Windows 10 Technical Preview Notes
DISCLAIMER: Since this is the first beta/alpha of an unfinished OS, please do not regard this article as a permanent review. Windows Developers could implement features to fix problems that I have stated before the final release. Please cut the developers some slack. They have lives too!
Hi all,
I just downloaded the Windows 10 preview and I just wanted to share some cool new features that I found.
1. Start Screen
Love it or hate it, the start menu is back. and it has some cool new features. First of all, the start menu contains a small section dedicated to the tiles that Windows 8 introduced. If you touch the screen, Windows will take you to the tablet menu that almost every power user hated.
One interesting feature to note is that the Start Menu will ask if you want to install Win8 Apps that you had before.
Another key feature is that the start menu can expand or shrink just by dragging the start menu. It’s super simple to do and it makes a lot of sense.
One thing that I will say is that getting to a Windows 8 style start screen is now very hard on a regular mouse and keyboard. You have to change a preference in the start menu settings and that will force a permanent change in preference. If you are like me and you want to get to the live tiles once or twice a week, this is annoying. However, if you setup the tiles your start menu, this shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
2. New Search Button
Microsoft introduced a new Search Button on the task bar. This button is nothing but a glorified link to the Windows Bing App. I first thought this was a link to some sort of universal search in Windows. Nope. It’s just Bing Search.
Worst part? You can’t remove it from the task bar. Windows People, take note. This is stupid and a waste of space.
3. Virtual Desktops
Microsoft introduced Virtual Desktops into Windows and unfortunately it does not work as well as its linux/OS X counterparts. There’s a 3rd button on the task bar one for a multitasking view. This brought a view that was accessible in Windows 7/8 if you had one of the Microsoft mice.
You can move over to the next desktop by clicking another desktop or with Ctrl + Win + Left/Right. This all works well.
My biggest gripe with this system is that I cannot move over applications from one desktop to another easily. You have to click on an application in the multi-tasking view (shown above) and then right click on an app and then click move to to change desktops. This a pain in the ass to do and hopefully Microsoft takes note and fixes it.
Overall, the virtual machine feature has been nothing but a dissapointment. Power users should stick with a 3rd party solution like Dexpot until MS makes changes.
4. New Snap Features
This is the coolest feature that I’ve found in Windows 10. You can now snap to fit 1/4 of the screen rather than just 1/2 of the screen without a keyboard shortcut. Here is a demonstration below.
Overall, Microsoft added a bunch of new features that Windows 8 lacked and they added a bunch of new user interactions that will take time to get used to. However, I think that most people will like these new features. Especially technologically illiterate people who threw a fit over the Win 8 start screen. Power Users are going to be excited for the new power features and then will be dissapointed in MS’s implementation.
That being said, a lot could change between now and the Windows 10 launch and I hope that Microsoft can fix some of these issues!
