14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft worked to make Windows 10 a reliable replacement for all those running an older version of Windows, and while it’s pretty clear that computers powered by Windows XP won’t be able to cope with its requirements, there’s no doubt that others will be.
And just like Windows IT Pro writes today, Windows 10 Preview will have almost identical system requirements with Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista (all of which you can check in the box after the jump), so the new operating system should be able to run pretty flawlessly on a five-year old machine.
Windows 10 Technical Preview requires a 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor, at least 1 GB of RAM for the 32-bit and 2GB for the 64-bit version, and 16 GB of free space for all its files.
Windows 8.1 has exactly the same specs, whereas Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, and Windows Vista Ultimate require 1 GB of RAM for both 32- and 64-bit configurations, and 15 GB of free space.
The hardware requirements for Windows 10 are very likely to be the same as for the Technical Preview, so nothing is going to change in this regard.
Of course, this is a pretty good thing for users worldwide, especially because Microsoft hopes to boost early adoption of the new OS as soon as possible. Low system requirements, coupled with a possible free license for those running Windows 8.1, could the right way to make Windows 10 successful.