For months, we’ve watched as Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system took shape. Early on, the operating system looked an awful lot like Windows 8, it’s immediate and almost universally hated predecessor. Quietly, the company did some work behind the scenes before unleashing a ton of new features on testers and members of its Insider Program.
Windows 10 launches on July 29th with a host of new features and software changes. Microsoft says that it’s listened to what users wanted. The Start Screen that completely took over your display is out, unless you’d like to turn it back on or have a Windows PC equipped with touch. Everything from how new updates are delivered to how Microsoft makes its Office productivity apps available has been addressed.
More importantly, Microsoft is trying to strike a new balance between all of its different devices. Windows 10 is Microsoft’s first foray into uniformed ecosystems like the one that Apple pioneered with the iTunes App Store. Buying an app or game works on multiple devices. Xbox accessories work with Windows 10 PCs in the same ways they would an Xbox One. OneDrive and app settings sync keeps all of your important account details and information synced from PC to PC. The Windows Store that was stuffed full of ill-conceived apps and garbage has been cleaned up. Now it offers apps compatible with notebooks, desktops, smartphones and tablets.
Having used Windows 10 all this year, I can promise you that there are going to be some things you love about the new operating system and the way it behaves. Here are 10 of the things you’ll love about the free Windows 10 update in no particular order.
The Surprisingly Small Windows 10 Upgrade Price
First, let’s start with actual pricing. For years, Microsoft took a two prong approach to Windows upgrades.
Say you had a PC already and just wanted to get the latest operating system on it. If you played your cards right and waited until just the right moment, Microsoft gave away free upgrades with PCs still running the previous version of Windows. Microsoft offered this upgrade program in partnership PC makers who didn’t want sales of their machines to tank because people were waiting to get their hands on something new.
The other way you could get a Windows upgrade was by simply paying upwards of $100 for it. Microsoft sold digital copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 on its Microsoft Store website. Boxed DVDs were available on store shelves.
Neither of those things make sense today. A very, very small percent of users actually paid the full upgrade price for Windows. Rather than do that, people simply waited until they had to purchase a new PC anyway. Second, in a world where devices, priorities and attention shifts at any given moment, taking three years to develop and add new features in a huge upgrade isn’t reasonable.
Windows 10 upgrades are absolutely free for anyone running Home, Pro and Ultimate versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 for the next year. Those that manage to make to install the upgrade on their PC can expect free updates with new features going forward.
It's Easy to Go Back to Windows 7 and Windows 8 from Windows 10
Microsoft has stacked Windows 10 with tons of features that they say users wanted. It’s spent the better part of three years trying to understand the things users didn’t like about Windows before.
When Windows 10 release day arrives on July 29th, Microsoft hopes that users love it. The company hopes that people will see their own ideas. It hopes that on-screen buttons and more common sense design will have users ready to embrace its products with open arms.
In the event that doesn’t happen, Microsoft has a back up plan. Previously, upgrading your copy of Windows meant leaving your old version of Windows behind without a full-on reset. Never fear, Microsoft has solved that with this release too.
For Windows 10, Microsoft is taking a more measured approach to upgrades. Say you get to Windows 10 from Windows 8 or Windows 7 and don’t like any of the new features it provides. You could break out the restore drive that you created or the old DVD that came with your PC and reinstall everything. You could also just hit the simple button built-into the Windows 10 Settings app and have your old operating system restored. Windows 10 keeps the files necessary to go back to a previous version of Windows for one solid month, giving you plenty of time to decide whether the operating system is right for you.
Your Windows 10 PC Looks at Behaves Like a PC Should
It’s no secret that people don't like full screen apps from the Windows Store and they don't like the Start Screen taking over their display. Windows 10 solves this problem by putting the focus back on the things people are used to.
If you’re a notebook or a desktop users you’ll never have to worry about looking at the Start Screen and full screen Windows apps again. Microsoft, has made both of these things optional, and you only get them by default if Windows detects that you have no keyboard plugged in and a touchscreen present. Windows Store apps now run side-by-side with Desktop apps like iTunes and Photoshop.
Buying Stuff from the Windows Store Just Makes Sense
If we’re calling a spade a spade, the Windows Store was a disaster in Windows 8. Microsoft did the right thing in creating its own safe, centralized place to download apps. Where it errored was it not opening up the store to traditional apps and other things that people like to buy.
The Windows Store is one centralized place for you to buy just about anything you need in Windows 10. Windows apps purchased through the store work on desktops, notebooks, tablets and smartphones. The music and video stores that used to require a trip to Microsoft’s Xbox Music and Xbox Video apps now live in the Windows Store too. All of your purchases sync across devices and are available from any PC that you’re logged into.
