What to install windows 8.1 or 10. The best version of Windows

Which Windows is better than 7 or 10 - this question is raised by many users, because before reinstalling the operating system it is not always completely clear which of these versions will be most acceptable. Disputes about the choice of a particular OS most likely will not stop for a long time and everyone finds their own advantages among these versions. Let's try to figure out all the advantages, disadvantages, performance of the "seven" and "tens".

Almost all users of operating systems from Microsoft have moved from one stable version to another. At one time, XP was considered the most successful and functional. The appearance of Vista did not impress many in the first place because it had many shortcomings and bugs that were not corrected even due to the release of patches and updates. The developers themselves, realizing all the shortcomings of the newly minted OS, began to develop a conceptually new operating system, as a result of which Windows 7 was born in 2009, which really turned out to be stable and practical to use.

Evolution from "seven" to "ten"

After some time, the specialists of the OS Windows developer company felt the need to create an improved operating system, the graphical shell of which was as similar as possible to the one that began to be introduced into mobile devices. This was primarily due to entering the market with a new mobile platform that would compete with Android and iOS in the mobile platform market, and, accordingly, bring the desktop version as close as possible to the mobile one.

However, most users did not like this solution, and the 8th version, in fact, like Vista, did not gain such popularity as XP and the "seven" before that. As a result, the developers made a "Solomon" decision - to combine mobile version with the classic desktop, which eventually led to the advent of Windows 10.

in terms of performance and functionality this release was noticeably better than the 8th version.

Let's figure out how Windows 7 and 10 differ, and which version will satisfy more of these or other requirements.

Comparative characteristics of the "seven" and "tens"

All testing will be done on a computer with the following specifications:

processor core i5 3.4GHz;
RAM 8 Gb;
Video GeForce 980 GTX;
HDD 1Tb.

Operating system loading and unloading speed

Turning on the computer, and, accordingly, the time parameter for loading the OS in these two versions is actually the same: 5 seconds. at 7-ki against 6 sec. in version 10.

But with regards to exiting sleep mode, here the latest version is clearly superior to the previous one and has a significantly lower indicator. If for a full shutdown on a 10-ke you need only 10 seconds, then a 7-ke to 17. That is, this indicator differs almost twice. The same applies to exiting the hypernation mode (the difference is also about 7 seconds).

Appearance and graphical interface.

Comparing the design of two objects is always a subjective thing, because each of the people has their own taste and vision. Before comparing these two operating systems, it must be said that the transition of the user from the “seven” to the “ten” will be quite painful, because in some graphical aspects, these operating systems differ dramatically.

The design of the 10th version is made in a strict direction: flatness and sharpness of corners. Windows 7 is more familiar to those who have been using this OS as their main computer for decades. It all depends on the specific taste of the person himself.

The "top ten" has a choice of displaying the desktop: classic and in the form of a tile, which was introduced in the 8th version. This parameter can be attributed in favor of a newer version, since there is no such choice at all in the seven. The Start menu in 7 is also more familiar, but in 10 it is presented as a hybrid of classics and tiles.

In general, we can note the fact that the “ten” looks much more colorful and prettier than its predecessor. If we also take into account the fact that there is a voice assistant here, then in the graphical shell parameter, Windows 10 attracts much more.

Performance of programs and games

When you start Microsoft office, the software is loaded in about the same amount of time. No significant differences were found here.

When testing work Mozilla browsers and Chrome, "seven" proved to be much better. The speed of loading, as well as displaying pages, is much faster here. At the same time, it is worth noting that the newly minted Edge browser, which is installed only on 10, is generally not inferior in response time to the aforementioned browsers on 7, but this question is subjective, since there is simply no such application in 7.

With regards to working with hard drives in general, the bandwidth, the speed of copying to different partitions is approximately the same.

