Why upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 10?

By Chris Sweeney, Consultant – Microsoft Systems Management and End User Computing, Data^#3

Following on from my article that explored why you should upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10, this second post focuses on current Windows 8.

Again, there are a number of compelling reasons why you should upgrade to Windows 10 and now is the time to start putting your transition plans in place.

User experience

The Windows 10 interface seamlessly scales to the device you’re using, providing a consistent user experience across all your devices – functionality that’s absent from both Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Touch users will benefit from full screen Universal Applications – a new feature which enables apps to be configured and deployed once only across a variety of devices– whilst desktop users enjoy the flexibility and scalability of controllable apps.

These user interface changes are designed to bridge the gap between touch and mouse/keyboard devices to improve user experience. This experience is especially realised on devices that have dual capabilities, such as the Surface Pro 3.

Start menu

Microsoft has re-introduced the Start Button for Windows 10, much to the delight of Windows users everywhere! The design and layout of the Start Menu is also greatly improved. Apps, nested folders and Live Tiles are well organised and easy to find, plus the ‘All Programs’ interface from Windows 7 is now included on the same screen as the updated layout for Modern UI applications. This introduces users to the dynamic nature of Modern Apps, while still providing a similar experience to launching traditional applications.

New features

Windows 10 offers users a range of exciting new features, including:

• Push Button Reset (where configured)
• In-place upgrade – Windows 10 neatly fits over Windows 8.
• BYOD support – includes different configurations to cater for different device requirements, including Azure Active Directory Domain Join.
• Seamless integration into Microsoft Consumer and Enterprise Cloud Offerings, including Windows Store, Azure Active Directory and other Microsoft Cloud Solutions.
• Efficiency – Windows 10 has a lighter footprint, which helps improve efficiency and extends the operational life of your hardware assets.
• Universal Applications – enables apps to be configured and deployed once only across multiple devices, saving your business valuable time and money.
• Enhanced security – Secure Boot, Multi Factor Authentication, Data Loss Prevention (incl. application containers for copying and pasting), and more control over Windows Updates.

Ready to upgrade?

Whilst the transition from Windows 8 to Windows 10 isn’t as seamless as the transition from Windows 7, it’s clear that Microsoft’s new operating system offers a host of great new benefits for current Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users.

To learn more about why you should upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 10, contact Data^#3 today.

We have lots more information about Windows 10.