Windows 10 revealed, and here’s 10 reasons to snap it up
Windows 10 has been revealed, and here’s 10 reasons why you should snap it up when it hits the shelves.
Microsoft has lifted the lid once again on its brand new PC operating system, and it’s decided to skip Windows 9 altogether and call it Windows 10.
So what are the best features to look out for when it launches in the second half of next year? Lets run down the 10 best.
1: The Start Menu
It’s back by popular demand !!
Microsoft dropped the Start Menu in Windows 8, then brought it back for Windows 8.1, and now it looks like it’s reinstated it full time. Not only will this provide a handy place to see regularly-used apps, and search both the device and the web, it will also make the user interface seem much more familiar, which should help that all-important business uptake.
Indeed, Microsoft spent the first part of its presentation focussing on business users, so it obviously wants a bigger slice of that pie. Experts estimate only 13.4 per cent of desktop PCs currently run Windows 8 or 8.1, while older versions have a much bigger market share. Microsoft will want to reverse that with Windows 10.
2: Replace Windows Phone
Future handsets will run Windows 10 instead of the mobile-dedicated Windows Phone OS. This should make for a more unified feel across all devices, which is something Microsoft is aiming for. The handsets won’t have a desktop mode though.
3: Task View
This sits in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Open it, and it will show all the apps that are currently open, so you can jump into one without having to find it on the device. Very handy.
4: Gesture controls
The recent version of Windows already have gesture controls, but Windows 10 adds some more. Swipe left, for example, and you’ll open Task View, and be faced with bigger buttons to jab. You can also optimise the device depending on whether you’re typing using a keyboard or the touchscreen.
5: Multiple desktops
You can view multiple desktops in Task View, and run certain ones on certain desktops. Working on a presentation? Group all the relevant materials on one desktop to keep them separate from your music programs, and the slideshow you’re also compiling. Want to grab apps from these different desktops? Just fire up the Snap Assist UI. Easy peasy.
6: Keyboard-friendly Command Prompt
You can now use keyboard shortcuts with Command Prompt, a longstanding feature of Windows. For example, you can paste directories using the Control+V shortcut, as you would with any piece of text.
7: Resizable apps
Apps in Windows 10 can be resized to fit your desktop, so you can give more prominence to more important ones, and less to minor ones. They also include title bars, so you can maximise and minimise at will, just like on your desktop PC.
8: Plays nice with current apps
Existing apps will work in Windows 10, as will Windows Phone apps. So there shouldn’t be any issues with compatibility.
9: One Store to rule them all
Apps will be sold from a single store, and will run across phones, tablets, PCs, and Xbox consoles.
10: Snap four
Microsoft’s ‘Snapping’ multitasking feature has been improved, so you can now Snap four apps at once. Should make you more productive than ever.
source: gs