According to the use of new modern toys, we can say that they work about the same. When comparing the performance of Crysis 3, the fps indicators did not actually differ, although this parameter was still higher in the 10th version. The only thing is that in a more modern version of the operating system, it may be difficult to launch those games that came out even before the appearance of the "seven": they simply cannot be installed.

findings

Based on the above, we can say that if you plan to purchase Windows OS, then the choice, of course, should fall on the 10th version. If on this moment If you have the “seven” installed, then you should not bother too much and rush to switch to a more modern version, because from the above we can say that two separate products are approximately the same.

In contact with

Which Windows is better? is a very interesting question. But in my opinion it is not quite correct, because it is not complete. It doesn't fully define what you want to know.

If you are interested in the version number of XP, 7, 8, 10, then the answer is obvious. Based on the principle that each subsequent version should be better than the previous one, the answer already suggests itself. Of course this is Windows 10. At the moment this is the latest version and it is certainly the coolest. For the newest computers, it must certainly be the best. But then questions arise: "And why is it better than the rest?"; "Can it be installed on older computers?"; "Is it possible to install old OS on new computers?". To understand the essence of our further reasoning, you need to know what an Operating System (OS) is, what it consists of and how it works. This is where we'll start.

What is an operating system

From Wikipedia we learn the following definition:
"Operating System, abbreviated as OS (from the English operating system, OS) is a set of interrelated programs designed to manage computer resources and organize user interaction." In other words, the OS must manage all the devices of the computer and allow commands and data to be entered from input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, scanners, ..., and output the results of command execution to output devices such as a monitor screen or printer.

The composition of the operating system

The modern Operating System consists of 5 important components:

core- main part operating system, which manages all the processes of program execution and their access to computer resources, and also manages the file system;
drivers- programs that ensure the operation of devices and computer components;
configuration files operating system - contain OS settings specified by the user;
command processor- converts user commands entered from the keyboard into commands understandable to the operating system;
GUI- converts mouse commands into commands understandable to the operating system;

That's actually all.

But why then are the installation packages so big? Yes, because all versions of Windows are not only an operating system, but also packages of utilities (applications) - programs that provide convenience for working with the OS. Therefore, each version of Windows differs not so much in the kernel itself, but in the software package. And this is especially noticeable in the editions of any version of Windows from XP to ten. That is why they differ so much in terms of features and price.

Given the fact that after version 7 each subsequent operating system (kernel) is a continuation of the previous one, it should be assumed that versions 7 to 10 differ little from each other and are quite compatible. And this is confirmed by Microsoft itself: all operating systems from Vista to 10 are compatible. This applies primarily to the 32-bit version. Moreover, they are similar in configuration and require a minimum of 1 GB of RAM during installation.

Hence the conclusion that Windows 7 to 10 as an operating system differ little from each other and there is not much difference in what you want to install. But with a set of programs, settings and appearance (graphic design), they differ significantly.

The most noticeable difference in wasps is the bit depth (32 and 64 bits). It is it that determines on which computer which Windows is better to install. And if 32-bit axes are completely compatible with any processors, then with 64-bit axes the situation is completely different.

64-bit processors support 64-bit instruction execution. There are not many such commands (directives) at the time of this writing. Only 75, but not all processors support them. And the older the processor, the less the number of such commands it understands. Processors released say in 2007 - 2010 only support 12 - 20 64-bit directives.

If the teams are involved in the implementation of extremely important functions, such as system security, then the new OS simply will not be installed on old cpu, which cannot implement these features.

In 32-bit Windows, both the kernel and the entire software package will be 32-bit. A 64-bit OS kernel is 64-bit. And not all programs will be 64-bit, but only those in which there is an urgent need. The rest will still be 32-bit. Since a 64-bit OS allows 32-bit programs to run.

Since the Operating System is not the grace of God, designed to provide convenient operation computers, and a business project created to extort money from users, then you need to carefully look at what dirty tricks, or advantages and limitations, or innovations in which package are included. Let's see how different editions of different versions of Windows differ.

Features of Windows 7 editions

Windows Vista and 7 were developed back in the days when there were a lot of only 32-bit processors. Therefore, they were focused mainly on the maximum use of their capabilities. And some features of 64-bit processors were not fully exploited. I mean PAE, NX and SSE2 support. Perhaps this was done in order to maximize compatibility with the previous version of XP and not scare away Windows fans.

