Missed the Jul 29 deadline to upgrade Windows 10 due to one reason or another? And you still want to get hands on the latest Windows even after the deadline.
Microsoft had been offering free upgrade to the users of Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 7 since the launch of Windows 10.
Windows 10 has not been the commercial success Microsoft had hoped for and here are the reasons people refused the upgrade to Windows 10.
The promotion for free Windows 10 ended on July 29 and now costs $119 for upgrade but there is a loophole which allows you to upgrade to the latest version of Windows without having to pay anything. The upgrade is intended toward those who use accessibility features in Windows. Here's how you can still get you hands on Windows 10.
The process is actually quite simple. All you have to do is go here and check that you use assistive technology and hit the upgrade now button and get rolling with Windows 10. We are not sure if you should do this as the upgrade is only intended for the users with accessibility needs. However, if you are fine with it, you can go ahead and upgrade.
There is also another very nice loophole in which you just have to change the date & time of your system before July 29, the free upgrade prompt will reappear.
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Its been over a year since Windows 10 was launched and came as a free upgrade to the users of previous versions of Windows, though the free upgrade period has ended and now you have to purchase a license from Microsoft. Despite Microsoft's efforts, users still preferred to remain on the previous versions of Windows.
Though Windows 10 is decent OS but comes with flaws that just could not take it to the levels of the mighty Windows 7 and the legendary Windows XP!
Why is that? The Redmond Giant offering its flagship product for free was unheard of before, people should have flocked to get their hands on the latest Windows but it was not the case. When it was first released in 2015, Microsoft had a humongous target of running Windows 10 on one billion devices by 2018. So what hindered the fairytale dream of Microsoft? Here are the reasons.
Privacy Concerns
In my post, Reasons you should own a Linux machine, I discussed in detail about how Microsoft is spying on its users through Windows 10. Windows 10 terms and conditions clearly state that Microsoft will collect your data. Though, they claim they only use it to enhance user experience but why you should allow them to collect your data in the first place. Its absolute violation of privacy.
Forced upgrade
If you are a user of older versions of Windows, you may have noticed the annoying pop up that pops up every now and then and ruins your experience. Hell, many people have reported that their machines automatically restarted and upgraded to Windows 10 without any prior notice or warning. You need to look no further than the "Get Windows 10" campaign which forced a lot of users to upgrade without them knowing. This just goes one to show how desperate they are to lure the users into upgrading but in turn it put off the users and definitely did not help Microsoft in the long run.
Microsoft Store just continues to underwhelm and the universal apps that were introduced with Windows 8 just don't cut it. Many popular companies have pulled their apps from the Store and it just seems easier to visit the site and use their services. Microsoft Edge still carries a lot of bugs from Internet Explorer and other apps such as News and Weather are practically useless because it is just easier to access their site from the browser which also loads faster and with no lag. This was a big turn off for the users that were hyped to taste the latest Edge browser and the improved Universal apps.
If you are using Windows 7 and have stopped using Internet Explorer, you have to think whether it is worth upgrading to Windows 10, plus I can't think of any program or app that is compatible with Windows 10 and not Windows 7 aside from the fancy Universal apps and Edge which are practically useless. Or if you are a user of Windows 8/8.1, and have got used to the interface and are now satisfied with Windows 8, then you have to stop and think for a second, is it really worth upgrading? Absolutely not.
People just don't trust Microsoft
After the release of Windows 8, users who were previously using the wildly popular Windows 7 upgraded to Windows 8 were just disappointed by the changes Microsoft brought to the Windows and reverted back to the Windows 7 just didn't risk upgrading again from Windows 7 which is still the most popular OS in the world today. Hell, there is panic inside the company itself after an alleged developer admitted that Linux is way better than Windows. This is just bad for the public image of the company and people just don't trust Microsoft anymore and after the outcry of the privacy issues with Windows 10, things have gotten worse for the Redmond giant.
After disappointing experience with Windows 8 and now Windows 10, Microsoft products are not my cup of tea anymore and are not worth my time and money.
Tell us about your experience with Windows 10 in the comments section below and do follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
The Windows XP shutdown has come..and gone but millions of users are still holding on to the legacy operating system and refuse to upgrade, it is important for them to secure their systems.
