Windows 10

esuhl

50Twuncle wrote: »

I was wondering why MS should suddenly decide to offer Windows as FREEBIE to all and sundry - after years of charging around £100 per installation ?
Are there ulterior motives or are they just being "nice" ?
When you think about the potential costs/losses to MS, I am unsure ....

It's not a freebie to all and sundry -- only for those wishing to upgrade from Windows 7/8 within the first year of release. Everyone else has to pay.

Businesses don't prosper just by "being nice", so clearly Microsoft have made a strong business case for giving away free upgrades.

Firstly, if everyone is using the same rolling-release OS, Microsoft won't need to have multiple teams (in future) working on different versions of Windows.

Secondly, MS can promote a "seamless experience" between devices as Windows 10 will work on phones, tablets and PCs. It's good brand promotion and consumers may find it easy/convenient/desirable to use Windows 10 across multiple devices -- giving MS a way to properly break in to the mobile device OS and app market.

Thirdly, MS will make money from advertising revenues -- some features of Windows, such as playing Solitaire, now require you to watch unskippable video advertisements. And the OS uses a tracking ID so that advertisers can track you and target you directly.

Fourthly, MS will make money selling mobile-style apps.

Finally, Windows 10 hands over a lot of private data about you to Microsoft. If you use all the features in Windows, MS will know your calendar events, the contents of your emails, the programs you use, the people you contact, the adverts you've seen, the places and products you've searched for, the SSIDs and passwords of the wireless networks you connect to, etc., etc. Such information is invaluable at working out who you are and how to make you buy stuff. Microsoft presumably have profitable deals with government security agencies, so again they can further profit from selling your data.

Regardless of whether you like the OS and whether you're concerned about the flagrant disregard for users' privacy, I think Microsoft have a lot to gain by switching users to upgrade from Windows 7/8 to 10.

Fightsback

esuhl wrote: »

Regardless of whether you like the OS and whether you're concerned about the flagrant disregard for users' privacy, I think Microsoft have a lot to gain by switching users to upgrade from Windows 7/8 to 10.

Even the very pro Microsoft Peter Bright at Ars is uncomfortable with what's coded in:

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/even-when-told-not-to-windows-10-just-cant-stop-talking-to-microsoft/

Sharon87

Looking at the problems people have been having with Windows 10 I have decided to stick with Windows 8.1 - I'm now used to using it and my computer is error free so why would I upgrade? I tend to wait until companies have sorted out teething issues before I buy the product/upgrade anyway! I never update my iPhone within the first couple weeks of release, I usually wait for any bugs to be sorted out first!

I don't see the desire to have the latest upgrade anyway! As long as I have a functioning computer or phone I'm happy!

VoucherMan

I may be better starting a new topic for this, but I'll see if those still following this one can help first. It isn't just Windows 10 related after all.

I've been following this topic for a while now, probably since it started, but I can't remember. Anyway, I decided to put off updating Until the end of August when I have a few days off. That hopefully leaves time for a few bugs to be sorted, any major negativity to be aired, and responded too, and I'll have enough spare time to sort any issues that may arise.

Meanwhile the update notification was annoying me, and I thought I'd try 'preparing' for the update in the hope it would remove the icon.

Here the mistake started. Having downloaded the files already, I tried to schedule the upgrade, thinking I would put 1st September, and be left in peace for a few weeks, but discovered I could only choose from the next 3 days! Even worse, I could find no way to exit. I decided the only way out was to shut down the PC.

Since then I have been unable to add, or check for any updates.

When I open the Windows Update page via Control Panel I get



The message is still there after I've re-started, and if I try 'Check for updates, I get



Occasionally after restarting I get a popup



but clicking that gets the same result as the Get Windows 10 icon.



and OK, lets continue gives me between 2 and 5 minutes of



followed by




So in brief, I can't update Windows 7. I can't upgrade to Windows 10. I can't get out of the loop it's stuck in.

I'm sure there's a way to reset the upgrade settings, and I could probably do a system restore which would hopefully fix it, but I'm hoping for a simpler option.

custardy

Can you uninstall the update(s) from windows update?

VoucherMan

custardy wrote: »

Can you uninstall the update(s) from windows update?

That sound like a simple enough option for me. I'll give it a try when I get home.

50Twuncle

My Win 10 laptop has decided not to display the "connected to the internet" / steps symbol on the notification area - instead, it shows the "not connected symbol" with a red cross - but it IS connected !! Weird huh ?

Where have they hidden the "show icon in notification area when connected" in Win 10 ?

JJ_Egan

Usual place on the RH taskbar for normal PCs .

Try system notifications .

50Twuncle

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Usual place on the RH taskbar for normal PCs .

Try system notifications .

I know where the taskbar is - I can't bring up the system notification option though !!

50Twuncle

Found it - it is the right hand icon on the bar itself !!
Sorted !!