So I wrote about Microsoft’s dismissal of Windows 7 yesterday. This prompted me to try out Windows 10 since it seems that it may become the operating system of choice in the months to come, once it is released. Since I have a Microsoft TechNet account I downloaded a 90 day trial and set it up on a VirtualBox virtual machine. I will also install it on a physical machine in the weeks to come. The objective of this commentary is to introduce windows 10 and see how it fares in comparison to the disliked windows 8.1 (aka Windows Hate).
My first contact was very easy and straightforward. Other than a slight change to the GUI, the installation and initial setup are the same as Windows 7 and 8 which asks you to set up your hard drive and installation type.
On first boot, the initial configuration asks you to sign in with your Microsoft Account and pre-installs any application you may have bought from the Microsoft Store. This step installed One Drive for me.
So, what’s up with the start menu? Well it’s back but it looks disfigured. In an attempt to please everybody, Microsoft designed the start menu in a way that it mixes some of the good from Windows 7 along with the bad of Windows 8. On the left you see a section that somewhat resembles the original start menu from Windows 7 while on the right you get the eye candy heavy tile design of Windows 8 features. This can be seen in the video at the bottom of the page.
One major annoyance is the continued pattern of using your Microsoft Account as a sign in. This can be circumvented but the default sign in method is not intuitive and to me at least, is an indication of Redmond’s “Big Brother” ambitions and agenda. Yes, it may lead to cross device application and file unity but I still prefer having more control over how I log in to my local PC at home, regardless of weather it is online or not.
The power user features such as Windows Updates, Control Panel and Remote Desktop Connections are hidden out of sight. They can be found in the left section of the unified start menu under System Settings. Still, I feel as if I have to make an extra effort to get to tweak my PC as opposed to having the Control Panel in plain sight as it was in Windows 7.
As a first comment, I would say that the return of a Start Menu that looks like a messy plate of mashed potatoes and gravy is not sufficient of an effort. I sure hope that the finished product will look and feel more intuitive. However, knowing that Microsoft often rushes unfinished and unpolished solutions into production I will not hold my breath as I wait. Meanwhile I will continue to explore Windows 10 as I enjoy my 90 day trial. At least I can thank Microsoft for giving me material to write about in abundance.
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