Windows 10 could be on a computer near you as early as this June but almost certainly by the end of this summer. With that news I thought I’d better get a bit of a head start on Windows 10 to see what it looks like, how it works and how it compares to Windows 8.1. To do that, I joined the Windows Insider Program and was soon able to download the latest Windows 10 Preview Build and install it on my laptop computer which I don’t use much while we’re not RV’ing.
Running a Preview Build of Windows can be tricky as explained by Microsoft:
“The Program Services include experimental and early prerelease software. This means that you may experience occasional crashes and in rare cases data loss. To recover, you may have to reinstall your applications, the operating system, or re-flash your device. Using the Program Services on some devices may impact your warranty (check with your device provider). By participating, you agree to frequently backup your data.”
The new Windows 10 – one and only desktop display with the Start button
OK, then. With those dire warnings in mind I nevertheless plunged ahead and followed the simple steps to replace my perfectly good Windows 8.1 with the experimental and perhaps flaky pre-release build of Windows 10. Basically, I just selected the option to install Windows 10 then sat back and watched for about an hour or so as my laptop downloaded files, shutdown and restarted several times until at last it told me Windows 10 was finalizing settings and I would soon be set to go.
A new comprehensive Notifications Panel replaces the awkward Charms Bar
Finally, I was at the familiar Windows sign-on screen where I keyed in my 4-digit PIN and with that I went directly to the new Windows 10 desktop. It has the old familiar Windows 7 style Start menu but it also displays fully customizable Window 8 tile icons too. From the start menu, you have access to all of your apps, most used apps and other functions just like you did with Windows 7. If you prefer the Windows 8 look then that’s easy to display with just a click but you still stay on the same desktop and don’t get sent off into never, never land.
A new Settings App looks ready to replace the jumbled mess Control Panel
Windows 10 features a new Settings App that’s a combination of the Control Panel from Windows 7 and Settings from Windows 8. Even though Control Panel is still included in this Windows 10 Build, I’m betting the jumbled jumbled mess it grew into over the years will be replaced by the new, clean, functional Settings App. It’s very simple and clear and I liked it a lot.
Cortana is a voice activated assistant similar to Apple’s Siri
The Taskbar now has a search box with a microphone that brings up Cortana which is Microsoft's voice-driven assistant that works similar to Apple’s Siri. You can ask questions out-loud, and Cortana will answer by serving up relevant results. Cortana has an integrated search capability, meaning she can search your hard drive to bring up things like documents, specifics apps, or photos from a certain month. She can send emails for you too. Or, if you don’t want to talk to Cortana then you can type in the Search Box and It'll look online and across all your Windows 10 devices..
Cortana in action doing web searches
There is much, much more to Windows 10 than the few things I’ve mentioned here but the biggest news to me is how simple it is to use. I don’t think anyone will find this new OS confusing at all. It is very similar in function to Windows 7. This is going to be a “free upgrade” to Windows 10 for all Windows 7 and 8 users (for 1 year). It will be installed automatically by Windows Update shortly after Microsoft releases Windows 10 this summer. Be aware and be ready!
Thanks for visiting!
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét