Not
interested in installing Windows 10 on your computer after reading news
reports indicating Microsoft will track your online behavior and save
your search queries, private emails and contents of private folders,
including photos?
...
a report from Newsweek (FWTW) warned:
“From the moment an account is created, Microsoft begins watching. The
company saves customers’ basic information – name, contact details,
passwords, demographic data and credit card specifics.”
“But it also digs a bit deeper,” the report says.
“Other information Microsoft saves includes Bing search queries and
conversations with the new digital personal assistant Cortana; contents
of private communications such as email; websites and apps visited
(including features accessed and length of time used); and contents of
private folders,” the warning explains.
“Furthermore, ‘your typed and handwritten words’ are collected.’”
Too bad. You may not be given much of a choice.
Microsoft’s Windows 10 is preparing to automatically download onto
computers currently installed with Windows 7 or 8 – without the
computer users’ knowledge, London’s Guardian reported.
According to the report, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will
become a “recommended update” in 2016, and anyone who has automatic
updates activated will have the new program installed automatically on
their PC.
After it has downloaded, the Windows 10 installer will begin. At that
point, users will need to actively cancel Windows 10.
That is, if they aren’t in the habit of just hitting “OK” when
presented with a prompt, as many users often do.
In the meantime, until 2016, the Windows 10 upgrade will be considered
“optional” and could still be downloaded if a user has the computer set
to install automatic updates, which can be disabled.
“If you choose to upgrade (our recommendation!), then you will have 31
days to roll back to your previous version if you don’t love it,” said
Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Windows and
Devices group.
Just weeks ago, Forbes reported Microsoft claimed an “accident” caused
the downloads to begin installing on many computers without user
permission.
More
As an aside:
They
had to skip Windows 9 because there already has been a Windows 9; or
two Windows 9s really. Du0e to the close compatibility of Windows 95
and Windows 98 developers wrote programs to recognize them as Windows
9(x); obviously Windows 9 would pass the test and be recognized as
Window 95/98 which would be ... undesirable. Microsoft decided to avoid
any potential issues with this by skipping from 8 to 10. Or so the
story goes. - 54Bryan Shouse 2
months ago