Windows 8 allowed developers to put links to their desktop apps in the Windows Store. The new Windows Store allows developers to list their apps directly in the Windows Store for purchase. When you download these apps they are packaged in a way that keeps them from harming your system – just like newer Windows apps. Suddenly, the Windows Store makes sense for millions more users.
Built in Windows 10 Apps Are Much More Mature
There were some pretty great apps included with Windows 8. OneDrive and the second version of Xbox Music both come to mind. There were also some pretty horrible ones too.
Horizontal scrolling, that is Microsoft’s unorthodox idea that users want to scroll through things from left to right is gone. The disappearing menus that kept millions from figuring out how to add an account to Mail or share a picture are gone. Replacing them are common sense ideas borrowed from apps on iPhone, Android and the web.
Mail, Camera, Maps, Calendar, People, Music, Photos, Movies & TV, News, Finance, Weather and Sports have all gotten make overs. The apps that haven’t gotten make overs are already on their way out. Skype has been discontinued and Microsoft now hopes that users will install the Skype desktop app until it unveils a dedicated Messages app later this year to take the old Skype apps place.
There’s only one place to find settings now.
The Reign of Internet Explorer Is Over
After years of hoping that users would forget about its reputation, Microsoft is conceding that Internet Explorer’s time in the sun is over. The browser will live on in versions of Windows 10, there whenever users come across a website that just won’t work correctly for some reason.
Replacing it is Microsoft Edge, the company’s all-new browser for all devices. Microsoft Edge embraces the standards that Chrome and Firefox use instead of its own code. Later in the year Microsoft plans to add extension support so that developers can add more features over time themselves. Already, it has a built-in notetaking mode for devices with a touch screen and a reading mode for consuming longform stories and content. There’s even built-in password management.
On Windows 10 Office is Completely Free for Basic Users To Read Documents With
For a long time users somehow collectively assumed that Microsoft Office was just something that came with Windows. To them, the two were forever joined. Millions of users who needed power features and reliability reluctantly picked up $120+ copies of Microsoft’s productivity apps. Others simply switched to using Google Docs.
Windows 10 marks the first time that Microsoft has made copies of its Office apps available for free to Windows 10 users in app form. Office Online has existed for years, but Windows users watched as Microsoft made viewing documents free in Office apps for Windows Phones, iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Available on launch day in the Windows Store are very functional, free versions of OneNote, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Each connects to Microsoft’s OneDrive service. Users who need more features and document editing can sign up for an Office 365 account for as little as $6.99 a month.
You Don't Have to Worry About Updates
For years, Microsoft has provided tips and best practices for getting and keeping your Windows PCs up-to-date. A growing number of people are now more security and update conscious than they used to be, but some still fail to practice proper PC hygiene.
Microsoft is taking that out of users hands. Businesses are still be able to decide what essential apps get installed on their networks. Users at home will no longer have that luxury. Instead, Windows 10 automates the process, giving users no choice but to install the latest software updates on their systems. Users do get the opportunity to schedule a specific time to perform restarts after software upgrades.
Windows 10 Integrates with Your iPhone & Android Smartphone
Deep down, Microsoft knows that integrating Windows and Windows Phone is essential. Only by having both operating systems work together does either one stand a chance of surviving in a world where people demand a decent ecosystem. All the same apps and services that work in Windows 10 for notebooks, tablets, desktops and 2-in-1s works with Windows Phone. Passwords and other information always sync between the too.
The company is also very realistic about its chances of eclipsing iPhone and Android at this point. In addition to offering its own operating system, Microsoft is reaching out to users through a new app called Phone Companion.
Phone companion allows users to add files to their Android and Windows Phones. In addition to that, the app includes quick links to apps that bring the Windows experience to the iPhone and Android. Besides OneDrive and Outlook, the app includes Cortana, the digital personal assistant that’s built into Windows 10.
Every Windows 10 PC is an Xbox One
The Xbox One is Microsoft’s consumer pride and joy. The company toiled for years in the console space, building a name for itself and snatching away users from other platforms. While it was doing that, video game maker Valve was busy stealing PC gamers right from under its nose.
With Windows 10 Microsoft is trying to turn around its PC and mobile gaming fortunes. First, the Xbox One Wireless Controller will work when plugged into a Windows 10 PC using a microUSB cable. Second, the company plans to add a wireless dongle for those who’d like to ditch the cable connection entirely.
Software wise, the Games app has been tossed out in favor of the Xbox app. Besides providing quick access to Xbox Live, the app lets users record videos and take screenshots from within their games with just a keyboard combination. Video game makers can create Xbox enabled games on PC that have the same Xbox Live privileges as games on the Xbox One. The same technology that allows the Windows Store to carry compartmentalized Desktop apps can be used for video games too.
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