This summer the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system was released. Probably because Windows 10 is offered as a free upgrade for users of Windows 7 and 8, many people have already upgraded. Do I intend to upgrade? Recall that, since I chose not to upgrade to Windows 8, I am still using Windows 7 on my main computer, as well as on my laptop.

First, my Windows 7 systems are suiting my needs wonderfully, and I love the OS. This makes me somewhat reluctant to upgrade. You should never mess with a working system. After all, it is likely that an upgrade will cause at least some sort of issue, and given my very full schedule, I would not fancy any extensive troubleshooting. In addition, since I am very used to Windows 7, I would probably need to relearn a habit or two.

Second, one of the reasons I did not like Windows 8 was that it appeared to be very integrated with the cloud and with social networking services, neither of which I like. I was also not impressed by the new UI. Instead, I got the impression that Microsoft was aiming at ‘teenager’ users who only use the computer to chat about silly things, share photographs with the world, and consume online advertisements. After all, ‘advanced’ software, like Microsoft Word (the real version of it), programming IDEs, and mathematical software still very much belong on the desktop. (In addition, I can’t stand the word ‘app’.) Although certainly nothing bad had happened to the desktop in Windows 8, this new direction made me uncomfortable. In Windows 10, there seems to be a bit more emphasis on the desktop, with nice additions such as virtual desktops and an improved command prompt, as well as the return of the start menu (even if it looks less usable compared to the Windows 7 version).

Third, I have to admit, I am a bit fond of Aero Glass, which was removed in Windows 8 and has not returned.

If there were only these three points, I would have considered upgrading. After all, most things would probably work out well, the desktop is still there (and some parts are even improved), and I would probably learn to live without Aero Glass. But, unfortunately, there is one more point:

Fourth, the multimedia capabilities of Windows 8 were reduced compared to Windows 7, since you could not play DVDs in Windows Media Player. It is not fun to upgrade to a less capable system, even if the loss is small (since you most often use Media Center to play DVDs anyway). The lack of new features in my favourite application Windows Media Center also made me worried about the application’s future.

And I was right to be worried: In Windows 10, Windows Media Center is removed. Apparently, even if you upgrade from a Windows 7 system with Media Center, the application is removed during the upgrade process.

Windows Media Center is a piece of software I use almost daily, and has done so for ten years. I mainly use it to record and watch TV streams captured using the computer’s internal TV tuner card, and I am really fond of it. Hence, I will definitely not ‘upgrade’ to Windows 10.

Another thing I might not like about Windows 10 is the continuous upgrade model. If I buy or build a new computer today, I would spend a lot of money making sure it suits my needs perfectly. I would build a friend and colleague I would work with daily for at least a decade or two. Then I want to be confident that it does not change automatically every now and then. Security upgrades are great, but not UI changes, addition or removal of features, etc.