Windows 10: The Major New Features, In Pictures

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ryoukos

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Initial feelings are very positive. It's actually a faster version of Win 7 and 8 combined and lots of annoyances ironed-out. Virtual desktops, live feed apps in start menu, which is fully customizable, setting menus are a little bit dodgy at the moment though. I am using it as a main system on one of my old(-ish) spare systems and it works great.
 

orlbuckeye

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I'm a desktop user and I love Windows 8.1. I rarely go to the Metro screens and I don't have to. I do use it for NFL Sunday ticket which is just a better app then using your browser.

There is a difference between what Apple does and MS. MS let you set up the screen to look like an Ipad but your not running Ipad apps your running desktop apps. MS runs the Metro apps on the metro screen and the desktop apps on the desktop. Windows 10 will allow you to run Metro apps in windows on the desktop.

MS bread and butter is software and Apple is a hardware company. So they don't give their bread and butter away for free. I hearing rumors Win 10 may be free.

The reason for 10 had to do with coding since Win 98 and 95 had 9's in them. Not for marketing reasons.

 

orlbuckeye

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It won't matter it will be done through the store and as long as you have all the updates it won't matter where you got Windows 8.


 

childofthekorn

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Faster as in UI is more responsive or it handles hardware better? I can tweak win 7 to make the UI respond faster, but if it actually handles resource management more efficiently that'll be a selling point for me.
 


Thanks.
 

Nugget712

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I posted that ^^^ a bit ago.... does anyone ever read the thread or article before posting LOL.


I was kind of mad when I read about Win 10 since I built a PC last month and just bought Win 8.1. Seems we will get a free upgrade from the article I read.


I read that too, but I think it is unconfirmed. They better give me a free upgrade, I would have stuck with Win 7 had I known Win 10 was right around the corner and I had to pay for it.


I don't believe Win 7 users get it free. Only Win 8x users from what I understand, but that's just from what I've read and not confirmed. I doubt MS is gonna make Windows free software for everyone...



I thought Win 8x handles resource management more efficiently than 7?
 


definatly windows 8 handle resources fast. You can boot in less than a second with the right hardware, windows 7 even with ssd never gonna be a 1 sec boot. Its much more fluid and doesnt bloat like 7, thats just a win7 fanboy.
 

lunaticsmart

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Microsoft has lost its way in software development. Windows 10 is just windows 8 with a menu that is the same that is used on the Windows phone. Is Microsoft joking?? To really get back on the game they need to drop off that metro rubbish and re-do windows from the ground up. They keep trying to use the same windows and add bits and pieces. What the public is asking for is a completely new operating system from windows moving away fro the metro look and providing a system that consumer really are attracted to. Sorry Microsoft but you need to do better than that ugly windows 10. Don't just keep numbering your product when they are the same cru@##p.
 

childofthekorn

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From what I've noticed they're basically on par in nearly all aspects (was very dissapointed that a typical 550MB/s SSD didn't go to 10Gb/s :p /jokes). I haven't seen one benchmark of windows 8.1 that gave me the purchase itch. I'm going to upgrade to 10 either way specifically for DX12. But I'm more curious at this point cause most of the changes look primarily aesthetic.
 

GObonzo

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spent this morning backing up windows 8.1 and upgrading to 10TP. through the day i've reinstalled the very few things that needed it, most programs and all games are installed on separate drives. this evening i've been running those programs, trying some games and configuring windows settings. have no problems with compatibility, no crashes, no freezes. runs great. i like where the new start menu is going with the metro interface combined, hopefully it becomes more customizable like the later version of the metro screen in 8.1.

seems like a good update to 8.1 could have added all i've seen that's new here. maybe there's some tweaks for the upcoming DX12 or some improvements with networking and file sharing i haven't tried yet. i imagine it's just to draw in everyone that got scared by the bad reviews of Windows 8.

i like it so far but not much of a change. wish the glass themes were integrated again. also should add GamesExplorer back to the start menu like i was hoping.

... it did reduce my startup times from 12-20 sec to less than 10 sec!
 

Jeffrey H

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Well when Steve Balmer took over as CEO, he was the one that apparently screwed EVERYTHING up, and apparently started to make an OS that Rivals Android and Apple, well the down side result in Eliminating the "Windows Classic" Style off of Windows 8 and 8.1,

More people now want to keep their styles that currently made more sense to have Windows than what we see now, more UI Friendly, staying "Classic", and still getting enhancements without having to deal with stuff that is "Too New" to them, letting Microsoft forget and remove the XP And Classic" Appearance made matters worse.
 

MidnightDistort

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Please explain what hardware can make W8 boot in 1 second, there's no proof that W8 can do that. 10 seconds maybe but even then W8 only shuts down in hibernate mode, not a full shutdown. That's why many people have different issues and it's often with updates. MS should have rebooted the machine before going into hibernate it might have made things easier.

In reality W8 does have better resource management than W7 but it's hardly noticeable (it's a few seconds) other than the booting portion. It's no different if i were to put W7 into hibernate, then turn it back on.
 

