Windows 10: Free W10 upgrade

Hi there

I agree with you about W10 looking too "appy" but you can delete most of (if not all) of the tiles. I also don't like the way a lot of modern programs are being designed with a "one type fits all" interface - I still like having menus etc especially when you are using large screens as monitors.

Why should a program look like it's being run from a 6 cm smart phone screen !!

Other than that W10 installs easily, seems to run most hardware decently and networking eventually can be made to work properly on the latest upgrade (1803). The latest upgrade plus how to install it can be found elsewhere - this is the standard copy that will ship -- not the Insider preview version if you want to try it.

For Linux there are loads of "lite" distros - depends though what you want the system to do. I use mine for file serving including multi-media and for setting up some windows desktops via openvpn .

For servers I don't recommend Windows - particularly desktop versions as someone needs to be logged on to handle things like VM's -- also Windows desktop clients aren't very friendly to being run "headless" - but as a desktop OS - apart from the "appy" look it has improved considerably -- and makes W7 look old fashioned and quite laggy by comparison.

Windows servers (unless you are using an evaluation / trial copy) are so pricey that unless you are a lottery winner forget them for home use !! Linux servers / distros are all FREE although support you'll have to manage yourself with help from Google and various 'nix Forums.

Cheers
jimbo

 

I've been using Windows 7 keys for ages to activate Windows 10 during install, (as you're probably aware it selects the version depending on the key you've used). Windows 8 keys are pulled automatically from the BIOS on OEM machines and again it activates with no issue.

I did notice though that if you install 10 first and enter the key for W7 after it usually won't activate..