Introduction, the new UI and Start Menu
So, if you haven't upgraded yet you're probably wondering how Windows 10 actually performs when used on a day-to-day basis. Well, we've been part of the Windows Insider program, which has given people early access through various phases of the development, so we've been using it for some time now, even though it's only just been officially released.
The great news is even in the prerelease builds we've been using, Windows 10 was fast and stable. There are some issues we've experienced along the way, of course, but these have either been ironed out or fixed in the final release. Anyway, here are the key features to get excited about.
The new User Interface
In basic use, Windows 10 is not a million miles from Windows 7. You've still got the Start menu, and key functions are all accessed from the Taskbar, which has a flat, functional feel. The design language feels refined – windows borders are smaller, for example – but the innovations are subtle.
If you did immerse yourself in Windows 8.1, you'll note that Charms have gone. All the former Charms functions are contained in a new Notifications Center, launched from the Taskbar and designed to match the Notifications setup in Windows Phone (or Windows Mobile as it will be called – see our feature on page 126).
Previously a work in progress, the Notifications Center is now both usable and powerful. A raft of individual settings (called Quick Actions) includes standard stuff, such as toggling Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Location on and off, but it's great to have. You can also get to Settings here, as an alternative to the Start menu, as well as switch into Tablet Mode. In the Settings app, you can select which Quick Actions appear in the Notifications Center, and also which apps can send you Notifications.
Start again
The Start menu is very Windows 8-like in that it features Live Tiles for at-a-glance information in apps. The remainder of the Start menu is much more like Windows 7, with controls for turning your PC off and restarting it, as well as most-used apps and the ability to scroll down through apps alphabetically through an All Apps menu. File Explorer, Documents and Settings are also present.
The Start menu can be enlarged for touch devices via a control in the top right, so it's more like the Windows 8 Start screen. It can also be resized to your taste. And, in case you were wondering, the Power User Menu is still there – just right-click on the Windows logo. Once again, you can minimise everything by clicking in the far righthand corner of the Taskbar.
File Explorer has been given a little bit of a makeover. You now have a Quick Access area to which you can pin and unpin any folders you want to regularly access. In the 'home' screen of File Explorer you can also see Frequent Folders and Recent Files.
Apps, Windows Store, and Task View
Apps
Microsoft is going big on Universal Apps – the company's great hope being that developers will develop their apps once, to work across PCs, Windows 10 on mobile and Xbox, too – essentially on every screen size. This is known as the Universal App Platform, or UAP. These are replacing what, in Windows 8 and 8.1, were known as Metro apps or Modern UI apps. They're different to desktop apps, but now co-exist with desktop apps on the desktop. They also have Live Tiles in the Start Menu.
Microsoft doesn't want to repeat the mistake it made with Windows 8 – assuming that developers will flock to the new OS – and so it's making it easy for developers to convert existing Android apps, while Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 now also supports Objective C (which is used to create iOS apps) and can compile it to Universal Apps.
Windows App Store
There's also a new Windows Store to come. This is still at the beta stage (in the Preview builds Microsoft has included the original Store as the beta doesn't function completely yet). As well as a revamped design, the new store will house desktop apps as well as Universal Apps.
Like Universal Apps, desktop apps installed from the Windows Store will be managed from there, so theoretically they'll install quickly (without you doing anything more than clicking once to download/install), they can be uninstalled without hassle and – crucially – they will be sandboxed from the rest of the system à la Universal Apps. Devs will use an Application Virtualization (App-V) container to package up their desktop apps ready for the Windows Store.
Organisations will also be able to deploy apps from their own versions of the Windows Store. This is all managed from the Business Store Portal, which will manage software licences, centralised payment info and more.
We mentioned before about Universal Apps co-existing on the desktop – that's meant Microsoft has had to find a new way to control them because the Windows 8 and 8.1 Charms are no more. So, now you'll see a new menu bar in the top left, as well as standard minimise, maximise and close icons on the top right. These apps can now be resized however you want.
