Windows 10, what's your take on it?

[tthurman]

I've been spending the last several weeks getting things ready, backing up files etc., just in case something gets botched during the upgrade process.

Admittedly I won't fully commit right out of the gate, but I'm anxious for sure.

[hansolo77]

I signed up for the free upgrade, then removed my offer. They don't have a Windows 10 Media Center, so that kills it for me. My computer is a DVR first and an "everything else" second. If doesn't have a way to record and watch TV, I'm not using it.

[Draco1962]

Yeah, 8.1 is the last to support WMC and that has to be purchased separately. I will lose that with the upgrade, but will use KODI for any HTPC needs in that regard.

[nullPointer]

I'm down for the upgrade! I already use NextPVR in combination with an HD Homerun for my PVR needs, and Kodi has me covered as far as the media center frontend. What can I say; I'm a sucker for free!

[tthurman]

They don't have a Windows 10 Media Center

I'm glad I never became dependent on WMC, but it would seem that in the day and age of cord cutting, that ms might be being a bit shortsighted on this one. It would seem poised for much more widespread use perhaps in the coming years. I get where you're coming from though!

I've been looking at integrating a silicondust product to distribute what I'm grabbing OTA to the rest of the house, the picture quality blows cable out of the water! We've been beaten into submission of subpar video quality. I won't get on a Comcrap rant though!

[Draco1962]

I think that MS is trying to concentrate more on the OS functionality while streamlining where 3rd party solutions exist.

[Kustom Kid]

For my primary computer I'm sticking with Win 7 for the same reason as Han. For the emulator box I'm going with Win 10. Almost everything works well on it so far. The only exception is the Fusion emulator. I'm hoping that will be fixed soon.

Once Silicon Dust's HD Homerun DVR releases I may switch my primary PC to Win 10. No matter how much I tinker with Kodi I can't get it setup how I want for DVR use.

[tthurman]

Sweet, I had no idea this was in the works!

[DazzleHP]

I think this a good move for MS - many of us are starting to despise their licensing practices (i considered them a joke years ago ) and people are waking up.

Admittedly i've not personally looked into this "free" upgrade, but understand that it works on a modular level? So, it installs a basic OS and then you pay for what you want? Something like that? If that is the case i think fair play - they have seen the light, at last, but at the same time think "it took you long enough".

There are better OS's out there that cost far less though, and you know it.

[Kustom Kid]

Sweet, I had no idea this was in the works!

Yes, sir. If it meets the W.A.F., and I can set it up properly, that's what I'll be switching to.

[hansolo77]

I never looked very far into those HDHomeRuns since I have 3 tuner cards installed in my HTPC (giving me like 5 tuners/recordings at the same time). Do they unscramble whatever digital service you're getting through your cable company? Right now, my tuner cards just receive whatever the cable provider is offering as a "no box" option for cable-ready tv's. However, we're getting the Digital/HD package for the Living Room and it would be nice to be able to pick up those channels. I'd like to learn more about this and maybe (just maybe) I'll reconsider my current HTPC design and swap out.

[tthurman]

Well if it's like Comcrap, you can only get a handful of channels without a digital adapter, and a digital adapter won't get but standard type cable channels 0 - 99, so to see all of extended cable you have to have their STB, which won't get HDTV, so you have to get a HD STB......blah blah blah, all at extra costs.

So yeah, you've got to have a CTV provided cable card if you're provider encrypts. At least this is how it is here.

[Kustom Kid]

The regular HD Homerun will pass through OTA and QAM (unscrambled cable) signals. It has 2 tuners.

The HD Homerun Prime uses a cablecard and can only receive that type of signal. It has 3 tuners. It also has a USB port is you need to use the (whatever it's called) box in conjunction with a cablecard.

[nullPointer]

I never looked very far into those HDHomeRuns since I have 3 tuner cards installed in my HTPC (giving me like 5 tuners/recordings at the same time). Do they unscramble whatever digital service you're getting through your cable company? Right now, my tuner cards just receive whatever the cable provider is offering as a "no box" option for cable-ready tv's. However, we're getting the Digital/HD package for the Living Room and it would be nice to be able to pick up those channels. I'd like to learn more about this and maybe (just maybe) I'll reconsider my current HTPC design and swap out.

As was stated by the other guys, you can do it, but it will depend on your cable provider. Honestly if you've got tuner cards that you're happy with, HD Homerun probably won't add a whole lot of extra value. The only additional functionality it would (probably) net you, is that it plugs directly into your network so all your computers can access it. It's a great piece of equipment, and I love mine, but it sounds like you're running a pretty decent setup already.

