Since the rollout of Microsoft Windows 8 PCs, we have strongly recommended sticking with Windows 7 Professional. Windows 8 introduced major overhauls to the user interface, creating a steep learning curve – especially for a business environment. Additionally, many imaging and dental software never updated their drivers or software to claim compatibility with Windows 8. Now, the question of “when to upgrade to Windows 8” has been answered – “Don’t.” Windows 10 will be the next evolution of Windows-based PCs.
When will Windows 10 Be Recommended for Dental Practices?
The short answer is, “We don’t know. But certainly, not for a while.” There is very little known about this major overhaul, and time will tell whether or not Practice Management providers and dental hardware providers will release Windows 10 compatible drivers and software.
Our Advice: Don’t Jump on Windows 10 Right Away!
As with everything computer related, the proof will be in the pudding. We recommend sticking with Windows 7, which is not set to sunset for at least 6 years. However, our techs are very excited about Microsoft Windows 10!! Rest assured that our techs are going to be ironing out dental-specific issues with Windows 10 before you need to decide whether or not to migrate away from Windows 7.
As with the shift from Windows XP to Windows 7, we saw some issues necessitating customized implementations of the newer operating system. As such, we are expecting similar experiences in switching to Microsoft Windows 10. Let our techs play with our test installations before jumping on board with the latest and greatest technology from Microsoft.
Windows 10 Information
You can find some early-release information, limited though it is, by following this link. For now, the recommendation is to hold on for a bit, and let Microsoft (and dental hardware/software providers) work out the bugs. Don’t to be too quick to adopt this new operating system; stick with what works. dmi Networking’s dental techs will keep you in the loop when the latest iteration of Microsoft Windows becomes a viable upgrade for dental offices.