NOTE: We’ll be continually updating this article with new observations as we get closer to the release of Windows 10 – we’re using the Windows 10 Insider Preview to do this.
Windows 10 is an entirely new version of the veteran Windows operating system – a version that is make-or-break for Microsoft.
Even though Windows 8.1 did improve things, there’s no escaping that withWindows 8, Microsoft was hugely complacent, buoyed by the success ofWindows 7. It drastically misunderstood its users with a fundamentally changed user interface which didn’t make any logical sense and was hard to learn. It failed us. It failed itself.
Thankfully 2015 Microsoft is pretty different to 2012 Microsoft. The key management of the corporation has changed. It has woken up to the fact that people can choose other operating systems. It’s keen on making stuff for OS X, Linux, iOS and Android. As you’ll hear, it’s allowing apps from other platforms to be easily ported to Windows, too.
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Microsoft believes the future of Windows is as a platform for all. Like Android, the strength of Windows is in the thousands of companies that develop for it (see the section about Universal apps for more on the relationship with developers) and use it in their products.
That’s why Windows 10 is no longer just an operating system for 32 and 64-bit PCs. It will also run on the ARM platform for smaller tablets and smartphones. Windows 10 is going to run on phones – it’s the new version of Windows Phone, but it’s not that clear whether Microsoft will brand new Windows Phones as ‘Windows 10’ or not. If you know what Windows RT was, then don’t worry, because it’s nothing like that.
Universal apps will run not only on PCs, but on Windows 10 phones, Windows 10 for IoT devices and Xbox as well.
Like Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 before it, Windows 10 is part of the Windows NT family.
Using the Windows 10 Release Preview
So, how have we put together this Hands on? We’ve been part of the Windows Insider program, which has given people early access to Windows 10 through various phases of its development. The version which this hands-on review is based on, is version 10.0.10130 (known as build 10130), released on 29 May. We’re expecting at least one more late June update before we get the real thing in late July.
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We’ll be updating this hands-on with any new observations as we get access to later builds and as we get closer to full release.
The great news is that even in the pre-release builds we’ve been using the operating system is fast and stable. There are still some issues we’ve experienced along the way, but these have either been ironed out or – as with some speed issues concerning the Cortana search bar – will surely be fixed for the final version (if they’re not, we’ll be telling you they’re not as soon as we get our hands on the final RTM (Release to Manufacturing) version.
Windows 10 will be available in 190 countries and 111 languages.
