Tag: Linux Mint



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It feels herky-jerky like a preview version of an operating system, but the second time was the charm as Windows 10 is now up and running on this older, Asus value laptop. Value is the new word for inexpensive or cheap, but the more suitable adjective is entry level. No matter what you call it, Microsoft said Windows 10 would run on this and it is. But it took a fresh install of Windows 7 first to get it working after the initial Windows 10 installation failed to launch.
We don’t have time for things like system upgrades and updates to not work. I recall a recent, short conversation with someone who told me he didn’t have time to talk to me. I said, “Alright, have a nice day.” Everyone is busy, sometimes too busy to even have a brief chat. But, hey, I understand.
We start more things than ever these days that don’t get finished. I could have left Windows 7 on this thing for quite some time before being forced off of it. I am always prepared to return to either Linux Mint or Ubuntu if all else fails. But, I wanted to see if Microsoft really does free better than Apple. For me, the answer is yes.
You see, Microsoft has everything riding on Windows 10. I even chose to let them foist “Express Settings” upon me after booting to the desktop the first time in it because I want the full Microsoft Windows 10 experience. Furthermore, customizing settings takes time that I don’t have–like the guy who didn’t have time to speak with me.
The battery time on this Asus value laptop from 2010 has always been pretty decent. Many times operating system upgrades promise increased battery life. Fewer times, though, do they actually deliver. So, I am intrigued to see whether or not I can finish this and post before the battery runs out on me.



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Apple has an easier time with their free operating systems gig. They control all the hardware the OS has to run on so that makes it exponentially easier to deploy successfully. Microsoft has to make their OS work on all manner of machines. Their operating systems, for better or worse, are what the world runs on. If they want businesses to migrate to Windows 10 from their Windows 7-based enterprise computing environments, Microsoft’s latest and greatest has to be just that–the greatest. If my Windows 10 install holds up, it’ll be how Apple used to describe upgrading to their latest operating systems when they came out: “It’s like getting a whole new machine!” Well, I think they said “Mac,” but you get the picture.
You can have Windows 10 if you purchase a new PC, but you can have the new PC look and feel for free if you are eligible to install Windows 10. Each successive, successful deployment of Windows 10 by consumers who install it over their existing Windows 7 and 8.1 systems is another testimony to the safety, and dare I say, ease of use, that is Windows 10 upgrading for consumers. Corporations are watching the consumer vertical space to see the joy or pain we experience. These are Fortune 500 companies that will pay for their upgrades–the primary reason I say Microsoft does the free OS thing better than Apple: Microsoft actually stands to gain and profit from multi-national conglomerates that will purchase Windows 10.
Apple knows it can never be a serious player in the enterprise. Their OS is free to all–consumers and businesses alike, but it’s really not free if you consider it’s priced into the cost of a new Mac. Microsoft’s business is software-based. It’s never going to sell phones like Apple, and has scaled back its Windows phone aspirations accordingly. It’s reliant, however, on its Windows OS in order to continue moving forward with other diversified product offerings like the Surface Pro.



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After being a complete Apple fan as a young guy, I’ve been able to mostly leave the, “It’s better than anything else because it’s Apple,” camp. While it would be nice for things like major OS upgrades and updates to work first time, every time (like Apple’s always have for me), Microsoft gets a pass on this, Windows 10, their first free operating system upgrade (that’s only free for some of us). It took me two tries, but it’s here to stay now.
Glad I took the time to install it a second time. Having to first revert to a fresh install of the previous operating system, it wasn’t easy getting Windows 10 to work for me. But, I suppose, nothing good ever worth having is. And I’m putting this one to bed with 63% battery life remaining. Not bad.