It worked very well on tablets, but it was separate from the desktop environment it inherited from Windows 7. In fact, Windows 8 added a whole new secure and sandboxed operating environment with different apps, a different programming model, and a completely different user interface. The usability problem was, of course, that Windows 8 was designed for new touch-screen computers and tablets, and wasn’t as easy to use with old keyboard-and-mouse-based desktops and laptops, ie Windows’ 1.6bn installed base.
On this basis, I expect Windows 10 to do well, since it mostly fixes the basic usability problem with Windows 8 – which Windows 8.1 merely ameliorated – while adding other refinements. Sometimes this involved major changes to the user interface – in a car analogy, the engine stayed the same but the dashboard and controls got a makeover.Īll the refined versions of Windows have been very successful, because most users don’t have a clue about operating systems: they judge them by their interfaces. Historically, Windows 3, Windows NT3.5, Windows 95, Windows 2000, Vista and Windows 8 all introduced fundamental changes to the operating system, while Windows 3.1, NT4.0, 98/SE, XP and Windows 7 mainly refined and polished their predecessors. Some are innovative and break new ground, while others fix problems and add polish to earlier versions. There’s no logical reason why suppliers should dump them at low prices. But Windows 8.1 laptops already have both, and won’t need anything new to run Windows 10.
Your old Windows 7 laptop lacks the touch screen for “modern” (formerly Metro) apps, and the fast start-up. The other important change was to swap the old 1981-vintage BIOS for the UEFI system that enables Windows 8 PCs to be turned on and off with a power button, and wake up from sleep in a second or two, much like a tablet. Manufacturers have already made the significant changes needed for Windows 8, most obviously by including touch-sensitive screens as standard.
People who want to upgrade from Windows 8 (and earlier) will need to download and install the new operating system from a DVD or perhaps a USB thumbdrive.
The small catch is that the Windows 10 update will only apply to Windows 8.1, not to Windows 8. However, I expect the upgrade from Windows 8.1 to 10 to be as simple as clicking the install button when it’s offered by Windows Update, just like the upgrade from Windows 8 to 8.1. This wasn’t a perfect solution because buyers still had to obtain and install the new software, which required some effort.
Traditionally, Microsoft has helped PC manufacturers to maintain sales, and therefore prices, by providing free upgrades for laptops bought within a few months of the launch of a new version of Windows. Indeed, it could tend to prolong the active life of older laptops by making better use of their processor and memory chips.
Second, Windows 10 runs on the same hardware as the current Windows 8.1, only better. I don’t expect this summer’s launch of Windows 10 to have a significant effect on the price of laptops, for two reasons. Based on how I use my laptop, I think I’d find Windows 8.1 hard to get on with.
I’m currently using Windows 7 on a five-year-old Toshiba Satellite L500-1WG.
Should the launch of Windows 10 affect whether I buy now or wait in the hope that vendors sell off older models cheaply? Given that it might be a free upgrade, I’m wondering if this changes what normally happens before a large upgrade. I want to buy a new laptop for general purpose family use.