Windows 10 is out .... are you trying to upgrade ?

Do you have grey hair ? ~ are you above 40 years of age ?did you use Computer in mid 1980s ? ….. [did you at some point of time say – no formal education in Computers but adept in handling ?!?!] …technology keeps changing and much water has flown under the bridge since … those days - handling a computer was  considered monstrous and complicated … with specialists keying in host of commands to make it respond ? … to put it mildly, to make use of the mighty giant with hoards of data, one needed closer to a magic wand to make it respond …. It required inputting in computer language – which was more than Greek and Latin to many …. those were the days of DOS.

MS-DOS was an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system during the 1980s -  till the arrival of the marvel called GUI (graphical User interface) (which was a repeat Q in most competitive exams and Quizzes)… the MS Windows stormed over……….. MS Windows is a series of graphical interface operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Microsoft. Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows in Nov 1985, 1985 as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal computer market ….

For many computer users, 13^thJan 2015, was not exactly a great day as Microsoft announced the end  of free support for Windows 7.  Luckily for those whose system still runs on Windows 7, it did not mean total stoppage  ~ but Microsoft no longer providing  free help and support – nor update or add any new features.  Microsoft  wanted its users to move to  Windows 8 instead.   The next generation of Microsoft's venerable operating system is Windows 10 -- they're skipping 9, for some reason !

Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. Officially unveiled in September 2014 following a brief demo at Build 2014, the operating system entered a public beta testing process in Oct 2014, leading up to and continuing through the consumer release of Windows 10 on July 29, 2015, and its release to volume licensing on August 1, 2015. To encourage its adoption, Microsoft announced that during its first year of availability, Windows 10 would be made available free of charge to users of genuine copies of eligible editions ofWindows 7 or Windows 8.1.

Windows 10 introduces what Microsoft described as a "universal" application architecture; expanding on Metro-style apps, these apps can be designed to run across multiple Microsoft product families with nearly identical code—including PCs,tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, and Xbox One, as well as new products.  Windows 10 also introduces Task View, a virtual desktopsystem, the Microsoft Edge web browser and other new or updated applications.  Unlike previous versions of Windows, Microsoft described Windows 10 as "service" that would receive ongoing updates to its features and functionality. The much-loved Start menu, which was removed in Windows 8 to much public outcry, has also made a return in the new software, as the US-firm looks to modernise and appeal to a new range of customers.

Criticism of Windows 10 was directed towards a belief that the operating system was more limiting in how users could control its operation.  There are some fears that Windows 10 would threaten one’s privacy.  It’s estimated that more than 14 million devices are running Windows 10 after Microsoft rolled out its new operating system last week.But an updated privacy statement released shortly afterwards says Microsoft can collect users’ information from private emails, address books and other files.The move has angered watchdogs which say it is ‘bad news for privacy,’ but Microsoft says it does not collect data without users’ consent.Within 45 pages of terms and conditions, the privacy information suggests Microsoft begins watching from when an account is created, saving customer’s basic information, passwords and credit card details, Newsweek reported. The tech giant is also said to save Bing search queries and conversations with Cortana [which is not available in India], as well as lists of which websites and apps users visit and the contents of private emails and files, as well as their handwriting.The privacy statement says: ‘your typed and handwritten words are collected.’

But one user has had a more embarrassing problem after installing the new software - the update automatically made his porn collection into a slideshow and used it as a screensaver. A Reddit user left his PC on overnight to update to Windows 10; his wife woke in the morning to find his porn collection as a screensaver – the pictures are automatically taken from the My Pictures folder to make slideshows that run on the screen when inactive…… even in a Microsoft mobile [perhaps in many smart phones] – the display shows in random all photos, which can be customised to show only one location or perhaps none at all !

Microsoft admits it is struggling with 'unprecedented' demand for Windows 10 as it reveals software has already been installed on 14 million machines – meantime, the incident seems to have landed the man in trouble with his wife, who was seemingly unaware of his porn collection.  The user had no idea of how to deactivate the feature, so reportedly  has abandoned the computer instead.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

5^th Aug 2015.