I refer to the pleasantly free offering from Microsoft to upgrade Windows 7 and 8/8.1 operating systems to the shiny new Windows 10 operating system for free. One might ask why Microsoft are offering up their latest flagship operating system to people for free? I say good question! In this blog, I will give you a few reasons as to why, and hopefully crush any fears you may have about making the upgrade.

The Windows 7 looks a little like the main screen of a smart phone, this is because Microsoft put all the eggs in the tablet basket a few years ago in an attempt to, out do the iPad (Didn’t quite work). This touch screen technology that was a big departure from the previous 20 years of Windows where the traditional desktop ruled supreme.

What you missed out on was the all important Start Menu, a feature of Windows forever, and in Windows 10 it is back, this is reason enough to upgrade if you ask me but there is, of course, more!

The best part of Windows 10 comes down to a return to the productivity familiars of previous Windows versions that Microsoft foolishly cut out in at attempt to align the operating system closer to the Apple iPad to sell tablets. In the past, there was a different version of Windows used on tablet devices but the “cutting down” of Windows 8 wasn’t well received by many users and Microsoft listened to them, and returned Windows to its former glory for Windows 10.

But why is it free? Is there something suspicious going on here!

Well no, not really. You may have heard about Windows 10 spying on you? With Windows 10 there’s no way to avoid uploading usage data back to Microsoft. It’s part of the license agreement, you know the one you don’t read but tick “I agree” when installing Windows 10 (Actually you don’t read any of those license agreements do you?)

While it is true that usage data is sent back to Microsoft, this data isn’t a security or privacy risk. Tin foil hat types will disagree but the only data being sent back to Microsoft is usage about the operating system itself, not your credit card numbers or web browser history.

The reason this data is being collected is to better serve you! Like all companies, they want to know what is and isn’t working when it comes to their product. The data Microsoft collect would be, for example, how many people use the built in calculator to do advanced mathematical functions or to just multiply or divide small numbers. This helps Microsoft to know if the calculator program built into the operating system needs to be changed to better suit usage patterns.

You Should Update To Windows 10

Yes, there is always a catch, the free upgrade will not last forever. Microsoft has said that July 2016 is the cut off point for free upgrades. On that note, you can only get a free upgrade if you have Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. Older versions of Windows are likely running on hardware too old for the new operating system anyway.

I have to say, in my honest opinion, you should upgrade for free before the timeline runs out. If you’ve been ignoring the Windows update messages about Windows 10, you should stop ignoring them, and look into upgrading soon. Remember to backup your important files first, and follow the instructions from Microsoft as you go through the process.

I’d love your thoughts on Windows 10. Please leave a comment in the comment section below.