Post-Release Windows 10 Review
The buzz around the computer world has been about Windows 10 lately. With all the marketing Microsoft has done, it’s garnered a lot of attention from both techies and non-techies alike. It has been out for nearly a couple of months and we’ve had a chance to see it, use it, and fix problems with it.
To put it simply, we like Windows 10. It basically takes all the good things from Windows 8/8.1 and mixes it with Windows 7. There’s a start menu, and while it looks and feels different than the traditional start menus of old it does function nicely. The desktop is there and you don’t have to fight with the Metro mode (colorful squares) screen any longer. Windows 10 is quick – quick to turn on, quick off, things open quickly. It’s snappy and we like it’s look (although we got a complaint from a customer that the color is too dreary and washed out).
Of course, being the critics we are of most things Microsoft we aren’t going to let Windows 10 go without some complaints and unfortunately they aren’t minor. You’ve got the usual issue with some programs and hardware not working with the newer operating system – so far we’ve been able to fix most of them without needing to revert back to the previous operating system (a little more on that later). There is another more serious bug that deals with Windows updates that we cannot fix, however. It only affects around 10-15% of users and unfortunately it’s up to Microsoft to get it mended.
Windows 10 is a free upgrade from Windows 7 and 8/8.1 until July 29, 2016. The upgrade isn’t too daunting and you get to keep all your files and programs. If you don’t like Windows 10, you have 30 days to revert back to your previous operating system – which is also not too tough of a process.
Windows 10 comes with a new web browser called Microsoft Edge. It is a much improved version of Internet Explorer, but we feel like it’s restrictive and controlling over what it wants you to do online. You still have the option of using other web browsers, including Internet Explorer.
Data mining is a huge issue with Windows 10, which can be subdued during the installation process. Anything from your web browsing to your calendar inputs and even your wireless internet passwords can be shared if you allow Microsoft to do so. This is a great reason to read what you’re agreeing to and change the default settings to keep that information to yourself!
We knew the bugs were going to be there for Windows 10 which is why we’ve been suggesting to our customer to wait a few months after the release to update their systems to it. We’ve seen Windows 10 act beautifully and we’ve seen it being very ugly. We would advise that those using Windows 7 and liking it should stick with that operating system – and those with Windows 8 who probably don’t like that operating system should do the upgrade while it’s free.