Last week Microsoft gave everyone a surprise by releasing Windows 10 to the Windows Insider community. With hundreds of thousands in the program (and you can join for free too), there are a significant number of peeps running the next version of Windows on their PC or tablet. Just a reminder to everyone: This is a beta. While every indication is that Windows 10 right now is more stable than any previous beta, you can certainly expect there to be issues and challenges if you load it onto your PC or tablet. That’s the nature of the beast so if you aren’t prepared to live with that, don’t upgrade until it is available for free to everyone later this year.
As a general rule, you shouldn’t load a beta OS onto your production PC. In other words, don’t load it onto your the PC you use every day. The only exception are those who A) are masochists or B) Developers. Seriously, features and apps that worked on Windows 8.1 may simply not work under Windows 10. If it is a mission critical, I have to have it to get my job done kind of app, don’t install Windows 10 just yet.
Secondly, if you are going to install Windows 10 on a spare PC or tablet, be prepare to submit the bugs as you find them. The only way software gets better, particularly in beta programs, is if users report issues. Yes it is time consuming but… this is beta. You are taking part of making the next Windows better. Take the time and fill them out and get them to Microsoft so they can be addressed.
Finally, I will 100% steal a line from Paul Thurrott who I think has summed up beta testing best. If you have to ask “Is it stable enough for me to run on my PC?” then you probably shouldn’t be loading up the beta. It’s beta so it is not going to be stable all the time and, as I said, things and apps may not work.
As for me, I’m planning on loading Windows 10 onto my non-production laptop this week. For now though, it will stay off my production Lenovo laptop and Toshiba Encore 2 tablet.
Windows 10 BETA is that great!