[hansolo77]

Yeah right now I have 3 tuner cards. 1 SD, 1 HD/SD Duo (hd=OTA) and 1 HD/HD (2 OTA HD). I tried connecting my cable to the HD ports, and it picks up the SD channels (thus giving me the 5 cable tuners) but only picks up like 2 "QAM" channels (HD Cable Channels). With a cable box in the living room, we don't receive any OTA (it's provided by the cable company) but it also provides HD "versions" of all the SD channels I can pick up, plus premium channels (HBO, Showtime, etc) and all the PPV/On-Demand, plus about 50 streaming music channels. Last I heard, they were willing to "negotiate" a special rate if you have a CableCard capable tuner (such as THIS) but the negotiation only goes as far as "you rent our card, and you can't have any other devices" (ie; cablebox or cableready tv) because it would interfere or some crap. So I gave up.

[tthurman]

Looks like MS is up to it's old tricks, they never learn.

If this turns out to be true, I'll stick with 7 and 8.1.

Articles are popping up everywhere reveling this "news", and I fully expect this to be completely ablaze until someone from the XBOX division reminds them of how these antics landed the One taking a backseat to the competition

[nullPointer]

Hmm ... this is indeed troubling information. I wonder if they will offer some sort of lifetime license? If so I'd prefer to opt out of the free upgrade and just grab a fully licensed version off TechNet. Hopefully this all becomes more clear in the days ahead. (It won't).

[RIP-Felix]

I knew there had to be more to this story. Nothing about Microsoft ever felt free / open source / selfless, in fact quite the opposite. At least up to this point there was a known entry price with predictable timetables. This is...um...Apple’s opportunity to capitalize on Microsoft’s suicide. At least it will probably still be cheaper than apple. Maybe Google should turn Android into a full fledged OS, go after the big boys with open source like we always hoped linux could.

IDK: I hate not knowing, but maybe the support packages won't be so bad (probably wishful thinking).

[tthurman]

I don't see this working, and who ever came up with it is crazy.

Say they do it, 2 years goes by, and there's all these Home Premium users saying "screw their update subscription", like people have stuck with XP for instance. Suddenly we have the single largest networked breeding ground for who knows what. MS could go down as single handily creating the largest DDOS attack mechanism in history.

I know educated people still using XP saying "I've got a firewall", WHAT ?!?!???!!

MS needs to write this off as a means to stay viable, make up for Vista, and make up for 8 (although I like 8 just fine). With any luck they'll have massive user-base support follow them, and they can start into a normal release cycle and leave the mess they created with the "to long of a development cycle post XP", behind them.

Instead, they are doing their best to chop their head off, or so it now appears.

I actually thought they had came to the senses to some degree, before this news obviously.

[/rant]

[tthurman]

Cancel your reservation

It would be nice if somehow we could start a snowball effect of everyone cancelling their reservations, just weeks not before launch to send a message.

They need to clearly define this, not some man behind the curtain crap,

With as many machines I have, I'd be better served to pull down a single installer anyway.

FWIW, You can add it back.

[RIP-Felix]

I'll be making an acronis image of my 7 install before upgrading, just in case the clowns van turns out to be not so fun after all. Free candy is a good pitch though.

[tthurman]

Another interesting article

Instead what the upgrade market represents is the most advanced, most vocal and most influential part of Microsoft’s user base. These people are the influencers. They help their friends with tech problems, advise on purchases and are disproportionately important in spreading positive or negative word of mouth. So give them Windows 10 Free.

I've felt this way for years, yet how many here have routinely subscribed to technet, while at the same time spend countless hours doctoring/fixing/upgrading computers for family in friends who just can't seem to escape the cycle of doing the same things in a not so recommended manner?

It's too bad nobody ever has succeeded to get Linux to take hold with the masses!

[DazzleHP]

I hate to say i told you so but...

I've been against MS for many years because of their licensing policies. Nothing is ever free with MS.... there is always a catch, an angle, some hook that will, in the end part you with some serious cash.

At the start of my forum membership i came here screaming Linux. I calmed down and backed off once realising this is not the place to do it. But now many of you have witnessed how fast it is, how efficient it is...

I've only ever kept a Windows partition because of the hold that DirectX has over the gaming market - i'm a gamer therefore i had no real choice. But with the help of Valve getting involved (Steam OS) and a more active Dev Community contributing to OpenGL, things are looking to change. More game devs are now including OpenGL support in their works than ever before.

Things are looking up, we could be on the precipice of change. Just stop giving your cash to greedy money grabbing corps, hell bent on draining you dry whilst delivering an inferior product.

/peace said

[tthurman]

It will take a lot, even with Gabe's boys! It's certainly not without vulnerabilities, the underdog status is what saves it from from being not so much the target.

<edit> it occurred to me that this came across as really negative, that wasn't the intent. It's just, man, they are such the 800 lb gorilla, and to displace Windows would require such a dramatic cultural change! That said, I'll be on-board should a strong contender rise to the occasion.

Edited July 13, 2015 by tthurman

[ExedExes]

I'm waiting for the bugs to work out of 10. No matter how reliable it claims to be, every Windows launch always has its issues. Heck, even the little "reminder" that MS has put in our taskbars has to be constantly updated!

Being a tech sort of guy, and being constantly in the field, I know I'm gonna get lots of questions from 7 & 8 users as to when to update.