The latest version of the most popular operating system on the planet from Microsoft, called Windows 10, has long been a topic of mass discussion of millions of users around the world. The first official launch of the updated OS was launched in Russia on July 29, 2015, but this was preceded by a large-scale advertising company from Microsoft itself. A fantastic number of trailers, previews, comic commercials were released, including with the stars of show business and sports, terribly intrusive ads pushed to the masses through the Update Center for users of Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. In general, as soon as marketers from the American IT giant have tried to promote their new product. But it is worth noting that this has borne fruit.
According to the same obsessive notification from the Update Center (how it can be found under the name GWX), Windows 10 was installed on personal computers of more than 100 million users. Some of them praise the new operating system, others encourage rollback to previous versions. Still, is it worth it to install Windows 10 on your computer? Or is it better to stay on old proven versions? It's time to figure it out. Let's start in order with each change.
New nice design
The basis of the version we are considering is Windows 8.1. At first glance, they are very similar: tiled design, the predominance of blue and blue shades, the lack of widespread use of 3D-effect. If you use a week or two brand new Windows 10, you can see a number of significant innovations from Microsoft. Firstly, this is the implementation of the so-called Design Language 2, which in translation means “design language”. If you used Windows 8 (or Windows 8.1) for a long time, and then upgraded to the latest version of Windows 10, then at first the new design will be a little unusual for the eyes due to a more “soft”, smoother image. Icons, buttons, other elements of the working interface look much nicer and neater than in the predecessor version.
Users of the "seven" will have to be more difficult: in Windows 10, developers from Microsoft practically got rid of three-dimensional interface elements, leaving the remnants of the 3D effect only in the dynamic menu tiles. If Windows 7 is the crown of the creation of the Bill Gates team in the Aero style, full of colorful multi-colored panels of windows and menus, high-quality shadows and volumetric elements, then in the design of the “dozens” you will find a wonderful embodiment of minimalism. Large immutable fonts, due to which long names of files and folders often went beyond the allotted space of the window, were replaced by dynamic ones. Unfortunately, not everyone accepts such a style in modern design, so the question of whether to install Windows 10 if you are used to the classic design is often decided in favor of the Seven.
Good old "Start"
Perhaps the most significant change for many users compared to Windows 8 is the long-awaited appearance, or rather, the return of the Start menu. Although the developers returned the button with the operating system logo in the familiar lower left corner in version 8.1, the function was completely different: when you clicked on it, the menu was tiled to the Metro interface applications (later this name was changed to Microsoft Design Language).
The new Windows 10 menu combines Start elements from both the Seven and the Eight. In addition, it has become customizable: each user can choose one of three display options. The first offers the design of the classic Start menu from the seventh version in combination with small tiles of the most used applications. The next option is a menu from Windows 8 / 8.1, only with a tiled interface. And finally, the final option is the hybrid Start menu. Through it, the user can access both classic programs and Microsoft applications.
By the way, speaking about the latter, it’s worth mentioning that not all functions are transferred from the classic MS Windows 10 interface to new applications. Take the simplest example - the control panel. It would seem that this window should be functionally replaced by the Parameters application. But if you compare the set of functions, then you can easily see the difference in the number of settings in favor of the control panel. The same goes for the device manager.
Voice assistant on a personal computer?
Yes exactly. Microsoft developers again decided to borrow a couple of ideas from their mobile versions of operating systems. This time we are already seeing an absolute innovation that is not found in any other version of Windows. This is a voice assistant. In iOS, Android and Windows Phone, this is not an innovation for a long time, and such a function on smartphones is very popular. The voice assistant on the top ten will be called Cortana. The name is not new, as the assistant is called in the mobile version. On the one hand, it’s just a voice built into the taskbar for navigation. In fact, Cortana is a very useful assistant. With its help, you can manage virtually all the processes that occur in the operating system. Applications, recommendations, weather, reminders, notifications - all this and much more is easily managed using Cortana.
There is only one significant problem: the lack of support for the Russian language. It is a pity that Russian users who do not know English will not be able to chat with their computer, but in general we can expect that the Americans will take pity on us and release our “Cortana”. Currently, speakers of English, French, German, Chinese, Italian and Spanish can use the voice assistant. It is also planned to expand support to Japanese, Indian and Portuguese.
