Some 2017 small Windows 10 Pcs ideal for DIY CNCs

[m_c]

I find Windows 7 Ultimate perfectly usable, given that my computing requirements are based around 3rd party modelling, CAD/CAM and CNC software how would Windows 10 improve my user experience?

If what you've got works, then there isn't any reason to upgrade. Only reason I finally went to 10, was because my old Win 7 pro Dell finally died. I won't deny my first experience of 10 was not good, but now I've used it on some decent hardware, I now prefer it.

I find it's the subtle things like to launch a program on the desktop, just click the search box, and start typing the name. It remembers what program you normally launch that starts with that letter, and if that's what you want you just need to type one letter, hit enter, and the program gets opened. Win 7 you had to either double click a shortcut, dig through the start menu, or wait for the search to find what you want.
I no longer have a task bar full of icons, or a desktop cluttered with shortcuts.

Then in the file explorer, there's a quick access list of folders that you regularly access. In 7, I had to edit my favourites list to add/remove regularly used folders. The quick access list in 10 automatically adds any folder you've opened a more than a couple times recently and bumps of any you've not accessed recently.

The best way I can think to describe it overall, is you had to make 7 work for you, whereas 10 adapts to how you work, provided you let it.

One thing to be aware of is how 10 works varies depending on what it's being run on, and how it's been configured.
My tablet can be set to desktop or tablet mode. Tablet mode forces most windows to fullscreen, removes the taskbar, and lets you swipe between apps. Desktop mode lets you resize windows, and have multiple windows visible, and adds the taskbar but it means you need an accurate touchscreen (or connect a mouse). Start button opens a start screen similar to 8. Swiping from the right edge opens a quick setting window.

On the laptop, it's got a very similar feel to 7. Start opens a conventional menu like you get in 7 and earlier, with an 8 style box tacked on the side (MS have to peddle their app store somehow!). Biggest problem is usually finding the right settings page, but search is your friend there.

[magicniner]

Microsoft have rendered the Desktop redundant so you now have a full window of unusable space?
What a waste ;-)

[m_c]

Microsoft have rendered the Desktop redundant so you now have a full window of unusable space?
What a waste ;-)

it means I don't have to keep showing the desktop to find another shortcut.
Plus I get to look at pictures which aren't covered in shortcuts ;-)

[magicniner]

Plus I get to look at pictures which aren't covered in shortcuts ;-)

Only if you show the desktop though :D

I do get that's just different, no worse and no better from an ergonomic point of view but it's Microsoft's new revenue stream model plans that I worry about and how that's going to work out down the line, they are desperate to move to annual licences for as much of their product range as possible and I want nothing to do with any of that.

[Neale]

What worries me about W10 is performance. I'm not talking about general speed - when things are working normally, I see no difference from W7 - but after some recent updates, my garage PC based on a new motherboard with AMD CPU installed about a year ago has been running like a dog - a three-legged dog. Some of the system processes including desktop manager can take up to 50% of the CPU, and response is so slow that it even drops the connection to the CSMIO motion controller from time to time. Last night I was giving a talk and demo of my 3D printer to a local society and the printer started running very slowly as well. Looked like the laptop was not sending gcode fast enough to the printer every so often. I couldn't chase the issue as I was busy talking, but that was a combination of laptop and printer that's been working without a single issue for a few years now, including W10 for a year or so. The only change was W10 updates, as far as I know. Both machines have installed the latest Creator Update, which looks as if it might be part of the problem. I have a few other W10 PCs which seem to be working fine but aren't doing anything "real time" in the same way.

Don't know is anyone else is seeing W10 problems but i'm starting to get a bit twitchy about it. Done a fair bit of googling around this issue and although there are generic performance complaints, I haven't found a fix for my problem yet. Bit of an issue as my router is built around the CSMIO so Linux is not an option. Upgrade to W7? Is Microsoft on a "Well, our compulsory updates might make your hardware obsolete" strategy?

[magicniner]

Don't know is anyone else is seeing W10 problems but i'm starting to get a bit twitchy about it.

Neale,
Even with Windows 7 I have Internet connectivity disabled on my main CAD/CAM PC and my CNC PC, you can do this whilst maintaining local area network connectivity so file transfer isn't a problem, work and anything you need to download with an "Internet PC" can be stored centrally on NAS,

- Nick

[Neale]

Nick,
I'm not so worried about my cad/cam machine, especially as I use F360 which needs to be cloud-connected to get the best out of it (yes, I know, another can of worms ). However, the machine control PC has a dedicated Ethernet connection to the motion controller, and a wireless dongle for connection to the main WiFi network in the house for file transfer but which is unplugged during cutting. Because I run W10 Pro, I can also turn off automatic update download and install - a little-documented (by Microsoft) feature which isn't in W10 Home. My problem with that machine is continuous CPU load, not "hang on a bit, I've decided to do a bunch of downloads and installs". Main difference between that machine and all my other machines is that that one is AMD and the others Intel. All latest drivers, so hardware still current and supported by AMD.
I only mention this because Boyan's post about cheap PCs makes me a bit nervous, not because the hardware isn't a good buy but whether or not there might be a longer-term issue with W10 supporting the hardware. I'm also leaning towards the idea of Linux for the future, but there is some software I'm using today that just can't migrate - like Mach3.

[AndyGuid]

Only if you show the desktop though :D

I do get that's just different, no worse and no better from an ergonomic point of view but it's Microsoft's new revenue stream model plans that I worry about and how that's going to work out down the line, they are desperate to move to annual licences for as much of their product range as possible and I want nothing to do with any of that.

I also want nothing to do with any of that, the prospect of the end user becoming increasingly controlled ala 1984 makes me feel quite sick. Also, I have been deceived into installing what are effectively downgrades too many times now. I will be saying goodbye to the Proprietary world as soon as I can no longer get by on Windows-7.

I recently watched a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6xUaK4DZU0 of a talk by Richard Stallman at TEDx 2014 and reckon GNU/Linux is the closest thing to an alternative to the Microsoft/Apple world. I only hope that my brain is still capable of adapting to yet another big change!