Windows 7 (Starter)

Windows 7 Starter

For example, Windows 7 Starter (Starter) exists only in a 32-bit version and allows you to work with memory sizes up to 2 GB only. This is an absolutely minimalistic package, designed more for cheap netbooks. Yes, these are the restrictions. On the other hand, it has everything you need:
1. Windows Media Player;
2. Improved taskbar and jump lists;
3. Windows search;
4. Joining a home group;
5. Archiving and restoration;
6. Enhanced playback of media files;
7. Support Center;
8. Device management (Device Stage);
9. Streaming broadcasting of media files, including Play To technology;
10. Bluetooth support;
11. Faxes and scanning;
12. Basic set of games;
13. Credential manager;
14. Quantity at the same time running applications any; Windows 7 Home Basic (Home Basic)

In principle, this edition can be used on weak laptops and especially on netbooks. It is designed for users with minimal requirements and combines reliability and speed with a familiar interface. Wander on the Internet. Print documents. Watch films. Listen to music. All this is quite possible. But here it will be possible to play only light games, mainly from the Windows package. Starter is an OEM version and came pre-installed. I think this is a great way out if the problem is with money. But we always want more and better. For me, I would not want to put a restrained version at all under any circumstances.

Windows 7 (Home Basic)

As I said at the very beginning, each subsequent version is cooler than the previous one. The version of Windows 7 Home Basic (Home Basic) contains everything that the initial one plus:

15. "Live" thumbnails in the taskbar;
16. Fast user switching;
17. Connection to wireless networks"on the fly";
18. General access to an Internet connection;
19. Support for multiple monitors;
20. Windows Mobility Center (no presentation mode);

This is the cheapest edition on sale. Some problems of control of the equipment connected through USB ports. Because of this, I also do not recommend using it. can fail at the wrong time.

Windows 7 (Home Premium)

Windows 7 Home Premium Edition

The version of Windows 7 Home Extended (Home Premium) is even cooler. In addition to all this, it also includes:

21. Glass and advanced navigation in Windows (Aero Shake and Aero Peek);
22. Background pictures Aero Background;
23. Windows Touch (touch and handwriting input);
24. Creation home group;
25. Windows Media Center;
26. Playing and editing DVD-video;
27. Expanded set of games;
28. Scissors, Windows Journal, Notes;
29. Windows Sideshow (on the secondary display);

An excellent solution for most tasks, including games.

Windows 7 (Professional)

30. Location based printing;
31. Joining a domain and group policies;
32. Connections to remote desktops (host);
33. Extended archiving (network and group policies);
34. Encrypting File System (EFS);
35. Windows Mobility Center: presentation mode;
36. Offline folders;
37. Windows XP Mode;

Probably the best in the whole range. There are all the most necessary applications and there is nothing superfluous.

Windows 7 (Ultimate)

Windows 7 Enterprise

The coolest bundle among home versions is Windows 7 Ultimate (Ultimate), among professional Windows 7 Corporate (Enterprise). If you do not go deep into the subtleties, then they are almost the same in terms of configuration and differ mainly in the licensing scheme and price. The following features have been added to them:

38. BitLocker and BitLocker To Go;
39 AppLocker;
40 Direct Access;
41 BranchCache;
42. Multilingual user interface (language packs);
43. "Corporate" search;
44. Improvements in the deployment of virtual environments (VDI);
45. Booting from virtual hard disks (VHD);

Of course, this is an extremely superficial description of the applications and features included with Windows 7. To determine if you need all this. It is necessary at least to know what is what and with what it is eaten. In this case, the Internet can help. It is a pity that there is no opportunity to describe everything in detail in one article.

Comparing the above features of different editions of Windows 7 Home Premium (Home Premium) will the best option. It will be more than enough for you.