Thankfully, the quality of the built-in apps so far is much better. There's a new Photos app that provides you with a complete back catalogue, as well as editing and filter capabilities. Mail actually works well now and has some useful features. Sport and News are improved experiences, even if they still feel a little on the superfluous side. Best of all, these apps all start up quickly, too.
Task View
There has always been [Alt]+[Tab] – well, since Windows 3.x, anyway – to switch between open apps. But over the last two decades, Microsoft has dabbled with various other methods, from the Taskbar (Win95), to Windows Flip (Vista), and the swipe on Windows 8. Now we have [Alt]+[Tab] and a new feature called Task View. This takes you to an app overview where you can use your mouse to select the app you want. In any mode of Windows 10, there's always an icon for it on the Taskbar.
But there's something else Task View can do – virtual desktops. An icon in the bottom right enables you to add another desktop, so you can have one screen for your email perhaps and another for Photoshop. This is a nice new feature, but it's about time, considering it's been on Macs since 2009.
Apps can be open in more than one desktop, but you can't switch into windows that are on another desktop. Things are kept separate. [Alt]+[Tab] only works within the desktop you're in. The only way to switch desktops is in Task View and select another open desktop.
Cortana, Tablet Mode and AeroSnap
Cortana is the new Search
Rather than being at the bottom of the Start menu as in Windows 7, Search now has its very own home on your Taskbar. That's because Cortana, Microsoft's virtual assistant, is incorporated and you can control it by voice.
Search is good at finding things on your own PC – they usually appear as the first option. Microsoft is also keen to incorporate potential web searches into the Cortana results, so web options will always appear as well. A 'search my stuff' option appears at the bottom of the menu, which will look through your OneDrive, if required. As with previous versions of Windows, you can tap the Windows button and immediately start typing to search.
Cortana can display 'at a glance' information that's of interest to you, while you're able to create and view reminders, see stocks and much more, depending on how much input you give it. Cortana is also being incorporated into Microsoft Edge, so it works inside the browser window.
Tablet Mode
Microsoft is hoping a lot of tablets are sold in the coming years. Originally named Continuum, Windows 10's Tablet Mode is clever because it's automatic – detach the keyboard and the desktop prepares itself for touch, the Start menu becomes the Start screen, and apps appear full screen. The Taskbar also changes to be more touch-friendly – the icons are more spaced-out, while the pinned app icons don't appear at all – you just cycle through them in Task View. If you want, you can toggle between Tablet Mode and non-Tablet Mode yourself via the settings at the bottom of the Notification Center.
AeroSnap
One reason why Windows 7 was such a great OS was that it brought us something else – AeroSnap. The ability to snap windows to the sides of your screen might seem small, but it's something many Windows users use every day. Windows 8 got it a bit wrong, as Modern UI apps could only be snapped in certain ways, but Windows 8.1 improved on this.
Windows 10 gives us something else that's entirely new: four-way AeroSnap. You can have four applications in each corner of your desktop. If you've got a laptop screen, this is an inefficient way to use your display, but if you've got a 27-inch panel, it might just be the ticket.
Hello, Command Prompt and The Verdict
Hello and Command Prompt
New systems that ship with Windows 10 and support biometric security hardware will enable you to use a fingerprint, face scan or iris scan to log into Windows and apps, websites and networks. This is called Windows Hello. There's a new Command Prompt, too – no big deal, you might say, but you're now able to properly select text and copy and paste in and out. [Ctrl]+[V] really will work. Text also re-flows as the window is resized.
The verdict
Essentially, Windows 10 is everything we wanted Windows 8 to be, but wasn't. There are several reasons why we think it will be a success. There are the welcoming arms Microsoft is holding out to developers (if Microsoft can't make this work, it's a problem). Then there's the fact it is a free download for owners of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.
But above all, there's the fact it just works. If Windows 8 was the steepest learning curve imaginable, Windows 10 is like meeting a great friend you once knew, but they've bought some new clothes and you really do approve.
- For more tips and tricks on Windows 10 like this, buy: Windows 10 Beyond the Manual
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