Notifications are now on the desktop
Everyone who uses a smartphone with any of the operating systems, including Windows Phone, is used to pop-up notifications of new messages on social networks, SMS messages, a low percentage of charge and a downloaded document. However, this series can be continued indefinitely. The Microsoft development team decided to transfer this experience to the desktop version of the operating system. Although the attempt is not the first. Windows 8 also tried to implement a notification system, but the idea was too raw. During the time between the releases of the last two versions of the OS, it was finalized and improved, after which a completely updated Notification Center was added to the "top ten". It collects all notifications that alert the user about various events. Through this Center, you can also turn off notifications (all or partially), configure their form, frequency and so on.
A very interesting feature of the Notification Center is the presence of a quick switch panel. This has not happened in any of the versions of Microsoft Windows. However, all the same users of mobile devices such a thing is very familiar. The developers again borrowed one of their achievements from mobile operating systems. You can enable geolocation, connect to the Internet, activate the Do Not Disturb mode, and adjust the screen brightness in just two clicks.
So is it worth it to install Windows 10 on your personal computer?
So, we figured out the main innovations. Now let’s determine if our computer needs to install Windows 10. A lot of changes, updates, patches of the new operating system allow each user to see a serious difference compared to the “seven” and “eight” and decide for themselves whether to switch to a new system, or better stay with the familiar working interface.
In order to understand this difficult issue, let's go through the advantages and disadvantages of Windows 10. Let's start in order.
New opportunities
Having seen the innovations that we have listed in the first half of our article, you will certainly understand that Windows 10 is a completely new era in the development of the Microsoft operating system. The notification center, voice assistant, and updated design are notable progress compared to previous versions of the OS. The innovations we have listed are by no means an exhaustive list.
Update to version 10586
The latest update to Windows 10 was, one might say, global. This update was released on November 4, 2015 and is today the last official update that Windows 10 received. Version 10586 makes it the best “OS” that humanity has had to deal with. Improvements, corrections, adding new features - all the users of the new development liked everything.
Unlike the previous version of Windows 10, this is a noticeable leap in terms of working out small things and fixing bugs. The main topic of discussion of the global Internet community was the collection of information by Microsoft. In fact, everything could be transferred to the database of the American giant: passwords, history of visits to Internet resources, data on connected networks, user files and information about them. Naturally, such chaos worried people who switched to the new Windows. Microsoft eventually abandoned its new policy by adding advanced privacy settings that can be accessed through the Settings app.
In addition, users may have noticed that other Windows 10 errors have been fixed, including a delay when turning on some applications, conflicting regular Windows 10 programs, crashes and system crashes. All this allows you to learn a new OS without unnecessary nerves.
A new approach for desktops
As you already noticed, Microsoft borrowed a lot from mobile operating systems. Voice assistant, notification center, quick switches familiar to most users on Windows Phone, as well as Android and iOS. Such innovations appealed to many, although at first it was not entirely customary to see them in the desktop version of the operating system. Programs for Windows 10 have become unified, and now they can be used both in tablet mode, and when working with laptops and desktop computers.
Many flaws
Still, the “ten” even with the latest version of the update remains quite “raw”. Both participants of the Windows Insider program (system for fixing flaws in beta versions of updates) and ordinary users of the new operating system continue to notice various errors. Windows 10 needs to be further developed, and Microsoft experts are well aware of this. Of course, to call it the final version at the time of the official release was quite difficult. But today, having the latest update to version 10586, it is hardly possible to call Windows 10 perfect.
Partial support for the Russian language
After reading this, you will think that the Russification of the system is fragmented. No, it is not. The entire working interface of the system is well translated into Russian, since Russian specialists were engaged in the translation. But in some little things, discrimination (let's call it that) of the domestic user by the American developer still skips. This applies to two main aspects: voice assistant and applications from the Windows store. But if the latter depends more on the developers of the applications themselves, then Cortana is by default not equipped with an understanding of Russian speech.
Let's hope that the Windows 10 assistant in Russian will be available in the next updates.
Activation
Microsoft is trying to convince everyone that the system is free. In fact, after a year of use you will be offered to purchase a license. What will happen to those who do not acquire the coveted activator of Windows 10 is unknown. But one thing is clear: at Microsoft, no one is going to work at their own expense. If you fail to get a license, then you may either be greatly reduced in functionality or even offered to roll back to previous versions (although the latter is unlikely). Although, most likely, thanks to our fearless hackers, a pirated activator of Windows 10, for example, KMS, will appear.
What is the outcome?
Summing up the line of our reasoning, we can definitely say one thing: the new operating system is designed to become the starting point for the emergence of a unified Microsoft operating interface for all devices, attracting with its versatility, minimalism and practicality. Should I install Windows 10 on my personal computer? The answer to this question can be given only by personally testing all the innovations and realizing for yourself whether it is convenient for you to use such an operating system.