Before proceeding to the consideration of Windows 8 and 10 kits, I want to remind you that Windows 8 was developed at a time when only 64-bit processors were already being produced. This is probably why it implemented software support for PAE, NX and SSE2. Which increased the security of data and the OS itself. But it led to the incompatibility of the new OS with 32-bit processors.

How to determine if your processor supports PAE, NX and SSE2

Microsoft released the program Coreinfo v3.31 which shows you the mapping between a logical processor and a physical one. The topology of the logical processor is hardwired into the program. The corresponding technologies present in your processor are marked with asterisks. The program is launched from command line. As a result of its work, you will receive approximately the following information:

Processor test

In the figure, I have underlined everything that will interest you in the first place. The first two lines are the name and topology of your processor. The next three are just NX, PAE and SSE2. All of them should be marked with asterisks as in the picture. And although Microsoft specifies these instruction sets for all 64 bit windows from 7 to 10 as mandatory, their processor support is only enough for windows 7 and 8. For windows 8.1 and 10 this is no longer enough. The fact is that there are already more than 75 64-bit processor instructions in the lists. And the old processors, released, say, in 2005, support only 15. Naturally, they cannot physically execute the rest of the instructions. Therefore, 64-bit versions of windows such as 8.1 and 10 will no longer work.

To find out if your old processor is suitable for working with Windows 10 or 8.1, you need to go to the Microsoft page System requirements for installing Windows 10 or 8.1. In the line "Processor" find the word highlighted in blue. This is a link to the Windows Processor Requirements page. On this page, below the text, there are tables of correspondence between Windows versions from 7 to 10 groups of processors. Knowing the name of your processor on the Internet, you can find enough details about it and then compare it with the entries in the table.

Features of Windows 8 and 8.1 editions

Now let's see the possibilities of Windows 8 and 8.1 editions. Initially, Windows 8 was developed exclusively for mobile devices with touch screens and was called Windows 8 RT (RunTime). It includes touch-optimized versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote.

Then came Windows 8 and Windows 8 PRO for desktop computers with advanced touch screen controls. Edition 8 includes everything that is available in Windows 7 Home Premium (Home Premium). And the PRO edition is equal to Windows 7 Ultimate. Both versions do not contain MS Office components.

It turned out that the initial ideas were not implemented as well as desired. And oh, how you want money. Therefore, a new version 8.1 appeared very quickly. She has everything almost the same, only supposedly improved. And the Windows 8.1 Enterprise edition was added, which is equal in composition and capabilities to the previous PRO edition. And the PRO edition and just 8.1 have become more modest. In general, they put everything in its place as it should be. But there is a strange limitation. Edition 8.1 supports memory up to 128 GB, and PRO and Enterprise editions up to 512 GB. Apparently they were going to live a very long time.

The main difference between Windows 8.1 is the 64-bit version. It implemented a new security system using new 64-bit directives. Therefore, Windows 8.1 x64 could not be installed on older processors that did not support them. This was not noticed only by users of x32 versions. Of which there were very few.

In general, as you can see, the equipment is very good everywhere. Therefore, you can install whatever your heart desires. The main limiter will be a set of x64 processor directives. It's most logical to use PRO version. You get everything you can use at home.

Features of Windows 10 editions

Now let's see the possibilities of editions of Windows 10. Here everything is quite similar to 8.1: - Windows 10 Home (Home) has all the basic basic features of the operating system included in the version of Windows 8 PRO. Which already speaks of initially greater opportunities than the eight;
- Windows 10 Pro (Professional) for small businesses and home users who need advanced system features corresponds to Windows 8 Enterprise or Windows 7 Ultimate (Ultimate);
- Windows 10 Enterprise (Corporate) for medium and large businesses. The Windows Enterprise edition has all the features of the professional edition, plus additional functions that are relevant for use in enterprises. But in fact, it differs little from the previous version.

For those who want to buy: if you want to get the most useful for home use, then the Home version will be more than enough.

Which Windows is better - Answers to questions

Now, having at hand all the necessary information, you can quite fully and accurately answer more specific questions.