Windows is not the go to OS when it comes to security and privacy of its users but if you are security conscious, I would recommend that you switch to Linux which is the most secure OS available.
We suggest following these points to secure your systems from outside threats.
1. Virtualize Windows XP
If you are still holding on to legacy applications or softwares and are stuck with Windows XP, it is better to virtualize and run Windows XP on top of a secure OS like Windows 8 and revert back to Windows XP when need be.
2. Avoid using Administrator account
According to a study carried out by Avecto, 92 percent of all critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft security bulletins can be exploited successfully only if the user is logged with administrative rights. Making users log in to standard accounts can minimize the overwhelming security risks.
3. Do not connect to the internet
If you are using software or apps or are using Windows in a manner that does not require internet connection, then don't connect to the internet to remain safe from all the harms that internet is hosting.
4. Turn off Autorun functionality
The easiest way to infect your Windows PC is turning the autorun feature on which will cause the executable files in the removable drives to run automatically and in turn infecting your system.
5. Do not use Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer supported for Windows XP is very vulnerableand the latest, stable and secure version comes with the latest version of Windows, so it is very wiseful to use either latest version of Chrome or Mozilla Firefox or Opera which is my personal favorite. ALSO READ: Microsoft developer admits Linux is faster than Windows
6. Use available security features of Windows XP
There are still security features available in Windows XP which of course are not upto today's standards but can keep you relatively secure if you are following above precautions. For example, make sure, firewall is turned on and you have the latest Microsoft Security Essentials.
Final Thoughts
Windows XP support ended in 2014 and Windows XP is now legacy OS, if you have sensitive data on your machine, then you should definitely upgrade to the latest version and better yet switch to Linux. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to keep updated with latest guides, headlines and expert opinions.
Please feel free to express your opinions in the comments section below.
Linux Operating System is the 3rd most popular OS followed by Windows and macOS and is rapidly increasing its popularity. There has never been a better time to own a Linux desktop or laptop.
Technically, Linux refers to the kernel not the operating system itself. It is just a kernel andthought of a full OS when combined with GNU Tools and a bunch of other things. When Linus Torvalds invented Linux kernel, he never would have thought that it will transform to the revolutionary OS that it is today.
There is a common misconception among people that only skilled and tech savvy can operate it. This statement can not be more wrong. Yes, there was a time when you had to learn the Command Line Interface (CLI) to operate. Unless you had been living under a rock, that time has passed and anyone can learn to operate it and believe me, you will find it easier than Windows.
Here are the reasons that you should use Linux as your primary OS.
Linux is way simpler and faster than Windows, and that's old news. That is the reason that Linux runs on 90% of the world's Super Computers. Even anonymous Microsoft developer recently admitted that Linux is far faster than Windows. Windows can afford to be slow, complex and laggy and optimization is not the commercial priority for Windows. Linux is lighter in weight than Windows and the other reason is that Windows has a lot of apps and services running in the background which manufacturers somehow think are useful to the end users, but it results laggy, slow and generally not so likeable experience. The irony with Linux is that people are not aware of its existence, they only know of Windows or Mac and most of them can not afford Mac so they are stuck with using Windows.
2. PRIVACY
The biggest issue facing Windows users is privacy. When Windows 10 was offered as free to its users, reports started rolling that Microsoft's generosity was just a cheap excuse to track its users and collect data. There are many guides and forums you can find on the internet that claim they fix privacy issues but they do not really fix the issue. You just cannot allow Microsoft or anyone for that matter to track your every action even if they are only using to enhance the end user experience Plus, Windows is is very prone to viruses which we will discuss later in the article. If you are concerned with privacy and don't trust Microsoft, then there is no other viable option other than Linux and hasn't got any of theses issues.
3. MORE SECURE
Windows and Mac, both are very prone to viruses, if a user downloads an e-mail with an attachment and that has a virus, all the user has to do is run the file and end up infecting the system but on the other hand, Linux has tougher program permissions and would require the user to give the program more permissions before it gets a chance to install anythingand if in case, virus ends up installed, it will only spread to the local files and folders and system wide damage is saved because users are given lower access. And if a virus or a bug goes public, millions of people all over the world help and try to patch it up. That is the power of open source.
