14 DAY TRIAL // One would naturally expect IT pros not to care about little things in Windows, such as the removal of the Start menu, but it turns out that the return of this feature in Windows 10 is one of their favorite things for the new operating system.
A survey conducted by Spiceworks (PDF viewer needed) and involving 500 IT professionals has found that 64 percent of the respondents are very interested in the Start menu that’s integrated into Windows 10, while 55 percent pointed towards the free upgrade from Windows 7 and 8.1.
At the opposite pole, only 8 percent cited touch support as the main feature of Windows 10, which is living proof that most are still looking to use the operating system with a mouse and keyboard.
Microsoft Edge? What’s that?
As far as the new Microsoft Edge browser is concerned, half of the respondents refused to answer, explaining that they need to learn more information about the app before deciding whether it’s better than Internet Explorer or not (Edge is already available in preview builds as Project Spartan).
And speaking of preview builds, 60 percent of the respondents revealed that they have already tested Windows 10 internally, while no less than 96 percent said they are interested in what the new operating system has to offer.
And probably the good news for Microsoft is that a total of 76 percent of the IT professionals revealed that they plan to upgrade to Windows 10 in the first two years after launch, while 40 percent of them said they would move even faster and install it in the first year.
Windows 10 will be released on July 29 and will be available as a free upgrade for consumers running genuine Windows 7 or 8.1, if the upgrade is performed in the first 12 months after launch. Enterprises will still have to pay for the upgrade during this whole time.