Windows 8 and its update, 8.1, were never a great success with Microsoft users. The attempt to capitalise on the touchscreen market fell short, and users missed the traditional Windows 7 Start Menu.

Windows 8 will remain supported by Microsoft until October 2023 (though you must upgrade to 8.1). If you’re happy with the OS’s idiosyncrasies, there’s no pressure to upgrade. 

Since the upgrade process is relatively straightforward, we’d urge Windows 8/8.1 users to upgrade soon to Windows 10, while it’s still free to do. Windows 10 is a significant improvement over 8 and 8.1.

Free upgrade until July 2016

Windows 10 will only be offered for free to Windows 8/8.1 users until the end of July 2016. After this, you'll need to pay to upgrade. We feel that Windows 10 is easily a superior operating system to Windows 8/81.

If you're interested in the upgrade, first check that your PC meets the Windows 10 system requirements. This shouldn't be any issue if you're seeing the 'upgrade' icon in the corner of your screen already.