Following much anticipation, Windows 10 has finally launched in South Africa.
Good news for local users is that Microsoft has announced that it plans to keep the pricing structure the same as Windows 8.
Even better news is that there is a free upgrade available to qualifying users. Be quick though; if you wait more than a year to upgrade, you’ll have to pay full price.
Tech outlets including Orange Store and Evetech have announced availability of the software. At Evetech, users can expect to pay R1699 for the full retail version of Windows 10 Home, which is ideal for users of Windows Vista or older versions.
Incredible Connection is also offering free assistance for its customers.
What your PC needs to qualify for a Windows 10 upgrade:
- 1Ghz processor or one that’s faster
- 1GB for 32-bit or 2GB for 64-bit RAM
- 1GB Hard disk space for 32-bit OS, 20GB for 64-bit OS
- DirectX9 Graphics card or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
- 800 x 600 display
What you’ll miss:
There’s no Windows Media Centre, built-in DVD playback software or any of Windows 7’s desktop gadgets.
What you’ll love:
- The Start Menu returns, featuring Live Tiles. This is an application shortcut grid which shows a preview of the latest information from the app.
- Notifications stay in the Action Centre.
- Better volume control and battery monitoring
- Modern UI apps exist in normal windows on the desktop
- You don’t have to hunt for windows that might be hidden behind one another, thanks to improved window snapping.
- There are virtual desktops now, so you can create additional screens in which to place windows.
- The Game DVR acts as a built-in screen recorder
- Windows Hello lets you use facial or fingerprint recognition to log into your Windows 10 PC.
- You can search the web from the Start menu or open recent documents by right clicking on apps
- Desktop animations are accelerated, so it’s really fast
- A Siri-like personal assistant is included called Cortona. To activate it in SA, just change your regional settings.