Up(?)grading to Windows 10

I've been pretty leery about this, since the whole thing was announced. On one hand, it can't possibly be *that* much worse than Windows 8, right? And I bought this laptop (I've affectionately named it Wormtail) just so I could try out that monstrosity. OTOH...well, this is easily the must intrusive licensing agreement *ever*. I've been waffling lately about whether Google or Amazon is worse when it comes to the way they produce products that are good enough to get us to share our daily secrets. Laura recently noted that Amazon probably knows her better than I do. When I admitted that this is probably true, she started with [mock?] outrage that I wasn't even going to try to fight back, then got really dirty when she asserted that Amazon has more time for her than I. Well, she's right on pretty much all counts. Amazon has a *ton* of money at stake when it comes to getting to know her slightest want and desire. And an inconceivable army of computers to track every single one of her whims. I can't possibly compete with that. Except, you know, by being a person who actually fulfills her needs and provides support. Sure, Amazon knows when she needs extra chocolate, while I have to guess, but Amazon isn't ever going to even try to change Mal's diaper while she takes a shower. Sure, it could probably do a better job than I, with Barney and Thomas the Train, but that's one of the many reasons we don't have a TV. That's almost all just a basic anecdote around the basic point. No matter how much Amazon and Google know about my personal life, Microsoft (surprise, surprise!) just upped the ante. They can now collect every little nuance of every detail of everything that happens when I'm sitting at Wormtail. I'm pretty sure the EULA allows them to turn on my web cam and analyze everything it sees. While they're analyzing every keystroke and mouse shift. They now have total access to everything I might ever think about doing on this system, and it would be insane for me to think they aren't collecting all of it. There's a subtle option during the install that lets you opt out of most of this. It's a fine print sort of thing that most people will skip right past. I wish I'd thought to take screen shots. Even though I opted out of every option that mentioned sending data about usage behind my back, I feel like this laptop is now a spy in my own home. I already felt that way, of course, or I'd have picked a different name. That's really all existential drama for another day. The entire point to this post is that the trans-grade went smoothly. Microsoft asked for my feedback after the fact. They reserved the right to use that for process improvements and marketing spiel. Since I wrote it, I believe I have the right to cross-post it here. Note that I really haven't explored *anything* about the actual changes yet. I'm horrified that Candy Crush is now in my Start "menu." I'm grateful that pushing the win-logo button no longer dumps my desktop. I'm excited that there's finally some semblance of virtual desktops...but, so far, it underwhelms. Anyway. Here's my review of the actual trans-perience (for whatever it's worth): Based on what I've read around the net, and from the update app, I expected some sort of notification that my upgrade was ready. I happened to click on it today because I'd added a reminder to my calendar (since I've learned to not trust these things). The app popped up with "You're ready to upgrade now," which was almost good timing. Everything I'd read said I could schedule everything for later after the EULA, so I went through that step, and scheduled it for midnight. An hour or so later, I got to a stopping point and figured I might as well try the upgrade now, so I clicked on the upgrade app and got...nothing. Eh, well, no rush. I wouldn't have minded just waiting until midnight. So I went about my business. When my computer went to sleep while I was away, I logged back in and found a message that Windows Update needed me to reboot right away. I've also read lots of posts warning that we need to pay lots of attention to this sort of thing, since hardware manufacturers are updating drivers frantically right now. It was one of those rare moments when it was actually convenient for me to reboot. I'd been planning on it anyway, so most of my work was already saved (surprise reboots are probably my biggest complaint about Windows. Why haven't you people managed to catch up with Linux on this one?) That reboot actually started my upgrade. Which seems to have been the smoothest I've ever experienced. I haven't tried to actually do anything yet besides basic web browsing (and updating cygwin), so I may have a different story when I try to, say, use our scanner/printer. But, so far, for now, this was almost painless (well, except for my computer being unavailable for a few hours. Again: why is Microsoft so far behind Linux on this sort of thing? Hopefully their new rolling update strategy means this is the last time I'll ever have a reason to sit through this nonsense). I'm not holding my breath, mind you. But it seems worth hoping for, since MS actually asked for my feedback (hey, props for that, too. I'm sure that's a first!)