After a long wait, Windows 10 came to save the day! The controversial Windows 8 design decision of eliminating the Start Menu made many long time Windows users unhappy. Windows 10 designers put it back along, with many more new exciting features. Wondering what all the hoopla is about and why you should download the update? Why am I excited about Windows 10?
Here are five reasons to be excited about the Windows 10 features:
1. The Comeback of the Start Menu:
The iconic Start menu is back in Windows 10 to its rightful place, the lower left corner, as we got used to before Windows 8. Now the start menu is way cooler than before, as it incorporates desktop applications, Live tiles, and other shortcuts to popular PC software, and the good thing about all of this is that it is customizable!
2. Windowed App Store
When you tried to launch an app on Windows 8, it threw you into full screen mode. What if you wanted to use multiple apps at the same time? Now, Windows 10 has this cool toolbar at the top of the app window that you can use to move and resize your app.
3. Welcome, Cortana!
Cortana is a big reason to be excited for Windows 10. This clever digital assistant is a leap in the world of search. Cortana is incorporated in Windows 10 to help make truly personalized search, where it uses your personal information, along with Bing, to intelligently bring the information you are really looking for. Cortana has received rave reviews since it’s launch 2014, and it only improves.
4. Browse with Edge
With Windows 10 came the entirely new web browser, Edge. Edge is a brand-new browser that is built for speed and to offer a rich experience of web browsing. The trick is to strip the Edge from the code that is needed to support backward compatibility. Unlike the old Internet Explorer, Edge will be able to support extensions that will allow for new functionality. Edge has a pretty cool reading view that eliminates ads and random browsers, and allows you to “doodle” on a page and share it with friends and coworkers. Pretty cool.
5. Action Center
Windows 8 had notifications, but if you are one of those who do not sit in front of your screen all the time, you would lose them! Windows 10 improved the use of notifications tremendously. Windows 10 came with a new feature that archives those notifications for later view. The place is called the Action Center. Not only are archived notifications found there, but you can also find action buttons for many common functions, such as VPN connections and switching to the tablet mode. No more need to feel tethered to your computer.
Overall I’m excited about Windows 10. As Grand Circus’ resident Microsoft devotee (hey, I do teach .NET and Java), it’s good to see a product roll out that I can get behind. I know it will make it easier for my students to learn and thrive as developers. No more need to stop, pause and figure out how to find a file or program sans the start menu. And man. Having a “distraction-free” browser so they can focus on finding the answer to a complex lab question, rather than being distracted by the latest holiday gadget.
Well done, Microsoft. Well done!