Let’s face it, consumers did not like Windows 8 with many of them sticking with older Windows 7 and even XP as long as they could. At the end of July, Microsoft began rolling out its free upgrades to the latest Windows 10 operating system to users that qualified or consumers could purchase the software if they did not qualify for the free update. The company touted a huge number of systems upgraded but many consumers are still waiting (myself included) for their update to finally be approved. But should consumers actually apply the updates as soon as they get them? There are a number of reasons why you may want to wait to upgrade to Windows 10, at least for a while.

Privacy Issues

Information has become a much larger source of revenue these days than many physical products. Just look at a company like Google that aggregates data from its search and other businesses in order to sell targeted ads at consumers or to sell to other companies. Microsoft looks to be doing similar things with Windows 10. It gathers a large amount of information about the consumers and reports it back to the company which could be potentially monetized.

In addition to the information that Microsoft collects from users of the new operating system, there is also the fact that your personal information could also be shared that could compromise your security. Windows 10 offers a feature that can share your Wi-Fi passwords with users on your social networks through the feature. This means that potential acquaintances on Facebook, Skype and Outlook may get access to your Wi-Fi networks because they happen to be in your contact list and are in range of your Wi-Fi network. Microsoft bills it as a potential security and frustration avoidance feature but it can also give out information that you may not really want to share.

Finally, there is the fact that Microsoft may be using your personal internet connection to . Using torrent networks is not uncommon for many applications in terms of software distribution. The thing is that most people are made aware of this situation when they install the software. Also, the shared software is often of relatively small size compared to an entire operating system installation. Once you get Windows 10 installed, your network bandwidth may be used to help distribute those files. This can be a major problem for those people who have network caps on their internet connections.

Pay To Play

While the Windows 10 operating system is free for many users, some of the features that consumers have long received for free are not included in the operating system by default and actually require users to pay extra. There are two primary examples of this.

Microsoft removed DVD playback functions back in Windows 8 which caused problems for many people that like to occasionally watch a DVD on their computer. With Windows 10, the feature is still removed but there is an option for an official DVD playback software rather than having to buy a third party program such as WinDVD or PowerDVD. The problem is the and offers very limited set of features.

Many people may have fond memories of playing solitaire on Microsoft’s operating systems as a way to kill time. Solitaire has a long history with the Windows operating system and it was once again removed from the system in Windows 8. With Windows 10, the time wasting game has been returned but with a twist. The game now features ads and limited game play. If you want to get the full experience out of the Solitaire game, you have to to unlock it. This is not a one time purchase but a monthly or yearly subscription. It may not cost much at just $1.49/month or $9.99/year, but the fact that this used to be free is just another insult to consumers.

Will it Work with my Hardware?

Upgrades can always be problematic. This is especially true when you are installing a new operating system on older computer hardware. In order for everything to work properly, all of the drivers for the various hardware also need to be updated as well. The problem is that some older peripherals may not be compatible with the new operating system. For the most part, the internal hardware necessary to run the software will likely have all the updated drivers built into the operating system so it is not a huge issue. The problem comes mostly from peripherals like printers, scanners, web cameras, etc.

You see the problem is the older hardware is a difficult problem for the companies that produced them. If the product is old enough, there may be hardware limitations that prevent it from being updated. The more common problem though is cost. If the device is no longer produced, money has to be spent to get the drivers updated without any corresponding revenue to help offset those costs of software updates. After all, the products are probably no longer sold. This is one major reason for many consumers with older software wait when upgrading rather than rushing out to get it right away.

Should You Wait?

I have brought up a number of issues here as to why you might not want to upgrade to Windows 10. The thing is that most of these issues can be relatively minor or can be dealt which with some adjustments in the settings. Out of all of the issues, the hardware compatibility is the biggest problem. It is not something that is an easy fix as you are reliant on other companies. Because of this, I highly recommend checking with the manufacturers of your various peripherals to see if they have Windows 10 support. If you have a critical peripheral that is not supported, you probably want to wait and see if they get it updated. After all, you have a full year to download and install the update if you qualify for the free update.