Windows 10 launch

The release of Windows 10 on the 29th July is now getting very close. The upgrade will be available to people shortly after the 29th as Microsoft will first be rolling out the finished version to those who have been participating in the Windows Insider program and testing pre-release versions of the software (as some of our techs have been doing). Once that has rolled out the general public will then be able to upgrade to Windows 10 via Windows Update in the following days. No exact date is given, and Microsoft will be rolling it out in waves so not everyone will get it at the same time.

As a reminder all current devices running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 are eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 within the first year.

We want to point out however that our customer’s environments should be assessed before jumping into the Windows 10 upgrade. It’s important that all applications your business relies on are compatible with the new operating system. While most systems should work fine (as the compatibility with Windows 8.1 is very high), we have had some software suppliers advise that their applications have issues working with Windows 10. Please talk to us if you wish to upgrade so we can assist you and help ensure business interruption is minimised.

Microsoft has announced a number of different editions of Windows 10, but there will be three main versions that most of you will see. They are:

• Windows 10 Home - this is designed for use in PCs, tablets, and 2-in-1s. It includes all consumer-directed features and is the equivalent to basic Windows 8, 8.1, Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium.
• Windows 10 Professional – This is the version most of our customers will be using. It is comparable with Windows 8 Pro, Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate and Windows Vista Business and Ultimate. It builds on the Home edition and adds features essential for businesses, and functionality-wise it is equal to Windows 8.1 Pro.
• Windows 10 Mobile – designed for smart phones like Microsoft’s Lumia range. It will be a free upgrade for current Windows Phone devices. New hardware will also allow features such as continuum, which allows you to dock your phone and use it like a computer with a screen, keyboard and mouse.

There are also other editions for scenarios outside of our customer base such as large enterprise, education, and IoT Core (where a version of Windows 10 can run on low cost embedded computers like the Raspberry Pi).