Windows 10 is here! – II

After all, tech journalists have been predicting the demise of these devices, as they’ll supposedly give way to the more modern devices of tablets and smartphones. This is definitely a legit disposition. However, let’s face the facts: Not minding the significant encroachment by smartphones and tablets, laptops and desktops will not be disappearing soon, because […]

After all, tech journalists have been predicting the demise of these devices, as they’ll supposedly give way to the more modern devices of tablets and smartphones. This is definitely a legit disposition. However, let’s face the facts: Not minding the significant encroachment by smartphones and tablets, laptops and desktops will not be disappearing soon, because of the crucial, mostly productivity-driven, purpose that they serve.
Certain tasks or projects will always call for them. These tasks include those requiring a significant amount of computer power and storage space, graphics/image processing, large-scale document or computer program generation, virtually all types of engineering analysis, accounting, document management, database management, and so on. Also, the sheer size of the monitor is an attractive feature for many. Things just get pretty cluttered on a cell phone, making the system quite awkward, if not impossible, to use in many mission-critical scenarios. (Most studies have shown that larger screens can make you more productive!).
Mr. Victor Rios, VP for Desktop, Workstation and Visual Business at Lenovo, appears to agree with my position on this issue: “Desktop users are fully productive all of the time. In other words, desktops are consumption devices, but also creation devices. Laptop users are fully productive, half the time. Laptops are also creation devices but the mobile nature of laptops means that users cannot always be productive when they are being mobile. Tablet and other mobile connected devices are less creative. It is very difficult to create a presentation or respond to a proposal on a tablet device, much less create a 3D render of the latest supercar! So users tend to resort to tablet devices for consumption of information.” Storage space factors and raw computing power are simply in favour of desktops, as it is just difficult to endow smartphones (and even tablets and, to some extent, laptops) with the storage space and power you need for many tasks.
I hope that I have convinced you that desktops and laptops are still relevant. Want to know how I feel about buying versus getting a new machine in light of the new (Windows 10) operating system (OS)? Easy, I’ll just get a new desktop or laptop rather than upgrading from my old computer. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, it is likely the case that your device has seen a few years. Second, for some weird reasons, things always seem to go wrong with major updates like the one in question. Full backward compatibility, even though promised, is always an issue. After all, getting you to purchase a new laptop or desktop in order to fully exploit the new features of Windows 10, is probably the intent of Microsoft.
Moreover, Microsoft Hello (see below) may not work, except on a new computer, as it is said to require a specialized illuminated infrared camera for detecting or recognizing faces, and a finger print reader for use with biometric may not yet be ready. Also, Continuum (see below) for phones will be available only on selected models, and Cortana (see below) will be available at launch only in selected markets.
How much will it cost you to upgrade? If you use a Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PC or laptop, you can register with Microsoft to get a free upgrade up till 28 July 2016. However, the Enterprise editions don’t qualify. Also, if your machine is running Windows Vista or XP, or you carry a pirated copy of Windows, you will not be able to upgrade. Devices running Windows RT (Microsoft Surface RT or Surface 2) will also not be able to upgrade to Windows 10. The upgrade you get will be good for the life of your device. If you are not eligible for a free upgrade, for example, if you are still using Windows XP, you may opt for an individual license. In the U.S., Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro will cost you $119 and $199, respectively to upgrade. Outside the U.S., the rumored corresponding prices are $156 and $262.
The new features
In Windows 10, you’ll get back the familiar Windows Start menu, which disappeared in Windows 8. Richard Adhikari in his 1 June 2015 article on the subject describes the interface problem with Windows 8 in a way that I like: “Windows 8 was a bold reimagining of Microsoft’s operating system, but the Start screen proved contentious. The colorful Live Tiles offered useful notifications and information, but they were designed with touchscreen devices in mind: much of the work we do in Windows involves keyboards, mice and large displays chock-full of windows and apps. Windows 8’s Modern apps demand a full screen’s attention, oblivious of our need to multitask. The Windows 10 Start menu gives us the best of both worlds.”
The features in the new OS also include Microsoft Cortana – the personal digital assistant, which is Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri. There is also Windows Hello, which greets you by your name and has the capability for barometric authentication so you can log into your PC without a password. Microsoft Edge replaces Internet Explorer, and has been built from the ground up in Windows 10. One interesting feature of Edge is the ability to annotate Web pages directly. Thus, you can draw and type notes on web pages, as well as clip sections that interest you into OneNote. Continuum may as well be the game-changer, allowing you to switch from the desktop mode to the tablet mode, and vice versa. Windows 10 also runs Office 2016 suite.