Windows 10 Review

Like most of people I have talked to over the last few years I liked Windows 7. I also liked Windows XP and had a love/hate relationship with Vista. Biggest problem with Vista were the constant updates. Microsoft seemed to be failing at giving Windows users a good quality, working operating system. Seemed they were lost in their own illusions of what people liked and didn’t like, want or didn’t want. 

On July 29^th, 2015 Microsoft might have finally found redemption with Windows 10. Windows 8 and 8.1 were hated by so many people that many people chose not to upgrade from XP or Windows 7. People had no use or need for the Live Tile interface. Finding common things like control panel, computer, and the removal of the iconic start button was insane, to say the least. 

When it was announced that Microsoft was giving free upgrade to Windows 10 I was skeptical. I scoured the internet looking for the catch. I couldn’t believe they would give away a free upgrade. To me that was unheard of any major company.

My time searching for the catch came back to one simple conclusion. There was none. It was indeed a free upgrade. So I clicked on the little window icon and reserved my copy for my desktop. I decided to do the same with my laptop. Then I sat and anxiously waited for July 29^th to roll around. Yes, I was worried I was going to hate Windows 10. I had my doubts that Microsoft would be able to successfully top Window 7. 

July 29^th finally arrived and I found myself awake early so I clicked on the windows icon to see if Windows 10 was ready to install. It was, so I started the upgrade.  For me the total time of download and install took about an hour on my desktop. A bit longer on my laptop, which I did about three days later after familiarizing myself with Windows 10 on my desktop.

Windows 10 has a crisp, clean, and easy feel look and style which is why I liked Windows 7. Start button had been returned after being removed in the Windows 8 OS. All my icons were there and upon clicking on a few I noted that everything was still working.

It was time to check out the start button layout. I clicked on it and right away I noticed a few changes - no bad one either. Rather than just showing me a list of programs I have or recently used or a bunch of folders they added or changed a few things.

The start button opens with a list of all apps and programs you have but they also added things like – settings, file explorer, power, downloads, all apps. First thing I looked for was the control panel. I couldn’t find it at first but finally after a bit more research it was there. We’ll come back to that in a moment. First let’s talk about those items I mentioned.

Under the Settings you can find – system, devices, network & internet, personalization, accounts, time & language, ease of access, privacy and update & security. Each of these have sub-items that you can adjust or change based on your likes, need or desires. Just like in previous versions of Windows.  Since this article is a Windows 10 review I won’t be covering each item within that list.

To the right of the start button popup box you will find a useful list of tiles. These tiles can be moved, resized, removed and added to per your liking. Windows 10 also comes with a neat little help feature called Cortana. Using Cortana you can search for things within your computer or the web. 

Microsoft also did something I really like with the start button. In earlier versions when you right click on the start button you could make changes to suit your desires – this is now done in settings mentioned above. If you right click the start button list of useful items come up –

This is where you will find control panel, run, disk management, system and other useful items. If you note the picture below you will also notice another very useful item on that list – Task Manager. Anyone who has used a computer for a few years has likely used Task manager for one reason or another. In earlier versions the most common way to bring Task Manager up was pressing control, alt, delete at the same time. Now all you need to do is right click the start button and there it is. 

A friend of mine on Facebook commented this morning that she was waiting for all the kinks, bugs and other stuff to be taken care of before upgrading to Windows 10. I totally understand and appreciate that sentiment. However I must say that in the week since I upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 I have found no kinks, no bugs and have had no problems. 

As with all things new it takes time to get use to changes within. Windows 10 is just that – new. Yet it is also old. Thankfully Microsoft might have finally got it right. I know I have no regrets so far.