If Windows 10 is so great, why wait?

On July 29, Windows users running Windows 7 and up became eligible to upgrade to Windows 10, which looks to be a significant improvement over Windows 8 and 8.1, for free.

This is great news, so why are we urging business users not to take the upgrade plunge immediately? Here are three reasons why:

1. Every new OS will have bugs. Period.

Sometimes these bugs are harmless, but sometimes they can be pretty debilitating, causing lost time and productivity. Waiting a few months to upgrade gives the vendor (i.e., Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc.) time to release updates and patches that make the OS mature enough for business use.

2. Compatibility with third-party apps

Even an OS that starts out life with relatively few bugs may still pose an issue for the third-party applications you use to run your business. In a perfect world, software vendors would get together and hash out the compatibility issues involved with a change in OS before release. This isn't a perfect world. Again, waiting to upgrade gives third-party vendors time to release updates that address compatibility issues.

3. Learning curves

A new OS often imposes a learning curve on users. Windows 8 was a prime example of this, as the OS fundamentally changed the way users interacted with their files and applications. But even smaller, more incremental upgrades, like that between Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, do change certain aspects of the ways people use their devices. Waiting to upgrade allows users to be strategic about allowing time to get used to the changes a new OS brings.

So how long should you wait to upgrade to Windows 10? And what about Microsoft's reservation system?

Usually, it takes operating systems anywhere from around 3 to 6 months to really mature to the point where it's safe for business users to upgrade. If you partner with 3n1 for your technology needs, though, we'll let you know when it's safe for you to upgrade. We do our homework and test each new OS as it's released to make sure an upgrade will enhance rather than hinder our clients' productivity.

Also, it's important to note that, as pictured below, eligible Windows users have been prompted to "reserve" their free upgrade to Windows 10. Reserving an upgrade means that the user's system will start downloading bits of the new OS in the background, so that it will be ready to install when it's ready from Microsoft (especially so soon after its release, Microsoft is rolling the upgrade out to users incrementally). It's not necessary to reserve a copy, though, as eligible users will be able to run the free upgrade for 1 year after the release.

So, if you haven't reserved a copy of Windows 10 yet, it's probably best to just hold off, just to make sure you don't inadvertently install the upgrade before you're ready. Or, if you've already reserved or choose to reserve your upgrade, just be sure to choose not to actually install the upgrade immediately.

Have questions? Give us a shout here, or in the comments!