Bryley Basics: Purchase Windows 10 with new PCs and laptops

We keep having the same conversation with clients over and over again, especially those who are buying new computers: What Windows version should I deploy?

If you are purchasing new computers for your organization, please consider installing Windows 10. We have clients who still want us to install Windows 7, however, that operating system will be end of life January 14^th, 2020.  What that means is that Microsoft, after 1/14/2020, will no longer provide security updates for Windows 7, such that your computer will be more susceptible to getting malware and your organization will not be compliant. In less than 3 years, you will have to upgrade the operating system of that computer, which involves additional labor costs, software licensing, and employee downtime.

Note: We didn’t forget about Windows 8.1, but we find that a lot of distributors no longer stock computers that have Windows 8 (8.1) pre-installed. It also seems to be another operating system (remember Vista?) that Microsoft “abandoned” since it was only around for 3 years, making it one of the most short-lived operating systems.

Prior to installing Windows 10 on new computers, we will need to find out if current applications are compatible with the new operating system. With the name of the application and the version, we should be able to verify compatibility by searching the Internet and then verifying with the manufacturer directly.

For more information, please visit Migrating to Windows 10 – Now, later, or never, from the August 2015 issue of BITs (Bryley Information and Tips).

Making this type of transition isn’t always easy, but we are here to help; please reach out to us at 978.562.6077 or email ITExperts@Bryley.com.