Re: Windows 10
 

I think the only way it would work effectively is if the driver station could only run on Linux. It would be a huge pain for the FTAs to add another large variable (operating system) into the debugging process, not to mention the cost of maintaining the separate build, like you mentioned.

On another note, though, it doesn't seem like it would be very hard for NI to make the driver station work on Linux, because (I'm pretty sure, I haven't had much experience with it) LabView can be compiled for Linux without many/any changes.

Re: Windows 10
 

The reason we used the Technical Preview was because we couldn't easily obtain Windows 7 without paying Microsoft.

We actually had some issues with networking on our (Windows 10) driver laptop.

Re: Windows 10
 

Robotics teams shouldn't be paying for Windows licenses.

http://www.microsoft.com/about/corpo...are-donations/

Re: Windows 10
 

On the other hand, my experience is that Windows is the single biggest factor in problems switching from on-field networking to in-pit networking. There are probably things that the Driver Station can do to make it work better, but they would basically be workarounds for inconsistent and undesired Windows behavior.

I think it's the specifics of the USB drivers that would make a Linux version of the Driver Station harder to implement than one might assume.

Re: Windows 10
 

However, if you look at the eligibility for this program. Schools as specifically NOT included (they have different terms under their Volume pricing information for schools).

Re: Windows 10
 

You're going to have to pay for that Windows 10 license eventually as well.

An OEM system builder license with full media is pretty cheap, almost certainly much cheaper than any hardware you're putting it on. http://smile.amazon.com/Windows-8-1-...dp/B00F3ZN2W0/

If that's too expensive, I'd suggest you use the provided classmate.

Re: Windows 10
 

This doesn't exclude all FRC teams. Many operate with 501(c)(3) status independent of a school system.

Re: Windows 10
 

Alternatives:

Many robotics teams have 501c3 nonprofit booster clubs. That org can receive the free software. It is exactly the same approach that Autodesk and Dassault use to provide their software to teams. There are many other benefits of having a 501c3, aside from free software. More info at http://thinktank.wpi.edu/article/105

Alternately, you could buy licenses under the school's enterprise agreement for much cheaper than the retail price.

Many schools have programs that provide inexpensive licenses to employees/students.

Finally, if you know someone who works for Microsoft, if you politely ask they might buy you licenses from the company store and donate them.

DareDad, there are many paths for consumers to upgrade to free win10. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/about has details.

Re: Windows 10
 

We went with the Technical Preview because we needed Windows quickly and couldn't wait for the school IT department. If we had circumvented them and used the school's volume license, they would detect it and torture us.

We were using other laptops before we obtained this one, but we kept running out of RAM when compiling.

Re: Windows 10
 

How much RAM is optimal for programming in Java for FRC in Windows 10 Tech Preview? I might put it on my old netbook which I don't use anymore! However, that laptop's too slow for even smooth Ubuntu performance. The book has 2 GiB of RAM so I don't know if that'll work. It's the bottom of the line for Windows.

Re: Windows 10
 

Re: Windows 10
 

I really don't know, as our team uses C++. Sorry!


Our laptop was (allegedly) preloaded with Windows 7. Microsoft thinks that Windows 8 and 10 have similar system requirements, so you might be better off with a light-weight Linux distro.

Re: Windows 10
 

2G should be adequate on Windows for a robot program in C++ or Java. I'd spend $50 on a SSD if you don't have one, as it makes a big difference on build times.

Re: Windows 10
 

[Developer for Windows 10 here]
Windows 7 is obviously the most stable windows version out there as of now, and works fine for us. As a developer, we have actually been able to eliminate more bugs than in the past versions of windows at this stage, so it should be stable. We're aiming to release in early August, so there will be another 5 months of updates we can release before kickoff so we might be able to reliably use Windows 10 in the next season. Hope that helps.

Re: Windows 10
 

Personally I've found that Windows 8.1 takes up massive amounts of memory (I have 8gb) such that SolidWorks will throw a "low memory" error after a few hours of running, even if nothing else is open. It might just be my computer, but I'm probably going to try Windows 10 later to see if it helps.