Windows 10 preview has been released a couple of days ago and will be up for grabs from mid-2015. With this new release, Microsoft is not only trying to capture the imagination of mobile and touch screen users, but also revive popular features from older versions, says Shruti Puri.
The need for the new OS was necessitated by the growing popularity of Windows 8 among a section of Windows OS users. Windows 8 was introduced to cater to the need for mobile devices. However, growing number of users started to dislike it for two main reasons: the tablet-like design and, lack of proper control for various devices with mouse and keyboards.
In fact, this unhappiness translated into fall in sales of PCs. Analysts believe that in a move to regain long term customer loyalty, Microsoft is coming up with Windows 10 that is able to provide proper support to businesses as well as individual customers who are increasingly using touchscreen tablets and smartphones.
The users will again enjoy the Start Menu as well as a better interface.
It is also very symbolic that Microsoft has brought Windows 10 instead of Windows 9 after Windows 8. It seems they have made some marked improvements in the new operating system. One thing they have stressed on is simplification. This OS has been simplified to such an extent that users can work on any screen from 4 inches to 80 inches.
The main advantage of Windows 10 is that the interface can be shared from PCs to tablets and other devices.
Here are top 5 features that make Windows 10 an operating system to vouch for:
1. Start Menu
After a pretty long wait, Microsoft has brought back the Start Menu and users can check them out on the left hand and front of the user interface. When you click on the menu, it splits up in two columns. The first one includes app style icons and the other includes a traditional list.
You can also customise the shape as well as the size of the Start Menu.
In fact, the application icon can also be manipulated as per your whims and needs.
Users can not only search different aspects of the computer with the help of the Start Menu but can also browse the web results from here.
If you are a longtime Windows OS user and was missing the Start Menu button, you will definitely love this now.
2. Better command prompt
If you are a computer geek, you will simply love Windows 10 because it will help you to get an improved command prompt.
The person who was the main brain behind Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore, has called this a 'geeky' function.
If you are a computer pro and know what to do with the 'Command Prompt', this is one of the best aspects you will get in the new OS.
3. More than one desktop for multi-tasking
Windows 10 enables users to get Task View, which provides access to multiple desktop screens that again consists of multiple applications. The small windows like mini-screens can be seen at interface bottom.
Snap Assist UI (which is again present at the side of the screen) will help users in grabbing applications from other desktops.
If you use wide array of programmes, all at a time, for long periods of time, multi-tasking ability through multiple desktops is surely the feature you are going to love in Windows 10.
Moreover, this feature again places Microsoft back in desktop gaming.
4. Apt for businesses
Major businesses will surely appreciate the new Microsoft OS. The best part is that Windows 10 is compatible with all kinds of modern management systems. Moreover, productivity surely puts this product ahead of others.
While showcasing the new operating system the company has showcased this as one of the four enterprise values of Microsoft.
Enterprises, from now on, can separate corporate data from personal data, thereby providing them various levels of security.
If you are a business person, you can keep most important and secretive business information away from unwanted people.
5. Great news for application developers
You can not only customise user interface on the device that run on Windows 10, but can also use individual applications on them. You just need a single set of codes for targetting windows application on a personal computer to a full screen application on tablet or smartphone.
So, from now on, the users will have to interact with just a single Windows app store and not different stores for different devices.
In comparison to Windows 8, this is a big leap forward because in there different apps had to be used for different versions: say start screen interface on Windows RT tablets and desktop environment for personal computers and Windows Phone smartphones.
This is not enough!
Windows 10 has lot more goodies for its customers, where Microsoft has tried to merge the best features of Windows 7 and Windows 8 and presented them in the most simplified manner.
Only time will vouch how beneficial this leap will be for Microsoft, which is facing a cut-throat competition from Google's Android in the smartphone and tablet market.
