Post by Eorl @ 08:12am 01/10/14 | 107 Comments
Described as the company's "most comprehensive platform, ever," Windows 10 stresses a single product family, platform, and store. While the announcement covered quite a bit in terms of enterprise customers, general consumers have some changes to look forward to as well — one of which is an updated and familiar Start Menu that many haters of Windows 8 will be eager for.
The new version looks more like the pre-Windows 8 Start Menu, revealing a list of apps, folders, and a search bar, but to the side will be a series of Live Tiles. Essentially, you'll find a Windows 7 Start Menu with a Windows 8 twist. The search function works much like it does when typing from the Windows 8 Modern UI, revealing apps, files, and web results.
Windows 8-style apps can now be windowed within the traditional desktop, adding more flexibility in how you use them—currently, they can only be used at full-screen or within the confines of "snapped" windows. For the newly-designed windowed apps, you will be able to snap them to the edges of the screen like you would from the traditional Windows desktop.
Microsoft has also added a new multi-tasking feature that looks and works similar to what we see on other platforms. When you initiate "Task View" a series of small desktop views will be displayed at the bottom of the screen, with larger previews of the apps being shown off in the middle of the display. You can also quickly select and move around apps from different desktops with a new "Snap Assist" function, which will be nice for the power users out there.
While a Windows 7-style Start Menu is good and all for mouse users, Microsoft will also introduce a different version for those using touchscreen computers. Instead of a small menu consisting of a bunch of text and small Live Tiles, touch users will be greeted with something that more resembles the Windows 8 Modern UI, while still in the traditional desktop. Microsoft is really working to blend its two distinct interfaces into one experience that works for all users.
If you want to get your hands on an early version of Windows 10, Microsoft will be launching its Windows Insider Program tomorrow, offering a preview build for both laptops and desktops. The company plans to discuss more about consumer-facing changes during the first part of 2015.
Thoughts on Windows 10? Let us know in the comments if you are thinking of picking this one up, or will you be sticking with the fabled Windows 7?
Latest Comments
107 Comments
Show
Follow Us
Advertisement
Log In
Posted 08:40am 01/10/14
Posted 08:42am 01/10/14
Posted 08:45am 01/10/14
Posted 08:51am 01/10/14
Posted 08:59am 01/10/14
Posted 09:09am 01/10/14
Personally i think pigs will fly before Microsoft goes the full retard and gives away it's operating system for free.
Posted 09:37am 01/10/14
This guy called it in April 2013:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2613504/microsoft
Posted 10:06am 01/10/14
Posted 11:24am 01/10/14
Even if, you'll need to install Windows 8 everytime you format, then upgrade. F*** that.
------------
I'm keen to see what happens with this OS. DX12 looks the goods, and the OS will scale in 4K much better, etc. It's all lining up for a 4K upgrade this year.
Posted 11:42am 01/10/14
Pretty advanced stuff i know probably a little beyond your pay grade.
Posted 11:54am 01/10/14
If that was the problem, why not just store an image of the clean and activated install somewhere?
Looking forward to moving to 4k.
Posted 12:24pm 01/10/14
Yeah this is also doable, but if you run your OS drives in hardware RAID then you could have an issue getting the goods back onto your drives.
4K for less than $4K, spray all over me.
Posted 12:52pm 01/10/14
Posted 01:00pm 01/10/14
Strewth, who doesn't just use an OS SSD and 3x as much memory as they really need :) ?
inorite
cool video konsto but f*** me his hair makes me SO DAMN MAD
Also tech preview not available yet, damn.
Posted 01:33pm 01/10/14
I'm excited too Konsto because I successfully boycotted W8 all this time. I want something new and fresh, but I damn well refused to use Windows without a Start Menu, or pay for an alternative. We're back on the right track now so I'm willing to spend. :))
Posted 02:16pm 01/10/14
Posted 02:35pm 01/10/14
Posted 03:19pm 01/10/14
See I don't agree with that at all, the good-bad-good only works depending on what you count as a release. IMO:
Posted 03:32pm 01/10/14
Posted 05:40pm 01/10/14
Yep, I try to use only 'domestic' copies of Windows. Stuff the home user (and your typical gamer for that matter) would want. Even though I used Windows 2000 for years, it's off my list as a standard domestic version of Windows, even though it was the f*****g bees knees at the time. (In fact, I'd almost say it's been the best Windows so far) Also, 3.1 was fairly different to all the other versions of Windows so I kinda keep that out as well, also cause it'd ruin my pattern so it's out on its ass.
