Posted on 09/19/2015 6:05:47 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The last four years have been quite troublesome for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). The company has been rapidly losing market share, especially since the release of Windows 8. Users were not happy with the live tile ecosystem offered and felt that the company did not provide a a user-friendly interface, which had been the main reason for Microsoft’s success in the past. Many users shifted to available alternatives i.e. Linux, iOS and Android.
Windows 7 was a huge success and users soon got accustomed to using it. Later, Windows 8 was released with one foot each each in mobile and computing - which turned out to be a huge failure for the company.
Microsoft recently released Windows 10 – the operating system (OS) is a make-or-break for the company. Windows 10 was released as an open source platform initially, similar to Android. The change meant the company did not just release 32 and 64-bit versions, but also a completely different ARM architecture, which allows the OS to run on smaller devices like smartphones and tablets. The ARM platform in Windows 10 is entirely different from the previous, Windows RT, used on tablets and smartphones. Windows heavily relies on third party apps which work directly with the OS, and because of this, for the first time Microsoft has allowed apps from other platforms to be easily ported into Windows 10. Going forward, it could pose a threat to Microsoft, as it can no longer compete with the likes of iOS and Android, and has thus made the integration of apps much easier.
Upgrading to Windows 10 has also been made much easier. Previously, users had to cough up a sizeable sum to obtain Microsoft’s latest software, but users can now upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 directly, provided their copies are genuine. However, users who do not have a licensed copy have to pay an upgrade fee of $119.99. The upgrades will be available on Amazon, and will soon be sent out on removable flash drives.
The new OS will be available in seven different versions. These are IoT (Internet of Things) for devices like Raspberry Pi, Intel Galileo or Imagination's Creator Ci20, Mobile, Home, Enterprise and Professional. There's also a new Mobile Enterprise version called Education for academic establishments. Windows 10 mobile is mainly targeted toward Lumia devices, and this is Microsoft’s last gasp attempt to catch up with Android and iOS.
The most notable change in Windows 10 is the completely redesigned user interface. After millions of complaints from annoyed users from all over the world, the company has brought back its start menu, although the tile feature from Windows 8 is still present, users now have an option to remove the tiles completely. The OS comes with a new notification pane called the Action Center, which can be accessed from the taskbar and houses quick settings, such as Toggle for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Location services.
Possibly one of the best features Microsoft has added to the new OS is Cortana, which serves as your personal virtual assistant. it is quite different from Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) Siri though. Cortana can also be controlled by voice and not only does it search the Internet but also finds files and programs on the computer. The feature was added after repeated user complaints as the search application on previous Windows failed to find files on the hard drive. Cortana adapts to the user, and the more it is used, the smarter it becomes. On top of that, Microsoft has completely redesigned its browser and has changed its name. Internet Explorer was the norm for Windows but it has now been replaced with Microsoft Edge. The new browser comes with many new features i.e. allowing users to highlight text in pages.
The Tablet Mode is another new feature on Windows 10, which allows tablets to be integrated with personal computers. It is a very smart feature and the mode is activated as soon as the user detaches the keyboard, allowing touch features on the PC. The Aero Snap feature allows users to open four applications in each corner of the desktop, an upgrade to the snap feature in previous versions which only allowed two applications. The OS has also beefed up security features and now comes standard with biometric fingerprint support and facial recognition, called Hello. The command prompt has also improved and users can, for the first time, use shortcuts from command prompt to copy and paste text.
After using Windows for a full month, it is evident that Microsoft has incorporated user feedback and improved its latest OS in terms of speed and by making the new interface more user-friendly. Windows 10 seems to be the ticket for Microsoft to get back on top in the computing world.
Dying company. Can’t be expire soon enough.
I have had a couple teeth gringing moments when some old games don’t work but other than that I think Windows 10 way better than 8
I still think Windows 7 was better than both and may go back to that. However my laptop is 4 years old and the desktop-video server is 3 years old so that may be a part of my issues
I installed it only a few days ago. It’s way better than Windows 8 but not as good as Windows 7.
And then there’s the deal with support for legacy tools.
It won’t run MS Virtual PC 2007 and it my Intel RAID user interface program doesn’t run. I don’t like not having a RAID 1 mirror running.
Cortana can listen in on every conversation in your room.
Wonderful! Just what we needed...(sarc/off)
Threshold 2 according to Windows Weekly.
Now, by default settings they want you to share your bandwidth with strangers over the Internet.
I had one that didn't make the transition, but when I re-loaded it, it worked.
ping for the Windows list....
“way better than Windows 8”
Like a sandwich without dirt in it is way better than a filthy one...
I’m convinced they made 8 so bad on purpose: to get people on the privacy-gouging 10.
It sure worked on me.
I upgraded to 10 from 8.1, which was horrible. Haven’t had any issues with 10 yet, but I really liked 7 when I had it.
Got 7, and keep hearing 10 is not only buggy but seriously intrusive. When can we expect it to be reasonably bearable?
I bought this present machine operating in Windows 8 no more than one third of a year ago.
I d*** well am NOT interested in the glorious, stupendous, magnificent upgrade to another Windows product, already being sick and fed up that i had to go into Windows 8.
Groan!
When did they let you out of the crazy house?
“Got 7, and keep hearing 10 is not only buggy but seriously intrusive. When can we expect it to be reasonably bearable?”
When Window 11 comes out, the intrusiveness of 10 will probably seem reasonably bearable.
Joke post?
Windows 8.1 is actually better than Windows 7. You can toggle between the familiar desktop setup and the tile apps. I just bought a fully loaded ASUS desktop and it is off da hook!
Upgraded to Win 10 on a Dell 2 in 1 touch screen 11.6” device that I got last November with Win 8.1. I never liked 8.1
But I like it better with Win 10.
LOL.. I just had to uninstall Windows 10. I kept getting a blue screen of death. After 2 minutes or so, it would lock up and crash. I finally got it into troubleshoot mode and tried to roll back to Windows 7. Ended up losing all my data and had to reinstall from scratch.
Thanks for nothing, Microsoft.
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