5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Upgrade to Windows 10

windows 10 screenshot

In a previous segment, we covered the things Windows 10 does that make it score big with users. This next segment is for the naysayers who are not as enamoured as we are with this fancy new toy. The following issues arose as we acquainted ourselves with Windows 10:

Windows Media Center is missing in action

The demise of Windows Media Center doesn’t come as a surprise however as it was discontinued soon after the release of Windows 7. What comes as a surprise is the removal of DVD playback in Windows 10. Users still dependent on DVDs are left high and dry unless you consider the basic Windows DVD Player app an option (which we don’t). The disintegration of the entertainment applications is irksome to boot. The Groove Music app handles audio files, the Movies & TV app handles movies (Not sure how the TV part works) and the previously mentioned DVD Player app. Makes one wonder why Microsoft didn’t just merge all these apps into one for convenience.

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P.S: Windows Media Player is still around floating somewhere in the background. Microsoft has not yet bowed to mounting pressure to have it upgraded for Windows 10 though. Reason enough for users to stick with windows 7 that still has the Windows Media Center.

Cortana isn’t supported yet in Africa

 Our excitement over the prospect of using the much-hyped digital personal assistant were short-lived. Apparently Cortana isn’t supported yet in Africa and much of the world as it is. What else would entice one to upgrade to Windows 10? Windows 7 and 8.1 are as solid as they come and they don’t raise our hopes for nothing.

Windows Store: Not sufficient apps 

Microsoft has been trying to drum up support for its fledgling Store app for some time now to no avail. The adage, ‘’All that glitters…” comes to mind when one uses the Windows Store app. Solid apps are few and far between. Supposedly free game and utility apps offer only a few levels before one is required to upgrade to premium for more utility or to get rid of those pesky ads (Microsoft Solitaire Collection included). What sucks more is that installing the apps forces one to change from the local account into a Microsoft account otherwise some features might not work properly. This whole Windows Store business and forced Microsoft account login shows how upgrading isn’t worth the sweat.

Privacy issues: Big brother is over watching 

Microsoft appears to have taken more than a leaf from Google. The sheer amount of user information Microsoft is harvesting is finally raising eyebrows. Be it the various Windows apps or the Windows system itself, Microsoft has strategically modified Windows 10 to collect all manner of sensitive information back to its servers. Cortana familiarises itself with your mail, passwords, search queries, local and online files. All this private information swimming around on the web enticing hackers to access it is frankly an amateur move for any self-respecting security-conscious individual.

Forced Automatic Updates

Sneaky, sneaky Microsoft has been lambasted for shoving Windows 10 down the throats of satisfied users of previous versions (Which they later conveniently blamed on a bug). What choice is there in the system informing you that your copy of Windows 10 has been downloaded successfully (without your consent) so you might as well install it, thank-you-very-much.

Matter of fact, Windows 10 has no visible function for turning off automatic updates or the option to choose particular updates unlike previous versions.  This a bummer for those working with a limited MBs or not interested in half-baked patches prone to causing stability issues.

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Verdict

Are you comfy with your tried-and-tested Windows 7? Does 8.1 do it for you splendidly? Are you still on the formidable XP? If so, stay there! Microsoft has been a tad too liberal with their modifications on Windows 10 to side-line a number of users who much preferred how things were before.

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5 thoughts on “5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Upgrade to Windows 10

  1. Thanks Sydney all five are true.
    But, who uses media center? Have you tried groove? Did you know vlc is in the store? Have you tried plex or the xbmc forks?
    How can you miss cortana if you never had it? Is it available on windows 7?
    That “big brother is watching” subtitle smacks of poor research and click baiting. The truth is, Microsoft is only collecting telemetry. This can all be turned off if you know what you are doing (do you?).
    Given the vast security challenges, wouldn’t you like the latest patches? I have my system set to download all patches at 3am (Okwii’s nightly) and all I get is windows defender updates so I don’t know what you are worried about. How can you call it sneaky when GWS.exe is a blinking nuisance to all none windows 10 users? It is as sneaky as a fart in an elevator!!
    I loved Windows 7 and still miss it. That said, compared to the walled garden that is apple, I think Microsoft has shown restraint and good judgement in looking after its users.

    • I actually love Groove and use it on the daily. This was written especially for Windows 7 diehards. I personally never used Media Center so I don’t miss it but it had quite a following. Call it laziness; users normally don’t want to be bothered looking for better alternatives. I use Kodi which is XBMC. As for Cortana. I was excited about it until I realised we’d been left down. Dampened my spirits a bit. I laughed at the your ‘big brother’ reaction. But truth of the matter is, it’s all around us. Facebook does it, Google does it, Apple does it and so does Microsoft. I personally turn off such stuff because that’s what I do. But your average person wouldn’t know where to start.

    • I’m shocked! I have sold Windows like a salesman but Department of Defence! I wonder what David and his Linux will have to say about this.

  2. ummmyou need to revisit the reasons for not upgrading to windows 10. let me just go through each inbrief:
    1. The “issue” of media centre. With the moviea and TV app in windows 10, u will not miss the media centre. Also there are altenatives to play DVDs. Klite Mega pack is one such. and besides, not may pipo use DVDs nowadays with advent of flash drives and copying of movies on flash memory.
    2.Cortana not being supported in africa? Try this. Change your language and region to US and you should be ok with cortana. It will work seamlessly. You do not have to change your time to US.
    3.Windows store. Am not sure if you have recently visited the windows store! It has greatly improved and you can moreless find most of the basic apps u need. Games are in plenty and even free games are in plenty. Racing, adventure, arcade u name it. Check it out again please.
    In addition, it is wrong for you to say, you are forced to sign into a microsoft account whenever you want to download a game. You have an option to “log into app only instead” without having to change from a local account. Please revisit this wrong notion.
    4.Big brother watching. When setting up windows 10, there are options on privacy u have an option of leaving on, or u can customise. If you set up using express, then all privacy settings that make the PC check with microsoft are on. But you can use custom settings and change what you feel u are not comfortable about! Please check again before you post this.
    5.Forced automatic updates. COnsidering windows 10 is a Saas, or software as a service, it is only imperative for you to update as often as possbile to maintain the best experience. Remember it is a New OS built from down up and has new features being added that may or may not affect the way the old ones worked. Thus, with night bundles, you can subscribe for say 1GB for 2500 (on airtel) 🙂 and do all these updates. Start the updates and go to sleep. Your PC will be kept running smoothly due to thiese updates.

    Som please, windows 10 is way better than windows 7 especially with the fact that it is less prone to viruses, all apps that work on 7 work on 10, it is lighter to start up, it has the windows store that is your onestop shop for many apps, (if you have heard of windows 10s) and, it is easier to manage for IT personel.

    For anyone wanting more info about windows 10 and its tue benefits, please do contact me.

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