I’ve been skeptical of new versions of Windows for a while. I was a die-hard XP user, and loved Windows 7, but my primary work PC for day to day computing was dedicated to a laptop running Ubuntu 14.04. While Ubuntu itself did not provide all of the software I needed, it allowed me to accomplish most tasks, while simply delegating Windows software to an XP virtual Machine. As the years rolled on, Ubuntu was starting to get on my nerves, with small annoyances and hardware incompatibilities. Even though I wanted to give Windows another try, I felt Windows 8 was a no-go.
While Windows 8 provided a wonderful interface for tablets and touchscreens, it was severely lacking on desktops, where screen space is in abundance and hidden menus are just plain unintuitive, so when Windows 10 brought back a proper start menu, I just had to try it.
Almost all of my complaints about Windows 8 were gone. No longer were desktop programs partitioned off to one interface, with apps requiring a complete paradigm shift to function in their separate environment. It was all combined into one desktop and app environment that actually makes sense. Though swipe gestures and a tablet mode are still available, the default desktop mode gives back a sane desktop interface for standard computing.
Small improvements are scattered about the OS, and the subtle animations make systems as new as Windows 7 feel downright dull. The best improvement, however, has been the performance increase. Boot times are extremely quick, apps open in the blink of an eye, and graphics performance in games is through the roof. This is all on a laptop produced in 2009. Games that barely ran in 640×480 on low in Ubuntu are flying along at 1280×800 in Windows, though this can be largely attributed to Intel’s poor OpenGL performance vs DirectX on integrated video chipsets.
Despite a few minor flaws, I would highly recommend upgrading to Windows 10. Though the free upgrade period is over, there are many brand new laptops and desktops that include Windows 10 which will provide even better performance than upgrading an aging laptop. We at CNet System can assist in migrating data from whichever system you currently run, and help get you into a brand new or refurbished HP laptop or desktop. Whether you need a high-end desktop for running the newest CAD, Photo or Video editing software, or just a laptop or tablet for long battery life on the go, we can help you select the best computer for your needs at an affordable price.