Windows 10 officially released on July 29, available as a free upgrade to any PC running Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 (excluding Enterprise editions). The operating system itself is great; it feels like a blend between Windows 7 and 8.1, while using fewer resources and looking sharper than ever. Added features such as a highly customizable Start Menu, a digital assistant named Cortana, and a sharp, simplified new web browser (Edge) makes it an appealing choice for many, especially for personal use computers. The upgrade process is simple and for the majority of users, hassle-free, making it seem like an easy decision for those eligible to upgrade.
However, since its release, there have been concerns creeping up, as it becomes evident how Microsoft intends to generate revenue in lieu of charging for the operating system itself. The Solitaire game, a Windows staple for years, can be found in the Windows store as a free app. However, users will quickly notice a new “feature” of the game – 30-second ads playing between each game. Of course, Microsoft allows you to disable these ads: by paying $1.49 per month, or $9.99 for the year, to upgrade to the “Premium” version.
Also now available is the Windows DVD Player application, which at $14.99 costs nearly as much as many DVD drives, the hardware that actually plays the DVD! It’s free for a limited time for those who upgrade to Windows 10, but will cost those who wait. (Of course, there’s always free alternatives, such as VLC.)
Finally, and perhaps most disconcerting, is the strategy Microsoft has taken with regards to user privacy. When most users install Windows 10, they will use the Express Settings, missing the much smaller Customize option. By doing so, in conjunction with enabling Cortana, the digital assistant, nearly every activity a user performs on their computer will get relayed back to Microsoft. This includes web history, email content, application use, time and frequency of usage, and even basic keystrokes in search fields. There’s more research to be done, but it appears to be extremely difficult to disable this data collection and relay entirely. How much of it is used to make things like Cortana work better, compared to how much is used to personalize advertising, has yet to be seen. But in an age of shrinking privacy, the default settings in Windows 10 do little to help those concerned with safeguarding their privacy.
There’s no doubt Windows 10 is a good release, from a functional standpoint. Applications work well, the design is slick, and performance is speedy. The upgrade process is simple enough, and a free upgrade is hard to ignore. Cortana is a useful digital assistant, very comparable to Siri on iOS. However, it’s important that people are aware of the true “cost” of the free product, and weigh the decision themselves on whether or not it’s truly worth it.
