Well, I've been hyped for Windows 10 (I'm
still irritated by the name and
nonsensical counting, though - if we're going off of Windows 7 and Windows 8, the operating system's common name
should be Windows 9, although at least the
"Windows 9x issue" explanation sounds like a plausible rationale...I guess I'll have to indulge in extreme rounding of "Windows 8.1 → 9" so I can have some semblance of proper numbering.. -.- And in any case, the Roman-numeral alternative of "Windows X" sounds cooler, although I guess it kind of detracts from the uniqueness of the "Windows XP" name..
/Windows10namerant) for a while now; I guess I just like gravitating towards knowing about new technology. {XD}
Although I haven't actually tested out the system yet, it looks highly promising from what I've read as an excelling successor of Windows 7 -
way better than the touch-infested disaster of Windows 8/Windows 8.1. I'm glad that Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users get the opportunity of upgrading for free (especially for Windows 8.1 users, as Microsoft never did deliver a "proper" Start Menu as they supposedly intended). I'm a bit wary of the "software as a service" route that Windows 10 seems to be taking, though. I also dislike the practice of forcing updates on people; I distinctly recall an update from some time between 2014-2015 that inadvertently disrupted the functioning a lot of Microsoft Windows computers (or something along those lines), not to mention that Windows seems to inexplicably like installing (or at least wanting to install) updates at the most random times (even when set for a time frame like ~3:00 AM), particularly when the user is probably busy with stuff and at moments when shutting down would not be helpful.
Hooray for the return of the proper Start Menu! ^^ As far as I'm concerned, that thing needs to be a mainstay on Windows computers until something better comes along (it definitely wasn't the Windows 8 Start Screen, that's for sure). The integration of tiles is a decent compromise, although I prefer the Windows 7 Start Menu layout. Thankfully, the free software of
Classic Shell allows
extensive Start Menu customization and seamless integration with Windows 10 (aside from the Windows 7 Start Menu version, it even lets you mimic Windows XP-era and Windows95/98-ish-era Start Menus; that is so cute! {<3}), so it looks like my Start Menu qualms are
finally over.
(I gotta donate to those guys someday..)
Other positive points related to the classic Start Menu's return include the "Control Panel" being regularly accessible again from the Start Menu (I never thought I would have to make a desktop shortcut just to get there on Windows 8), "Accesories -> System Tools" becoming regularly accessible again for things like Calculator, Disk Cleanup, and Disk Defragmenter, and the command for shutting down being easy again (it has been the easily-pinpointable "Start Button → Shut Down" for years, I have no idea why Windows 8 opted for that non-intuitive "sliiiiide-down-the-right-of-the-screen! → wait for the menu → press the on-screen Power button → then Shut Down" nonsense or whatever the "Shut Down" gesture was - a Start Screen tile was needed just to escape that gesturing chaos).
Also, it seems like "Modern Windows Apps" are
confined to actual "windows" now instead of taking on the form of those Windows 8 "FULL-SCREEN, YEAH!" monstrosities (the prime offender being the Start Screen itself), which is a
major plus. One of the biggest pains of Windows 8 is that it felt like almost every file-opening action mandated some kind of full-screen ordeal, even opening simple PDFs and images...sheesh.
The "Continuum Mode" feature of Windows 10 that adapts towards whether the user is on a desktop/laptop computer, a touch-screen tablet device, or a laptop-tablet hybrid device is much appreciated, compared to Windows 8 forcing "TOUCH!" on you all the time (may those Charms never come back >:().
The flat "Metro"-style of Windows 8 and Windows 10 is decent, although I rather liked the "Aero Glass" style embellished by Windows 7...hopefully Aero Glass makes some sort of comeback in Windows 10..?
Farewell, Internet Explorer! (although technically
Windows 10 includes it for Enterprise purposes..?) I haven't tried out Microsoft Edge, although as a browser, I hope it can supersede Internet Explorer. The name is kind of underwhelming ("Edge" sounds like one of those technology buzzwords, for some reason), although I like that the "E" icon mimics the icon for Internet Explorer! :) Mozilla Firefox will still win for me as a web broswer in Windows 10, though (most likely XD).
Lastly, I wish the pre-Windows 8 versions of Solitaire (and similar games) were included on Windows 10; they're like classics! The Windows Store "Modern App" versions for Solitaire and its gaming brethren are very pretty but don't quite do the originals justice (
Advertisements in Solitaire? Really? -_- Apparently, it's been like that since Windows 8, but that doesn't mean that the practice should still be encouraged at all. :x)
Tl;dr: Overall, Windows 10 looks
largely promising compared to Windows 8 (with Classic Shell improving the Start Menu options multi-fold), although some aspects could be improved (Windows Update, Solitaire).
EDIT: It seems that there have been a few quirks regarding Windows 10 installations and usage.. I hope they can be ironed out. Good example of why I tend to be averse to adopting technology on the first day - I can learn about arising mishaps from (hopefully reliable) second-hand accounts rather than encountering said mishaps firsthand and experiencing them the hard way. :x
