Microsoft's Ashley Frank talks about Windows 10 during Microsoft Shareholders Meeting December 3, 2014 in Bellevue, Washington.; Credit: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images
This Wednesday, the next generation in PC navigation hits the market.
It’s the day Microsoft rolls out its newest operating system, Windows 10, which is the first update to the OS since Windows 8 (it’s still unclear what happened to Windows 9). Windows 8 hit the market to mixed reviews, and while it was a visual upgrade from previous versions, Microsoft’s idea of making it a touch-first, PC-second operating system didn’t sit well with many users and unnecessarily burdened computers that weren’t touch-compatible.
What can users expect from Windows 10? Here are a couple of the biggest new features:
- Start menu returns - Users everywhere are rejoicing with this one. One of the biggest complaints about Windows 8 was the navigation tool that took up the entire screen with live tiles of all your apps. Users will now be able to reduce the full menu into a smaller Start menu reminiscent of what Windows 7 had.
- New Internet browser - Internet Explorer has been the Microsoft standard for almost as long as the company has been making operating systems. However, recent years have seen the numbers of IE users decline, due to security concerns and third-party browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome providing faster, more secure web browsers for free. Microsoft Edge will also allow users to take notes, highlight, and doodle directly on web pages.
- Tablet mode - Unlike its predecessor, Windows 10 will allow users to toggle between a tablet and PC mode. This will likely be a welcome fix for Windows 8 users, many of whom were frustrated by how the OS was designed for tablets and touch-screen computers, leaving those without touch functionality with reduced performance.
- Cortana - This feature looks like it could be a huge help for some and an obnoxious burden for others. Cortana is Microsoft’s version of Apple’s Siri,
For Microsoft, Windows 10 represents not only the latest version of its operating system, but also a shot to right the ship in keeping with the times. Microsoft has struggled to keep pace with companies like Apple and Samsung in the mobile era, and its ventures into the tablet and cell phone market haven’t been hugely successful.
What can users expect from Windows 10? Who should upgrade and who shouldn’t? How are the new features working so far? What will the impact on Microsoft be if Windows 10 is wildly successful? If it bombs?
Guest:
Eric Ravenscraft, writer for Lifehacker. He’s been using the Windows 10 preview since it rolled out. He tweets @LordRavenscraft.