The Best New Features in Windows 10
Today is the day Windows 10 finally arrived! Although the rollout will be in waves , we have been launching the Insider Preview for several months now. Here are some of the best features you can expect when ( or if ) you decide to upgrade.
Start Menu is back, baby
Windows 8 took the highly controversial move of ditching the Start menu and choosing instead a Don’t Call It Metro Start Screen. Everything wentas well as you would expect . However, in Windows 10, the Start menu is back. Live tiles now live here like regular app icons, in (relatively) perfect harmony.
Folder-based organization has been abandoned in favor of Favorites and Search-based organization. You can start typing as soon as you open the Start menu to find the application and run it by name. If you don’t want to type in the name of the app every time, you can pin it to the Start menu, where it sits next to your other tiles. Your most frequently used shortcuts will also appear in a separate list. You can click All Apps to see a list of everything on your Start menu, although it will appear as an alphabetical list, which can be difficult to browse if you’re used to folders.
Cortana makes the Start menu smarter
As if bringing back the Start menu wasn’t enough, Microsoft has built its personal voice assistant, Cortana, right into it. Even if you’re already using Google Now or Siri , having Cortana on your desktop can come in handy. You can search the Internet for many of the same quick answers by simply pressing the Win key and entering a question like “How many ounces are in a cup” or “What’s the weather?”
However, Cortana is more than just voice commands. If you’re signed into your Microsoft account, you can use Cortana to set reminders, add calendar events, and even provide you with Google Now-style cards with related information like stock quotes or news. Of course, many of these features only work best if you use Microsoft services, or at least sync your services like Google Calendar with the Microsoft app, but even if you don’t want to be part of the Microsoft ecosystem, it’s still much more powerful than the previous Start menu.
Microsoft Edge is finally replacing Internet Explorer
Microsoft tried very hard and often forced peopleto forgive Internet Explorer . It just didn’t happen. Now, with Windows 10, Microsoft is ditching the old browser in favor of Microsoft Edge. We’ve already seen the browser, and while it’s still pretty simple, it has several unique features, including a text-only read mode, an annotation tool, and even Cortana integration. While the extensions haven’t arrived yet, they should be out soon, so it might be worth giving Edge a try.
You can now add multiple desktops
The ability to run multiple applications at the same time is a big advantage of an operating system like Windows. However, doing too many tasks can get overwhelming. Now Microsoft is finally adding the ability to create and manage multiple desktops. You can add new desktops, quickly move windows between them and switch between desktops by pressing Win-Tab. It might not be all that useful for casual users, but those of us who work a lot with our machines will appreciate this feature.
Windows now has a central action center
Almost every OS – from Android to iOS, OS X to Ubuntu – has had a central notification area for some time. Microsoft is finally adding this much-needed feature to Windows 10. You can click the icon in the notification bar at the bottom right of your screen, or press Win-A to open your notifications. Some apps may take a while to use the new system – Google is notoriously tired of waiting and created its own notification system in Chrome – but a lot of system notifications are already showing up here.
The notification bar also has links to various useful features such as the Windows 10 settings app, VPN settings, and quick switches for things like location and quiet mode. If you have a Windows computer connected to a touchscreen, there is also a button to quickly switch between desktop and tablet modes.
Universal apps and Continuum Bridge for tablets and PCs are not stupid
Microsoft’s attempts to make desktops behave like tablets were one of the worst aspects of Windows 8. While it was still usable, the focus on tablets distracted from what made Windows a useful operating system in the first place. Continuum is a much better second try. As shown in the video above, if you have a tablet or touchscreen, you can enable touch mode, which behaves like a tablet. If you add a keyboard and mouse, you can switch to desktop mode.
Universal apps are analogous to this. While most Windows apps are designed for desktops, Microsoft is increasingly trying to encourage developers to create apps that change their interface depending on which device you’re using. There are already several apps like Netflix, VLC, and Plex that work well on desktops, but automatically adapt to touchscreens when needed. While this may not be useful to everyone at once, it makes the idea of getting a touch device attractive in the future.