Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users

The Next Web ^ | 1/21/2015 | Owen Williams

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Free...I've heard this before....Windows Obama

[kevkrom]

In my experience, USB flash drives are fool proof in running installation programs.

Just be sure you check it before using it. I had a USB flash drive that had bad sectors, which caused no end of trouble.

[TomGuy]

How many other software programs and peripherals does Win10 kill?

I already know that their IE browser will kill several productivity add-ons/extensions I currently use with IE9. Those extensions are admittedly old, but they do not have comparable replacements.

Win7 64-bit would not recognize my Minolta laser printer and no one came out with an updated driver. I recall when XP came out, I lost the use of a printer and a scanner.

I even quit upgrading Win7 on my desktop and laptop because one of the upgrades crashed some other programs. Also, Firefox/Palemoon have upgrade problems. Adobe Flash does always like Firefox/Palemoon. Java upgrades conflict with other programs. I HATE UPGRADES/UPDATES. They create as many new problems as they resolve.

[Beagle8U]

Ok Thanks.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

I had one, but the hand crank broke.

[kevkrom]

Kind of. More like the antivirus folks who sell big packages to corporate IT departments and then allow employees of the company to install on their home PCs under the same license.

[aft_lizard]

I was able to fit it on a 8 GB flash drive.

[TomGuy]

Where can I get a copy of Win7?

Google is a wonderful search tool.

http://www.howtogeek.com/186775/how-to-download-windows-7-8-and-8.1-installation-media-legally/

and this:

http://www.techverse.net/download-windows-7-iso-x86-x64-microsofts-official-servers/

[aft_lizard]

No, according to the Keynote once you’ve installed it you get free upgrades for the life of the device. What they are saying in that sentence is that if you have a Win7,8,8.1 computer you have one year to take advantage of a free upgrade afterwards you would have to buy it.

[RansomOttawa]

Of course the welfare linux folks who think all software should be free won’t like it. But oh well, luckily they are a tiny minority.

*shrug* All the useful software for Linux is free for Windows, too.

[doorgunner69]

Any idea how big a flash drive this will need?

[LegendHasIt]

Could I just get a free DOWNGRADE from 8.1 to 7?

The more they ‘improve’ things, the less I like it.

[livius]

Good news! I think, basically, that they’re going to a model like the Apple (well, IPhone and IPad updates), which is that once you’ve bought it, they keep making incremental changes that you can install as you wish, with an occasional one that you must install to have new functionality.

That makes a lot of sense. Their old model was the “buy the CD or get the download” when your PC is no longer able to accommodate any of new programs, devices, etc. So this is a significant step ahead.

[RayChuang88]

The biggest problem with Windows 8 was the fact it default to the Modern tiled element interface, which was totally new and drove Windows 7, Vista and XP users to no end of frustration because you essentially had to learn a new interface from the ground up. Windows 8.1 partially cured that problem by giving the option to directly boot into Desktop user interface mode, but you still had to deal with the Modern user interface much of the time for certain functions.

With Windows 10, the default is now the Desktop user interface for desktop and "conventional" laptop computers, which means much easier transition from Windows 7, Vista or XP. Yes, the Modern user interface is still there, but it's designed to be far less obtrustive to end users.

[bgill]

NSA probably paid Windows to allow them a super duper secret back door into everyone’s computer.

[Buffalo Head]

Thanks for the post.

[Salvation]

*8Windows 8 being something I don’t much like. **

You’re not the only one!!!!!!!

[P-Marlowe]

You need to get out of your’s mom’s basement. And take off that tinfoil hat.

You trust Microsoft?????

[McGruff]

NSA probably paid Windows to allow them a super duper secret back door into everyone’s computer.

[MHGinTN]

Ah hah! So that’s where the microwave transmissions are coming from! I need to get my directional beeber to work on this immediately. This is hugh and series. Get the pancakes ready. Hide your sisters from the mooses. Cover Lazamataz’s eyes. This is series!