March 4, 2015
By Zachary Carlson
With the fallout after the many controversial features debuted in Windows 8 and the following release of Windows 8.1 still in mind, Microsoft is looking to impress with the release of Windows 10.
Shirking Apple’s model of creating individualized operating systems for different types of devices, Microsoft has designed Windows 10 to be used with every device from phones to tablets to desktops and will be launched sometime early this summer, according to Joe Osborne at Techradar.com.
Features to look forward to include the improved start menu, the incorporation of virtual desktops and the spreading of Cortana, something Microsoft calls “your personal digital assistant.”
A compromise between the strengths of both Windows 7 and Windows 8, the new start menu combines the traditional menu familiar to Windows users and the Live Tiles introduced in Windows 8.
The virtual desktop will allow users to create separate, uncluttered workspaces for each different task they take on. For instance, users will be able to easily multitask or keep their work and entertainment separate by having one virtual desktop dedicated to work and another to games, said Matt Egan of PCAdvisor.co.uk.
Already available on some devices, Cortana will become ubiquitous across Windows 10 devices, allowing users to access the same “digital personal assistant” across their phone, tablet, and PC. Over time, Cortana will build a profile of information useful to Windows 10 users, according to CNET.com.
All of these features will be optimized for both touchscreen users and those with a mouse and keyboard, allowing users to switch between the two at the click, or touch, of a button.
Windows 10 will also allow gamers to bring their favorite Xbox titles to their PC with a new app, according to Osborne.
Time will tell if the new OS can make up for some of the distrust caused by the controversies of Windows 8, but with their emphasis on customization and individualization, Microsoft seems to be headed in the right direction with Windows 10.