Which windows is better? Or which windows is better?

As I said, the latest version is always better than the previous ones. Therefore, this is 10. Based on the set of programs and features that can be used at home, this will be the HOME version or, if you really want it, then PRO.

Answer: The best option for home use would be Windows 10 HOME.

Which windows is better 7 or 10?

Considering the principle, the latest development is better than the first, then this is again 10. As you remember, the home edition of the dozen is no worse than the PRO edition of the seven. And Windows 10 Pro (Professional) includes almost all the features of Windows 7 Ultimate (Ultimate).

Answer: Windows 10 is better than 7 (if only because it is much more secure).

But one thing to consider here is the fact that Widows 7 already runs well on 2 GB of RAM and on any older processors. For a 32-bit tens, 2 GB is not enough. With this amount of memory, it runs slower than the seven. In addition, a dozen is not installed at all on 32 processors, since they do not have support for PAE, NX and SSE2. And x64 doesn't want to work with older 64-bit processors that don't support the new 64-bit instructions.

New OS for new hardware. In addition, all support for windows 7 is ending in 2020.

Which windows 7 is best for gaming?

This question could be answered immediately by considering windows features 7. Theoretically, any edition other than the initial edition is suitable for games, due to its limitations. But in reality, Windows 7 Home Premium (Home Premium) will be best solution. Although games in any case require installation additional packages such as: Adobe Flash Player, Visual C++, …

Which windows 10 is better?

For home use, Windows 10 Home is enough.

This is how it all started in 2015.

Now everything has changed.

As a result of recent reinstallations, it turned out that several versions of Windows 10 already exist. The first version was released in July 2015. Its number should be visible 1507. Subsequent version numbers are 1511, 1607, 1703, 1709, 1803, 1809. Version numbers correspond to the year and month of release. In each subsequent version, improvements and improvements are made. But these improvements and improvements through updates are not transferred to older versions. That is, installed old version Windows does not receive these innovations. To get them you need to reinstall Windows to a new version. Therefore, all versions exist in parallel. And they are updated separately, independently of each other. The update history for all versions is located at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4018124/windows-10-update-history .

I believe that Microsoft has colluded with other software corporations. And they began to include checking the version of Windows in new programs. Already the latest versions of Photoshop and Skype do not support Windows versions below 1803. There are other programs. There will be a lot of them soon. Windows version 1703 and earlier Home and PRO builds are no longer supported. So there will be no more monthly updates for them. Microsoft itself recommends installing latest version Windows 10. According to her, version 1803 and especially 1809 are the fastest loading and most productive.

So when choosing an installation windows package 10, now you also need to check the version of the assembly. At the moment, version 1809 has been released and is recommended. If you do not use it, then you simply will not be able to take advantage of new features and new programs. Starting with version 1809, there will only be Enterprise and Education builds. They will be supported for no more than 30 months. And then install the new version again.

Which Windows 7 is better to install?

The best solution is the one that best suits your needs. For home use, Windows 7 Home Premium (Home Premium) will be the best solution. But that was the case at the time when it was on sale because it was the best value for money. Now you can download and install any, except for the initial one. Maximum is probably the most common build.

Which Windows is best for a laptop?

A laptop is just like a desktop computer, only portable. Therefore, the same rules apply to him. Given that you probably want to use new software, then Windows 10 Home is fine for you.

But which one is 32 or 64 bit. Here you need to know:

What processor is installed on the laptop 32 or 64 bit, fairly new or very old? - the answer to this question will clarify whether you can install Windows 10 at all.

As practice has shown, it is better to install Windows 10 if you have 4 GB or more of RAM. Based on this, we can already safely assume that 64-bit will be better.

What does windows 10 1607/1703/1709/1803/1809 mean?

These are the release dates for Windows 10 editions. The first pair of digits means the year. Second month. Therefore version 1607 is the July 2016 revision. According to Microsoft, version 1803 is the fastest and most secure. Many programs in new versions support it, and even 1809. Earlier versions become outdated and their support stops.

