Last week on #TechTuesdays, we took a look at a number of the key advantages — and disadvantages — of the upcoming Windows 10 operating system, what the OS’s changes meant for small business owners, and how the reservation process for the download of the software is being handled.
Sounds like all there is to it, right? Well, not entirely. Microsoft is rolling out the update in a slightly different manner than previously, and certain computer manufacturing partners all have different plans for the delivery of their new Windows 10-imbued units to retail. Depending on your situation, there are still a few quirks to the upgrade process we feel we should take the time to go over now that the official release looms large tomorrow (July 29). Let’s clear up these items, shall we?
A Windows 10 Reservation Compatibility Warning
As we start, we want to take a moment to advise a small subset of PC owners on a problem they may have experienced previously when attempting to use the Windows 10 reservation process we detailed last week. Up through several days ago, anyone with a computer sporting a Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti was unable to complete the Windows 10 software download reservation process due to an odd glitch. The newness of the card was the primary culprit.
Fortunately, as of the time of this article’s composition, the problem has been resolved. You may understandably not even know what graphics card your computer has, and it’s likely your computer doesn’t feature the incredibly powerful card in question. However, if you ran into an odd reservation process glitch and you suspect you could have such a graphics card, rest easy in knowing that you’ll have no problem downloading Windows 10 now.
Windows 10 Staggered Download Rollout
In an effort to control the rate of downloads and avoid an all-out virtual “slugfest” as people rush and battle to download Windows 10 on July 29, Windows will be doing a gradual rollout of the software. If you haven’t already reserved your download, Microsoft will use the staggered rollout to spread downloads out to ease the strain on their servers and ensure the process runs smoothly, with each computer being checked for Windows 10 compatibility during the process.
While download speeds will presumably improve over prior OS releases due to the staggered rollout, you may not be able to get Windows 10 on the hour or even the day you were expecting. Download start times will be staggered over July 29 and the following days, so be sure to bear that in mind going into the process.
Windows 10 Staggered Retail Rollout
Things get more confusing at retail. If you’re looking to pick up an all-new Windows 10-equipped computer for your small business, your options and the timing will vary by computer manufacturer.
If you’re looking to pick up a Dell Windows 10 machine, you can actually get one to ship out right on July 29 through online ordering for one-day delivery on July 30. HP offers a similar deal. However, only a “select” number of physical retailers will have Windows 10 HP machines in stock by August 2, and any orders for Lenovo machines aren’t slated to arrive until mid-August at the earliest.
Further, boxed copies of Windows 10 software actually won’t be available at launch at physical retailers, either, and even online retailers have staggered availability. OEM versions of Windows 10 (those without technical support) won’t be offered through Amazon until August 5, with flash drives containing the OS not available through the online retailer until the end of August. Other online retailers tell a similar story.
In short, if you want to experience Windows 10 as early as possible, you’ll either want to purchase a new Windows 10 computer and receive one-day delivery through a manufacturer such as Dell or HP, or upgrade your existing machine through Microsoft’s download program.
If you haven’t reserved your Windows 10 download yet, here are the instructions under “How to Upgrade Windows 10”. You can perform the update any time from now until next year for free so long as you have an existing, qualifying (non-pirated) version of Windows 7, 8.1, or Phone 8.1.
Happy Windows 10 release week, everyone!
