's been there for months. But still no upgrade as of yet.

Is it a sign?

 

[editor]

This looks like an essential tweak:

Bing2Google Redirects Windows 10's Bing Web Searches to Google
Chrome: Windows 10 brings a ton of sweet new features. Among them, you can now search the web directly from the Start menu. However, it will always use Bing. The Bing2Google extension for Chrome will redirect your searches to Google instead.

Once installed, this extension will redirect any Bing search in your browser to a Google search for those same terms instead. It will only work if Chrome is set as your default browser, and it won’t actually affect any results you get within the Start menu itself (like “what’s the weather like?” or “how many ounces are in a cup?”).

It’s worth pointing out that this extension will always redirect Bing to Google, even if you manually pull up Bing.com in your browser. While that may be all well and good for most people, Bing can occasionally do some things well, but you’ll have to temporarily disable this extension to use it.

Bing2Google | Chrome Web Store via Into Windows

 

[gosub]

Do you have a lenovo? I do, and no sign yet

2 tosh. wife has lenovo will ask her tonight (but shes terrible at installing upgrades, coz she works in IT)

 

[gosub]

This looks like an essential tweak:

Embedding Bing- an anti trust case in the making surely?

 

[5t3IIa]

2 tosh. wife has lenovo will ask her tonight (but shes terrible at installing upgrades, coz she works in IT)

I'm assuming it'll just get around to me at some point soon.

 

[editor]

Does anyone actually use these "digital assistants" like Siri or Cortana? I honestly can't see the point of them

I use the Android one loads. I askit what's on my TV and I often dictate messages and search terms. 'Tis handy.

 

[two sheds]

I don't think I could get past "What's the weather going to be today, Cortana?" without repeatedly smashing the phone with a mallet.

 

[dervish]

This looks like an essential tweak:

You can do this manually as well. Because MS copied google as much as they possibly could if you have a search in bing just replace the bit that says bing in the address bar with google and you get the google version.

 

[dervish]

I use the Android one loads. I askit what's on my TV and I often dictate messages and search terms. 'Tis handy.

Me too, the "Remind me to do X when I am/where I am" feature is amazingly useful.

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm now finally getting around to replacing my lost copy of Windows 7 ...
And it looks like I'll be building myself a new PC too.

 

[ruffneck23]

oh you love it really

 

[gentlegreen]

To be perfectly honest I've very little enthusiasm these days - I got burned in the past for being an early adopter and I unbox and install whole labs for my day job.
A lot less exciting than when I taught myself the basics of computing in 1986 by bolting things onto a ZX81 ...

These modern CPUs are so expensive I'm always nervous when building my home PCs.

I will almost certainly have to buy a new shelf unit to put it on too so I can use it efficiently .. I have to rip my entire CD collection over the next few years... and that will mean I'll have room to bolt on a second cheap monitor.

 

[RoyReed]

Anyone with a limited bandwidth connection might want to change some settings once Win10 has installed.

Windows 10 uses your internet connection to share updates with others across the internet. The feature, called Windows Update Delivery Optimization is designed to help users get updates faster and is enabled by default in Windows 10 Home and Pro editions.

http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/201...-your-bandwidth-to-send-other-people-updates/

 

[David Clapson]

My upgrade has happened. So easy. Looks good.

 

[gentlegreen]

Fecking microsoft.

Unsupported Product
The product key you entered appears to be for software that was pre-installed on a device. Please contact the device manufacturer for software recovery options.

I paid £70 for windoze 7.

 

[bi0boy]

I'm going to wait for LGA1151 and move to 64-bit before I do the upgrade. Upgrading to Windows 10 on my existing PC would feel like trying new shoes out for the first time by walking across a muddy field.

 

[two sheds]

Fecking microsoft.

Unsupported Product
The product key you entered appears to be for software that was pre-installed on a device. Please contact the device manufacturer for software recovery options.

I paid £70 for windoze 7.

Yours is marked OEM Copy and they don't support it? Mine is too and I was presuming that I wouldn't get it free either.

Only other possibility buy I don't know whether it's still open is to go on the Windows 10 Insider Track or whatever they call it. I read that you could theoretically do that and update it every month to keep it going.

 

[gentlegreen]

Luckily I appear to have copied my DVD onto my old boot drive

Phew !

I bought it on a DVD from DABS - just that I've mislaid the disk in my chaos ..

 

[gentlegreen]

This was only an issue because I wanted to do a clean install of Win7 on my upgraded hardware and had mislaid the disc.

So far all Microsoft have a problem with is my ancient graphics card

 

[weltweit]

Hmm, My Win7 came installed on the puter, I don't think I have any numbers or passwords or disks for it!