If you notice since 2017, new editions have been released twice a year. March and September. Support for older editions was 18 months. Starting with edition 1809, Microsoft promises to provide support for 30 months.

For 2 gigs of RAM, which is better to install Windows 8.1 or 10?

Both theoretically and practically Windows 8.1 is lighter than 10. Accordingly, it will work faster. I can say for sure that 32-bit versions of both windows will work, but in any case, not very fast. How to speed up your computer, I recommend reading.

With 64-bit Windows, things are a little more complicated. If the processor is too old and does not support the required lists of 64-bit instructions, then you will not be able to install them. Neither one nor the other. How to check the processor read above.

A lot of controversy still circulates on the Internet on the topic benefits the latest operating system from Microsoft before the legendary and beloved "seven". Of course, everyone should make a choice for himself - it is influenced by many subjective factors, ranging from simple habits and ending software, which is supported on a particular operating system.

Essential Windows 7

More than 7 years have passed since the release of this operating system, but it is still the most popular and used in the world. Microsoft has a lot of cyclicality: XP was stable and successful, then a frankly failed Vista, which was received with hostility by the community. Even after numerous patches and updates, Vista has not become better and more stable. And the developers themselves, who at first tried to convince of the breakthrough of their Vista, soon abandoned this idea and set about creating a truly good operating system.

In 2009, after the appearance of the seven, the first comparisons of the new system went with the good old XP. seven was good optimized, required few resources and thus fell in love with users. No one even had a question about which OS to choose - Vista or seven.

The next OS, Windows 8, could not fully replace the seven. Users did not like the new navigation and focus on mobile platforms, so the previous operating system was still considered better. Perhaps conservative users were simply frightened by the abruptness of the transition to a new concept. The release of update 8.1 did not fundamentally correct the situation. Legacy Windows 7 required a worthy successor. They became new ten.

Worthy continuation

Windows 10 continues the series of extremely successful XP and 7 operating systems. The new OS received a share of its popularity due to free test access to her owners of licensed copies of 7 and 8 Windows. The new OS is better than the eight in everything - in performance, optimization and functionality. Also, like Windows 8, it is used on mobile devices, tablets and so on. Let's compare and understand this issue: what is still better - the good old "seven" or a completely new "ten"?

Performance Comparison

To identify the fastest OS of the two presented, you need to test them on absolutely identical computers with the same hardware. The following PC configuration was used for testing:

Processor Core i5 3.4GHz;
8GB of RAM;
Video card GeForce 980 GTX;
1TB hard drive manufactured by Crucial.

On the this computer two operating systems were tested in turn. The first test was loading time. Here seven jumps ahead by one second: 6 seconds for 10 versus five seconds for Windows 7. Of course, these data should not be taken seriously, because in everyday life such differences are difficult to notice. But the purpose of these tests is to determine who is better at computing and performing functions.

The next measurable action is wake up from sleep mode. top ten it took 10 seconds for this, and the seven - as much as 17 seconds. Here the difference is much more noticeable, the previous OS copes with the task almost twice as slow.

With exit from hibernation the same situation: ten copes with it better than the seven for 6-7 seconds. Let's move on to performance tests of various programs and the standard for ordinary Windows users software.

Program performance

Let's start testing with a package of office programs Microsoft office and determine which operating system does the job better. In all utilities of this package both operating systems are equally fast. It is worth mentioning that the eight behaves much worse in this situation.

For testing browsers were selected Mozilla and Chrome. Surprisingly, the browser Google feels much better in Windows 7 than 10. A distinctive feature Windows 10- exclusive browser edge, which was created specifically for this operating system. The development paid off: dozens of users do not even wonder which browser to use. Edge performs better in terms of performance and speed than Chrome and Firefox.

Next comes Adobe products, which, as you know, are very demanding on PC and operating system resources. In a programme Photoshop CC Windows 10 and 7 show themselves practically equally: 21.8 seconds vs. 21.4 seconds.