4. NON-AGGRESSIVE UPDATES
This is one of my favorite aspects of Linux. In contrast to Windows, Linux don't force its user to install updates and you can stick with your OS for as long as you like while Microsoft has been forcing its users to install Windows and with Microsoft giving away with Windows 10 for free to Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 7 users, the pop up that pops up every damn time you are doing something important and ruins the entire user experience. Instead of helping, the situation has worsened Microsoft's public image. There have been many cases where Windows 10 was installed without the user's consent.
5. LINUX IS FREE!
Yeah. You heard me. Linux comes free of cost, you don't have to pay a single penny to install Linux unlike Mac or Windows which require you to purchase a license, and when a new version of OS is released, you have to pay the whole amount to get the new version. This is awful really.
6. FAST EVOLUTION
Windows Vista appeared five years after Windows XP and was a big flop and it took three years for Windows 7 to pop up which personally I am a big fan of and is not the most popular OS today for no reason. So practically, we had to wait eight years for an OS upgrade. On the other hand, most Linux distro are updated every 9-12 months.
There is large variety of Linux distributions to choose from. Based on your taste, you can choose a distro and run with it. Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian, Fedora, just to name a few. And if you are not satisfied with a certain distro, you always have an option to jumship to another unlike Windows.
8. NO NEED FOR DRIVERS
Linux distros come packed with all the drivers installed. You just have to plug and play. This is one of the reasons live CDs work so well.
9. THE BOTTOM LINE
I am a very big fan of Linux and just can't emphasize enough that Linux is the OS for you. Come on guys! Just install the damn thing.
See this video below.
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Anyone who have used both Linux and Windows know that Linux is way faster than Windows. But now an alleged Microsoft developer has also admitted that Linux is faster than Windows and explains the reason for it.
Its no news that Linux is faster than Windows but now an alleged Microsoft developer has admitted that it actually is the case.
He opened by saying "Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in may scenarios, and the gap is worsening. The cause of the problem is social. There's almost none of the improvement for its own sake, for the sake of glory, that you see in the Linux world."
The alleged programmer wrote:.
Granted, occasionally one sees naive people try to make things better. These people almost always fail. We can and do improve performance for specific scenarios that people with the ability to allocate resources believe impact business goals, but this work is Sisyphean. There's no formal or informal program of systemic performance improvement. We started caring about security because pre-SP3 Windows XP was an existential threat to the business. Our low performance is not an existential threat to the business.
See, component owners are generally openly hostile to outside patches: If you're a dev, accepting an outside patch makes your lead angry (due to the need to maintain this patch and to justify in shiproom the unplanned design change), makes test angry (because test is on the hook for making sure the change doesn't break anything, and you just made work for them), and PM [project manager] is angry (due to the schedule implications of code churn). There's just no incentive to accept changes from outside your own team. You can always find a reason to say "no", and you have very little incentive to say "yes".
There's also little incentive to create changes in the first place. On linux-kernel, if you improve the performance of directory traversal by a consistent 5 percent, you're praised and thanked. Here, if you do that and you're not on the object manager team, then even if you do get your code past the Ob owners and into the tree, your own management doesn't care. Yes, making a massive improvement will get you noticed by senior people and could be a boon for your career, but the improvement has to be very large to attract that kind of attention. Incremental improvements just annoy people and are, at best, neutral for your career. If you're unlucky and you tell your lead about how you improved performance of some other component on the system, he'll just ask you whether you can accelerate your bug glide.
He also said that Microsoft is losing its top talent to other companies like Google.
This is very bad news for Microsoft that its own talent is saying that Linux is the clear winner in the never-ending war between Linux and Windows.
Please feel free to express your opinions in comments section below.
HP has revealed the the pricing of upcoming Elite x3 Windows 10 smartphone.
If a report from Italian site Plaffo is to be believed, the phone will be launched in September with a price tag of €699 or $770at current exchange rates but HP is yet to officiall announce the details. Source: Plaffo Please feel free to express your opinions in the comments section below.