Basically (IMO):
95 - Good
98 - Bad
98se - Good
ME - Bad
XP - Good
Vista - Bad
7 - Good
8 - Bad
9/10 - ???
F*****g better be good so it doesn't ruin my pattern.
Posted 05:47pm 01/10/14
i'll stick with win7 for now.
Posted 05:56pm 01/10/14
Posted 06:12pm 01/10/14
Posted 06:34pm 01/10/14
You also have 98SE as a separate release, but don't include 8.1.
Good-bad-good.. only works if you arbitrarily make it so by excluding and including versions to suit :)
Posted 06:49pm 01/10/14
Posted 06:59pm 01/10/14
Posted 08:41pm 01/10/14
Yeah well its not out so no s***.
Posted 08:43pm 01/10/14
Aw yea nah nah nah nah m8.
Posted 09:21pm 01/10/14
so hostile.
Posted 12:02am 02/10/14
So yeah, maybe its not perfect, but I've still had a great experience with it, very very far from the bad of Vista or ME. I'd put it on par with Windows 7.
Posted 12:04am 02/10/14
Agree with this.
10 looks the goods. All the stuff from 8 without the fullscreen bs no one used.
Posted 07:38am 02/10/14
I can't get Blood Money to install that might put some people off.
Posted 08:30am 02/10/14
Tech preview is out.
http://iso.esd.microsoft.com/W9TPI/FD54DF81A4CCF45
http://iso.esd.microsoft.com/W9TPI/FD54DF81A4CCF45
Posted 09:00am 02/10/14
8 is a great OS. Technologically speaking, it's certainly the operating system we should all be using.
But Metro is aids, everyone knows it's aids, people don't want to change, MS know it was wrong, Start Menu is coming back now, with all the awesome background features that Windows 8 has. You'll have to just accept that people are mad about Windows 8, you won't change it. But Windows 10 is looking like the cute ginger that people can attach to and will give everyone the best of all worlds. I mean, look at that f*****g Start Menu. It's gorgeous and once expanded to fill your screen, I think it'll be even better than Metro (for the people who liked/tolerated Metro that is).
Posted 10:06am 02/10/14
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
Posted 11:24am 02/10/14
yep, loved Windows 8 so far. Still don't understand the complaints. The Shut Down complaint is the funniest though.
Posted 11:34am 02/10/14
That actually annoyed me at first, the shutdown/restart is definitely in a more awkward place, till I realised I could just press the power button on my PC instead. Now I'm so used to doing that it feels weird when I can't.
But yeah, Metro is aids. The few times I've accidentally opened one, not realising it was a Metro app, I felt dirty. At least 8.1 added more traditional close buttons to them instead of that stupid "drag down to close" thing they had going on at the start.
Posted 11:58am 02/10/14
I actually noticed something last night I can't do in Metro that I can in a start menu. Normally to access shares I press Windows Key, then \\server\ then Enter. When I do this in Metro nothing happens. I had to go to desktop mode, bring up explorer and type it in there. F*** Metro without lube.
Posted 12:32pm 02/10/14
ZOMG:
Metro apps as windows works as described, but seems to have some limitations with resizing (min height etc). But they fit in perfectly with the new 'borderless' window feel and don't really seem to be jarring now:
Right hand window is a Metro app 'snapped' to right side but detaches like a normal window with a minimum height. Windows in general are even more minimalistic than 8. I didn't like that when I first got 8 but its grown on me now.
Metro apps appear alongside normal ones in your start menu. Looks like a very good job done unifying the Store s*** and regular desktop. For example, Store apps I own that are not installed locally have little start menu shortcut prompts which are kinda neat?:
Clicking on them will install, but you don't get an immediate response that anything happened. Needs work but it does function ok.
Seems to go good, no big bugs yet. I know I stuck the preview version of 7 on my home computer, if visual studio works I will probably install this at home tonight as well.
Posted 12:43pm 02/10/14
Its retarded that this is a big thing, but here is your reason to upgrade, people.
Need to go here and do this:
Posted 12:45pm 02/10/14
Anyone know RC date? Did you install with a VM or direct?
Posted 12:47pm 02/10/14
Posted 01:17pm 02/10/14
More people should know about this. So easy to just hit the power button!
Also, I've always thought that the reason why the console host didn't get any love with previous versions of windows was because of compatibility.
There's almost certainly some business out there with green screen apps that will flip their s*** if the console started to eat keyboard shortcuts.
With that in mind I'd guess that 'Experimental Console Features' property sheet will stay and be the official on/off switch for that stuff in the future.