Storage performance

For this test, a Samsung hard drive with throughput 6 Gb / s and a memory capacity of 512 GB. According to the results of the program CrystalDiskMark, the speed of reading information does not differ significantly: 794 Mb / s for 10 versus 786 Mb / s for the seven. The speed of writing to disk varies by 50 Mb / s in favor of " dozens».

Computer games

There are many rumors that for modern games it is still better to use the seven. It is generally accepted that already released games are extremely unstable on the new operating system.

For testing, games that were released earlier were selected. advent of Windows 10: Bioshock Infinite, Metro Redux, Crysis 3. In the first two game projects both systems produce identical results: 130 frames per second on the "ten" versus 129 on the "seven". In Crysis 3, a computer running an operating Windows systems 10 pulled ahead somewhat (by 5–10 frames per second).

Based on the test, the following conclusion can be drawn. Unfitness computer games for the new OS is a myth. Compatibility and optimization problems were also present on Windows 7, however, this did not stop gamers from enjoying games in peace.

The only place where users of the "dozens" may have difficulty with compatibility is very old game projects that were released even before the release of Windows 7.

Performance Conclusion

Based on the results of all tests, it can be concluded that both operating systems handle basic tasks in about the same way. If we compare them as two independent projects, then 10 looks much better. First, at one time, Microsoft needed a certain number of updates before 7 became the most popular and stable operating system. Windows 10, in turn, became fully operational almost immediately after the release.

Let's move on to the interface and navigation of both systems.

Appearance and interface

Comparison of design and convenience is a completely subjective thing. Many users are so accustomed to the navigation and appearance of the "seven" that it will be very difficult for them to switch to a new generation of operating systems.

The design of the desktop, windows and menus in the "top ten" is made in " flat" and " square» directionality. This trend was set back in Windows 8. "Seven" is the standard of classic design. It is almost impossible to choose the best or worst interface - it's a matter of taste.

In "ten" two modes available: Tiles from Windows 8 and the standard desktop. There is no such thing in the old "seven" at all, as well as support for mobile platforms. If you are going to transfer all existing devices to a system from Microsoft, then the choice is definitely on the side of the "tens". The start menu in the new OS is a hybrid between the classic start and the tiles of the eight. Compared to Windows 8, ten is more friendly to desktop computers and mouse and keyboard controls.

The next plus in the piggy bank - Availability voice assistant . This system functions like voice search Google also looks for the files and documents you need on your computer's hard drive. The downside for Russian-speaking users is that the Cortana assistant has not yet learned our native language. But those who use English at least at a basic level will like this feature. Another plus is the new proprietary browser. Although, most likely, this is a stone in the garden of the Internet Explorer developers themselves, rather than Windows 7.

In general, the new OS looks brighter and more colorful, thus it looks better on high resolutions. This is a definite advantage for owners of large and modern monitors, as well as tablet users.

Of course, the "seven" is less demanding on the configuration of your computer. However, if you are going to purchase absolutely new system, then be sure to install Windows 10:

First, she has great prospects, and the differences in everyday work from your usual "seven" will be minimal;
Secondly, all future updates, software, games will gradually move to support only this operating system;
Thirdly, synchronization with mobile devices and tablets only available at 10.

Switching from seven to ten, having an average computer or laptop and not planning to update it regularly and in a timely manner, makes sense only when necessary (for example, support for a new game or program you need in Windows 10).

Test device and initial data

For tests, a top-end multimedia laptop was taken - ASUS UX-501. Configuration: Intel Core i7 (overclocked to 3.6 GHz), 16 GB of RAM, GeForce 960M GTX graphics card and 128 GB SSD drive. This is one of the most interesting devices of 2015.

A clean installation of both versions of Windows, software (drivers, test programs) was performed. The test was conducted in a room with a temperature of 23 degrees, the “Optimal” power mode was selected, all tasks using the Rundll32.exe, advapi32.dll, ProcessIdleTasks command worked, all the updates offered by Microsoft were installed, all the suggested Windows features for optimization. All tests were performed three times, the arithmetic mean was entered into the tables.

