Have you heard about Windows 10? It’s on the horizon, becoming available on July 29th. And for the vast majority of PC users it’s a completely free upgrade for first 12 months. However even though you probably CAN upgrade, it’s not immediately clear if you SHOULD upgrade. So we’ve looked into the available information, so you can make an educated decision.

What does history tell us?

How likely is Windows 10 to be a dud? Well, for the last 18 years Microsoft has shown a pattern when releasing new operating systems. For the average user Microsoft’s new versions of Windows have alternated between hit and miss:

1. Microsoft releases an OS that refines on the lessons learned from the previous release (Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows 7).
2. Microsoft attempts to push into the next generation of personal computing with a new OS, and falls short (Windows ME, Windows Vista, Windows 8).

Assuming Microsoft continues to follow their pattern, we can expect that Windows 10 will be a strong new edition of the Windows operating system. They’ve humbly admitted the mistakes made with Windows 8, and seem to be giving the average desktop user due consideration in Windows 10’s design.

What are the benefits of Windows 10?

Microsoft has been pushing onto their newest and best systems for some time now. Last year support ended for Windows XP. Now they’re giving free upgrades to Windows 10, even to users with illegitimate copies of Windows 7 and 8.1(users with illegitimate copies of Windows 7 and 8.1). But why should you do what Microsoft wants?

Better Support

Microsoft has said that Windows 10 is the “last version of Windows”. This effectively means they don’t plan on abandoning it, and they’re focussing on making Windows 10 the be-all and end-all of PC usage. They’re shifting from “Windows as a product” to “Windows as a service”. It’s likely that a very significant amount of users will be taking advantage of the free upgrade. As a result of all this, Microsoft has every reason to be providing the best possible security updates, bug fixes and improvements for their new system.

New Features

With Windows 10 comes a host of Microsoft’s new innovations that you might find useful. Some of the interesting new features include:

• A New Menu: Learning from the widespread disapproval of Windows 8’s menu, Microsoft has gone back to their roots with a classic start menu… with a twist. You can pin certain applications to the menu with “live tiles” that give you little snippets of information: news, weather, deals and more.
• Cortana: Essentially a replacement of the operating system’s search function, you can use Cortana to search your computer, OneDrive account, business network and the web with text or voice commands.
• Microsoft Edge: Replacing Internet Explorer, the new browser Microsoft Edge (also known as Project Spartan) aims to take web browsing to new heights. It features some interesting abilities, such as being able to draw on web pages for your personal use and integration with Cortana’s voice controlled search.

Who Gets the Free Upgrade to Windows 10?

Most versions of Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 for the first 12 months. However businesses with enterprise editions of Windows will need to consult a Microsoft representative or retailer to discuss available options. Microsoft has provided the following tables to see what edition you’ll be able to upgrade to from 29th July 2015 to 29th July 2016.

If you’re looking to upgrade to Windows 10 from any of the above versions, update your current version of Windows to the latest version. An icon will appear up in the bottom-right corner of your screen, on the taskbar.