Posted 01:36pm 02/10/14
Posted 01:53pm 02/10/14
Posted 02:05pm 02/10/14
I'm sure it's great once you're sitting there with your browser/vent running, but as a power user who needs to dig around it was nothing but a slow down for me. There was never a stage where I was telling myself, "Wow! That was handy!" and I've tried to keep an open mind.
Posted 04:37pm 02/10/14
I think with laptops it is sleep by default but with desktops its power down.
Posted 05:39pm 02/10/14
MS are trying to innovate, god bless them, but are being restricted by their enormous customer base who hates change.
Posted 05:59pm 02/10/14
Posted 06:13pm 02/10/14
Pretty much the same thing that happened with the XBox One. I thought their whole plan of library sharing and being able to trade in digital games and all that stuff they were talking about at the start sounded fantastic. They did a very poor job of selling the message, but the ideas they were throwing out there were really cool and innovative and something that genuinely felt 'next gen' for a console. Till they got shouted down and went back to doing the same old.
Posted 06:22pm 02/10/14
Assume this is some sort of tryhard not-Windows or third party shell remark. Well played, no really. Witty as f***.
Went balls deep this arvo and did an upgrade install at home by running the setup.exe from the ISO from within windows 8. It takes a VERY LONG TIME to do this but it appears to have worked perfectly, my profile, preferences and all installed applications (within and without the Store) all made it fine.
Posted 06:43pm 02/10/14
i use windows cmd and i just set the size of the console as big as i want it!??!?!?! (and windows remembers, so at work, where i work on the cmd line all the time, its nice and full screen, just how i want it)
Posted 06:48pm 02/10/14
Posted 06:48pm 02/10/14
oh wait, no im still using 7
Posted 06:49pm 02/10/14
Posted 06:52pm 02/10/14
Posted 06:53pm 02/10/14
Posted 06:59pm 02/10/14
I'm honestly 100% shocked that you thought that a fixed width cmd line window was at all useful and didn't immediately understand what I was excited about.
Do you even computars?!
Posted 06:58pm 02/10/14
Posted 07:04pm 02/10/14
This was more common sometime in the era before windows95, the last time that cmd had any real UX updates.
Posted 07:02pm 02/10/14
Posted 07:04pm 02/10/14
Any gripes?
Posted 07:06pm 02/10/14
Nobody in a long, long time.
Posted 07:08pm 02/10/14
Posted 07:09pm 02/10/14
Posted 07:17pm 02/10/14
Posted 07:19pm 02/10/14
Posted 07:20pm 02/10/14
hey, thats pretty exciting!
Posted 07:31pm 02/10/14
Posted 07:34pm 02/10/14
Not to install I think? Worked for me from the ISO download link above.
I signed up because I'm actively reporting issues and s***.
Posted 09:06am 03/10/14
Posted 11:17am 03/10/14
I overheard a microsoft employee saying WinX will actually be their next release but because they didn't want to miss out on having a 'Win 10', with 10 being a nice round number and thus accounting for about 86% of the new users jumping over from apple, they're just skipping 'Win 9' instead.
Makes perfect sense really. Everyone knows that 10 is better than 9 and if you can use 9 to save 10 you've come out on top. Even apple users know that. They're like flies to s*** with this kinda s***.
Posted 12:05pm 03/10/14
Posted 12:08pm 03/10/14
Or the link I posted, which has a whole bunch of existing code out there doing OS version checks based on whether the OS version starts with "Windows 9" for 95 & 98. There'd be a high amount of broken programs if MS called this one Windows 9.
Posted 12:32pm 03/10/14
Or you know, just be able to resize the goddamn WINDOW in the WINDOWS Operating System
/derage
Posted 02:25pm 03/10/14
Yep, mode con cols=120
or get serious and use ConsoleZ:
https://github.com/cbucher/console
Posted 04:14pm 03/10/14
till it was released,
Posted 04:22pm 03/10/14
You went from XP to W8, I'm surprised you aren't waiting for W11.
Posted 06:07pm 03/10/14
Posted 04:09am 04/10/14
Also and apropos of nothing at all my first PC that i bought was an IBM from cashies which came with the latest tec, a floppy drive not the hard floppy the floppy floppy on which were installed swashbuckler frogga and space invaders and of course pong and all of this run with the up and down arrows and the space bar and a mouse you say not a mouse in sight throw to( "up and down arrows ? you were lucky, we had to use straws stuck in eye balls).
Posted 11:13am 04/10/14
wait....