Testing

1. Loading time

The Windows® Performance Toolkit was used, a set of tools that manufacturers of Windows devices and programs resort to when they want to test the performance and speed of their products on average computers. The result of version 8.1 is on the left, "tens" are on the right, the unit of measure is seconds:

The difference can not be called big, but it is clear that Microsoft still decided to take the time and make better an already excellent indicator - Windows 10 is 0.7 seconds faster than its predecessor. On a top device like the UX-501, the owner of the device will not notice big differences, but on a regular laptop or PC, the difference can become much more noticeable.

Winner: Windows 10

2. Launch Internet Explorer

While working with a computer, we constantly open and close applications. The long loading time of an important program for work is not only annoying (and nerves, as you know, are not iron), but also interferes with work or surfing the Internet.

The set is used for measurements. Windows tools Assessment Toolkit. The unit of measure is milliseconds:

Again, not everyone will notice an improvement in the indicator from 0.9 seconds to 0.45 seconds - but in any case, such an indicator warms the soul, Microsoft took care of the user here too.

Winner: Windows 10

3. Typing, web browsing and video chat

For these tests, the PCMark 8 benchmark tool was used. It simulates real-life scenarios: surfing the Internet, working in Office 2013, Adobe Creative Suite and other programs that are usually used at home and in the office for work. The exact time to complete the task is measured, up to milliseconds:

The differences are minimal - only 1%. True, all the same in favor of Windows 10.

Winner: Windows 10

4. Productivity in Word, Powerpoint and Excel

PCMark measures the speed of work when working in the main office applications- for example, the processing time of a large table in Excel:

And here the increase is already much more obvious: office workers associated with computing seem to really need to upgrade to the "ten".

Winner: Windows 10

5. Grand Theft Auto V

God be with him, with the office - let's play! The test is being passed by the best game of 2015 - GTA V, with its own built-in benchmark responsible for measuring FPS (frames per second).

The first "defeat" of the new OS from Microsoft. But it is worth remembering that the “ten” supports DirectX 12, which makes games up to 50% faster than before. The point is small - finally wait for such games.

Winner: Windows 8.1

6. Adobe Creative Suite

Good performance is needed not only by gamers and nervous housewives, but also by IT professionals. A case in point is the Adobe Creative Suite:

And again, the victory is more than convincing, as much as 17% - for Windows 10. Microsoft has worked on the use of resources and drivers, so for every self-respecting IT specialist, a “ten” is not a luxury, but an urgent need.

Winner: Windows 10

7. Battery life (office)

Microsoft promises that Windows 10 will take better care of weak Windows laptop batteries. PCMark 8 runs production tests up to full discharge Battery:

In all three tests, Windows 10 ran 9 minutes longer. Honestly, I would like more, but thanks for that.

Winner: Windows 10

8. Battery life (games)

When we "cut" into something very interesting, not only time flies very quickly, but also the battery charge. Unfortunately, even with the latest driver from NVIDIA, when playing GTA V, the time in the "ten" has decreased, all tests show a decent "minus" of 13 percent:

Winner: Windows 8.1

9. Battery life (movies)

While watching a 1080p video clip with Windows Media Player on Windows 8.1, the laptop shut down after 2 hours and 25 minutes. In Windows 10, this figure turned out to be much better - 3 hours, or + 25%. Apparently, the “ten” is more rational in this usage scenario - background activity is minimized, only the video player works “seriously”:

Winner: Windows 10.

The final score is 2:7 not in favor of Windows 8.1.

Verdict

Windows 10 even at the very beginning of its life cycle already running faster than Windows 8.1. But miracles do not happen: in the winning use cases for the "ten" use cases, the increase in speed is most often minimal, significant progress has been made only in terms of video viewing. Also, let's not forget that the tests were carried out on a "clean" version of the system, Windows with a large number of installed games, programs and drivers will start to work much more slowly over time.

And how (faster, slower) does Windows 10 work for you, dear readers? Share your opinion in the comments!