Windows 10: My review of your review

If you will allow me, I’d like to ‘review’ your Definitive Review of Windows 10 (Issue 456). Let’s begin at the end – with the overall verdict. Four stars out of five seems fair to me, but you could almost have given two scores: three stars for Windows 7 users, and five for Windows 8 users. This would be to reflect the improvement on each respective operating system.

If I had my way, I’d keep using Windows 7 forever. At the age of 78, I can’t imagine ever getting to know an operating system as well as I know Windows 7. You should have made more of the advantages of familiarity in your review. I’m not just saying I think Windows 7 is better than Windows 10 because I’ve been using it longer. I just think it’s better, full stop.

But I have to agree with your disparaging comments about Windows 8. If anything, you’ve been too kind. You say it’s the second-worst operating system ever. No, it is the worst. It defeated me. I sold my Windows 8 laptop within weeks of buying it.

You’re right to say that Windows 10 doesn’t “overload” you with features. But four stars in this category was a bit generous. Cortana is pointless, as is Edge without extensions, so the only decent “new” features are the returning old ones (such as the Start menu). But five stars is spot on for speed and stability. I don’t want to jinx it, but Windows 10 has yet to crash on me (quick, give me some wood to touch).

I end my email with a request. Please can you publish a catch-up review in six months. As you say in your conclusion, Windows 10 may evolve “radically” over the next year, so we need to know whether Microsoft will make things better and worse. Those waiting to upgrade will find that useful. CA says Stephen makes an excellent point. Because Microsoft will be continuously updating Windows 10, we’ll never stop assessing it. We’ll always tell you how to tweak settings to stay safe, how to use new features, and whether an update has made Windows 10 better or worse.

There’s one way Sara may get a more favourable response – tell BT she wants to end her contract. Because ISPS don’t want to lose your business, they’ll often bend over backwards to keep a customer happy, sometimes offering discounts you’d never get any other way.

Sara is annoyed because she thinks she’s not being treated fairly. But whether or not BT sees her as a ‘new customer’ isn’t the issue. What matters is the small print in her contract.

If a customer doesn’t sign a new contract and doesn’t move to another ISP, they’ll automatically be placed on a rolling 30-day contract. This ensures they don’t lose their internet

Aconnection, and allows them the freedom to change to another ISP. However, 30-day contracts are very basic and offer few extras. BT’S contract, for example, says it doesn’t have to supply a router. Few ISPS will agree to replace a router for free on these type of contracts. You’ll often find that you have to pay for your own.

Therefore, BT isn’t doing anything illegal or unusual, and so we don’t feel justified in contacting the company. But Sara definitely should. The fear of a departing customer can have a strange effect on companies, especially at a time when broadband deals are so competitive (Sky, for example, has just launched a package which is free for 12 months). If she tells BT she’s had enough and wants to leave, she may be pleasantly surprised by what the company offers her.