Posted 03:03pm 04/10/14
Posted 07:03pm 04/10/14
Posted 07:05pm 04/10/14
Posted 07:08pm 04/10/14
Posted 07:14pm 04/10/14
Posted 07:43pm 04/10/14
Posted 07:49pm 04/10/14
Posted 01:57pm 05/10/14
Posted 07:43pm 05/10/14
Edit: Well I found that part through computer management. If you use the wizard to connect a microsoft account at the start, you are putting yourself in a "Hi MS, this is my first ever computer and I don't have any other computers or files" mode.
9/10 software, really good. Can't even get a single file between computers without resorting to dropbox/ftp/usb keys. Pings are working.
Posted 08:54pm 05/10/14
It is a technical alpha, maybe you should stay clear for a bit.
Posted 12:38am 06/10/14
Posted 02:20pm 06/10/14
haha (y)
Posted 05:57pm 06/10/14
I did an install of it on a laptop last night. It didn't have this issue (could be related to VM vs no VM) and it installed everything for the laptop, no unknown devices.
There was 3 at the start and wifi didn't work, but the cable card was working. Gave it Internet, waited about 3 mins, screen flashes black and came back proper res and no issues since.
Besides my s***** LAN issue, I'm damn well f*****g impressed by this build. Here's hoping MS stay open to the communities wishes. Eg: Parse how people like the lay the start menu out, and change the default commercial build to reflect what the highest majority think is productive. Just the little things like that. Personally I had to add 'This PC, Network, and Downloads' to the Start Menu but ever since I've managed pretty well.
Biggest gripe is that fullscreen homo version of some apps. I'd rather it stay in desktop mode all the time.
Posted 06:49pm 06/10/14
Haven't had a sexually ambiguous full screen app since I installed; got an example?
Posted 06:57pm 06/10/14
"Mail"
if I recall, "Windows Update"
Posted 10:08pm 06/10/14
The application menu for the app should have a fullscreen toggle? Is your laptop a touch device?
Posted 10:43pm 06/10/14
Posted 11:02pm 06/10/14
Click on the ...
Context menu.
At least for now, Modern apps seem to have a minimum height tho, 837 including title bar. Resolution might be a factor if its an old 1280x800 or something? Try second screen if you can too.
Posted 12:58pm 07/10/14
New gripe. Mouse settings. How the f*** (yeah frustrated again) do you adjust pointer speed and/or acceleration now? Start + typing mouse brings up useless s***.
Edit: Seems if I Start, then type 'pointer' - It gives me other options which say s*** like "Change my pointer size" etc, but hidden at the bottom is the original "Mouse" shortcut from older systems. This doesn't appear during a search for mouse. However, now I've clicked and used it, it 'does' appear when I search for Mouse. I'll take that as a teething issue, but ultimately all these new configuration pages make it feel like we're going back 10 years in technical expertise.
I'm kinda surprised they don't flash your mouse pointer and say "Hi, this is your mouse pointer. Today we're going to adjust it, if that's ok with you? :)"
Posted 01:10pm 07/10/14
Posted 02:04pm 07/10/14
Yeh I was playing the new Mordor game on it the other day. Its just 8.1 mostly under the hood I think, all the drivers etc are pretty compatible.
Yeh Windows Search changed a bit in 8 and 8.1, and Metro added dedicated pages for some of the simpler settings, so you'll get slightly different results. I've never used that shortcut on 8.1 but it DID show up at the bottom of the long list. Its probably there, but you may need to scroll down initially until it better learns what you want to find when you type that term in.
Incoming gee up: stop being such a baby and learn how to find things a new way in a new OS, of which you just skipped like 2 versions? You sound like the old b**** at the accounts payable department with a screwed up sour lemon face because THINGS ARE NOT WHERE THEY WERE NOW! As someone who actively replaces old software with new rewrites as my core business I always find it fascinating how change management in IT is often the same no matter what the level of expertise, people do NOT like learning new ways to do old tasks, even if it is no more effort (or even less o.O)
:p
Posted 02:58pm 07/10/14
Change for the good is great, however I never realises that computers were so hard to use that we had to change the simple mouse control panel (one of the 'hello computer' controls you first play with) into 3 split up control panels.
How you can even defend such sloppiness makes me scoff.
*scoffing.
Posted 03:50pm 07/10/14
Your f*****g settings are still there, they just weren't exactly where you expected them to be on the start menu search list. That list that automatically adjusted to your preferences when it worked out what you were looking for. Its obviously the end of the f*****g world, Windows 10 is a fail now, so sloppy.
BTW: I'm assuming that aside from the entire paragraphs of sooking on here about this critical issue that you are also providing feedback on your preview experience, right?
Posted 05:15pm 07/10/14
Posted 09:44pm 12/10/14
Posted 11:17pm 12/10/14