GObonzo

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What are you talking about, "MS should have rebooted the machine before going into hibernate"? that would totally negate the point of hibernation if the system were rebooting before hibernating.
After having Windows 8.1 running for a few months, with 5-6 separate programs starting with Windows, it took 12 secs at the fastest to totally boot from a cold start. That's not from hibernation. I'm sure with no startup applications running, fresh disk clean, & defragment you could easily get it to cold start at <10.
 

orlbuckeye

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They haven't announced yet but for anyone 8.0 or above will get it from the store so it will be the same price for all. Pre Windows 8 will have to do a download or use media which could be a different cost. Officially it hasn't been said yet by MS. There are rumors out there but nothing official at the moment.


 

orlbuckeye

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Actually there are some major differences between Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Once nice feature is being able to cut and paste into the Command prompt screen. Plus Windows 10 is a preview and not everything that will be in the final release are included in the preview. If you go to the Windows forums the biggest complaints I see from ACTUAL Windows 8 users is that they made it less Metro. They haven't done that they only hid the Metro and you can turn it on if you want.
 

childofthekorn

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Only hiding the metro would've made win 8.1 much more enticing if only Balmer stayed on stop of Sinofsky and his lazy idea of making 1 OS for all devices.
 

orlbuckeye

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I don't think PC sales would be much different had Windows 8 not come out because most people don't need the power of PC and more personal tablet devices sales escalated. I don't think there's anything wrong with 1 OS for all devices as it make integration easier. Most complainers about Windows 8 don't have Windows 8. I love some desktop apps and hate some. I love some metro apps and hate some. I think NFL Sunday Ticket Metro app is the perfect app and it's a pain to use Sunday ticket in a browser. Now facebook is the opposite. Chrome and Firefox didn't release metro versions of theirs apps but they did add touch.
 

logainofhades

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I do not have Win 8, but have worked on machines with it. I simply cannot stand metro. The supposed performance boosts were not enough to make me make the switch from Win 7 Ultimate. Win 10 probably won't make me want to either. I have better things to spend my money on than the latest crap from M$.
 

Christopher1

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The right hardware? Any computer made in the past 5 years with an SSD drive and a UEFI bios instead of a regular BIOS.
Boom... one second or instant bootup times.
 

childofthekorn

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My mobo was released 5 years ago and I use an SSD yet it still has standard bios. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
 

Nugget712

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I think he meant CPU in the last 5 years, not mobo, AND a mobo with UEFI.
I mean I have Win 8.1, but NO SSD, and I load in 15 seconds...
I am getting used to Win 8.1 now, but still miss the old start bar a bit.
 


I've been forcing myself to use Windows 8.1 lately just for science. I even upgraded my main PC this past weekend. One thing I realized about the Metro-style start screen that makes the transition better is you can just start typing and a list of applications or items pops up on the right. Finding control panel just requires typing 'control'. Also, you can hit the down arrow at the bottom left of the metro start screen to get to the application list (similar to 'Programs').

These two things (typing to find things and the application list) are making the transition a lot easier. The ability to boot straight to the desktop also makes the transition easier, but if I can't find something on the desktop, I hit the windows key to go to the metro interface and just start typing.

Also, there is functionality that allows you to sync settings between your Windows 8 desktop and laptop that I'm just discovering.

Windows 8.1 is definitely not plagued with the driver issues (and associated lack of third-party support) we saw with Vista.

Also, I'm betting on Windows 8.1 to be more secure than Windows 7 using the Apple iMac premise for security; less people are using Windows 8.1, so its not as worthwhile for hackers to attack it.
 

MidnightDistort

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Some people have problems with coming out of hibernation mode (though it might be standby) so i might have that wrong, but i have had countless W8 machines had problems with major updates (some minor). This is the only explanation that i have that W8 should have the option to shut down or at least reboot to hibernate to clear any problems in the existing boot. Unless that's isolated and W8 does not go into hibernation mode as default.



That's simply incorrect as users get different boot times. You do not get 1 second boot times just from buying a new computer with SSD and UEFI bios if that were true more users would be mentioning 1 second instead of 5 sec, 10 seconds.. some higher and a few lower:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1323261/your-fastest-ssd-boot-times

I did not say it was impossible you can boot W8 in 1 second but to say that all recently built PCs are capable of this is not correct as some PC's are still built with no SSDs. Would these PC's boot W8 in a 1 second with HDDs- http://store.hp.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryListingView?catalogId=10051&categoryId=88166&langId=-1&storeId=10151

No, even some SSDs and UEFI bios/motherboards would have to ensure they are top performers. If that wasn't the case my PC i built a few years ago should boot W8 in 1 second had i got an SSD instead of a HDD but even i know that PC would never boot W8 in 1 second, because of the lack of having UEFI, i do have the ability to boot larger HDDs but that's it, no fast boot times, otherwise i would have found a use for W8.
 
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