Windows 10 is finally here and users across the world and patiently (or maybe impatiently) waiting for their upgrade. If you use a Windows tablet, you may be wondering if your tablet is compatible with the new update. That’s a fair question, as Microsoft has confirmed that not every tablet will be able to install Windows 10.
System Requirements
First, you must look at the hardware requirements for Windows 10. Unlike past versions, these requirements carry over from laptop to desktop to smartphone and even tablets. Unlike in the past, Microsoft maintained separate operating systems for some of their devices. With Windows 10, all that changes. Now, Microsoft offers one operating system for all their devices.
So what does your tablet need? Well, for starters it needs at least 16 GB of free space in order to receive the download. On top of that, you need at least a 1 GHz processor with a minimum of 1 GB of RAM for the 32-bit version and 2 GB of RAM for the 64-bit version. These kinds of specs are usually only found in more high-end 10-inch tablets.
Storage Could Be a Problem
On some of the tablets with lower amounts of storage, users may have a tough time upgrading without wiping out all of their data and starting from scratch. While that is not always a bad thing to do, it can be quite inconvenient for many users. If you are having trouble meeting the storage requirements, I recommend doing a little housekeeping. Go through your tablet and delete any apps that you no longer use and go through all your saved files and get rid of anything you really don’t need. If you are still having trouble after that, try migrating your files to the cloud using SkyDrive or one of the other could services that are available.
Windows RT
If you are running Windows RT on your tablet, you are basically out of luck. Microsoft has not made Windows 10 available for tablets that run Windows RT and currently has no plans on releasing a full version of Windows 10 for those devices. However, not all is lost. Microsoft has confirmed that a new update for Windows RT will be released in September. This new update will include a new desktop and start menu with a new lock screen that looks and feels much like Windows 10. It seems they aren’t giving up on RT entirely, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for any other major updates to RT as they move away from that version of their Windows operating system.
Final Thoughts
With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft has created an operating system that will run on all of their different platforms, meaning you won’t have to learn a bunch of new systems with each new device you buy, as long as they run Windows. That being said, you need to make sure your tablet is ready for the update so you can get ahold of your copy of Windows 10 while it is free. If you don’t, you could find your tablet becomes quickly outdated as app creators move ahead with the new platform leaving that dusty copy of Windows 8 on your tablet behind for good.