Everyone keeps telling me to upgrade to Windows 10

PamNorde

What do you think is the best course of action? I have been leery of Windows 10 since it came out back in 2015. Should I upgrade to Windows 10? Should I buy a MAC? I've heard Linux is safe alternative, but I don't know how to code.

PowerSpec_MichaelB

Welcome to the forum Pam. I think whether or not you should upgrade will depend entirely on how you use your system. If you simply use your system for gaming or simple web browsing, I do not see an issue with using Windows 7. If you are doing anything on your system that requires security, such as online banking, taxes, or managing any important information on your system, it's best to upgrade from a security standpoint.

It can be daunting to upgrade an OS as you essentially have to relearn everything all over again. Luckily there are apps and tools to help with that, such as Classic Shell, which helps make Windows 10 look like Windows 7.

Linux is definitely a great option, it just requires a much bigger learning curve. Depending on the applications you use, you may run into some compatibility issues and may need to find third party alternatives as their native installer may not work on specific Linux distributions. There are plenty of guides online for each available distribution of Linux as well as many different communities to help support your endeavors should you choose to go that route. I personally think Windows 10 with some customization would feel more familiar to you, but it's never a bad thing to try Linux out for a test drive. It might be a great experience.

Minoso

Welcome to the forum Pam. As Michael said, upgrading isn't a requirement but is a recommendation due to Windows discontinuing it as a product. This doesn't mean you have to upgrade as many people still use Windows XP to this day. The core reason for upgrading is that Windows will no longer support it with security updates and bug fixes for developers. This will push new and seasoned developers away from Windows 7 as without Microsoft's support, developing can be quite costly. With that in mind, if you have an antivirus and an updated browser like Chrome or Firefox, you should be fine. I say, so long as your applications continue to work, you're good to stick with what you prefer.

Mac is another operating system that if you've used only Windows, it may take quite some time getting used to. It does come with a plethora of applications to use but the hardware for macOS would be a bit more pricier. My best recommendation would be to try Linux as this will allow you to continue to use your current hardware and is free.

Linux has come quite a long way to meet the needs of most people and thanks to many developers, its moving towards gaming as well. The best part is you can try it without installing it. You would burn it to a CD or flash drive, plug it in and then boot from it. This will give you an idea as to how it runs on your computer and what applications may work for you. I highly recommend trying out Linux Mint. Its so user friendly and I've yet to find hardware that isn't compatible with it. Mint comes with plenty of applications for regular use like a browser (FireFox), Libre Office for various documents and looks similar to Windows in design. I've posted two images below to show my layout. You can customize practically everything and their support forum is great.  This version of Linux requires no coding to get it to work. Just a few questions to install if you want to go that route. You only need to install if you need persistent data, like installing programs or saving files to it. If you have questions regarding this, I'd be happy to answer them for you.

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