Windows 10

Factual Questions
1

I have a Spanish version 8.1 of Windows and am wondering if when Windows 10 is released, I can get the English version? I live in Colombia, but even though I speak a little Spanish, I do prefer the English version of the OS.

2

I think you can just change the display language whenever you like:

3

That didn’t answer my question. I want the English version of Windows 10. Is that going to be possible? That is what I want to know. I already know the things that you pointed out to me.

4

The short version: most likely no.

The long version:
When Win 10 is released, it will be offered to you through Windows Update. And it will update your PC to Spanish version of Win 10. It will also be possible to download iso file, burn it onto a DVD and do a fresh installation. You could download and install an English Win 10, but you would then need to activate it. And your Win 8.1 license will likely not work for that.

5

I hope this is not an inappropriate hijack. If it is, please forgive me.

AdamF, what’s the difference between Spanish Windows, vs. English Windows with Spanish Display?

6

The default language, naturally. And not all display languages are available to all version (see here).
Also, updates, particularly feature updates, are often staggered, with the English version getting them first.

7

But since he already has a Spanish language version and English is available everywhere, that’s not really an issue. Only if he wanted some other language.

I also would assume that Windows 10 will automatically load the English language pack if he has it installed on Windows 8.1. It would be stupid not to.

So the question is, what is different about the English version that he needs it for?

The reason we ask is that, sometimes, while it’s not possible to do exactly what you want, it is possible to get the results that you want. It’s one of the things they teach you when doing support.

8

I’ve bought Windows 8.1 tablets from China, which came with the Chinese version of Windows. After switching the language to English and loading the English language pack, it’s almost indistinguishable from the US version of Windows. There are a few vestiges of Chinese, e.g. at the login screen, but that’s all.

9

Based on the chart in this article, it seems like Microsoft is doing away with country-specific versions.