The Windows 10 Technical Preview has been out in the wild for a while now, and we have to say – it looks really promising.
Full disclaimer: Everything in the Windows 10 Technical Preview is subject to change, and is by no means a finished product. It is also important to note that as of this writing, we have not been able to test the technical preview on a touch-enabled device.
But really, what is it that everybody ought to know about the preview? (Besides the fact that theProject Spartan browser is a no-show so far)
Microsoft is upping their game
Many have said that Windows 8 was the worst operating system that Microsoft has put out since Vista, and even Microsoft Bob. (Don’t know about Microsoft Bob? View at your own risk.)
But the reality is that at the time of its release, many people could not interact with the OS in the way that Microsoft would have liked. Namely – the majority of people who upgraded did not use the OS with a device packaged with a touchscreen. Needless to say, they were not impressed.
But things are a bit different now. Touch-hybrid laptops, Surface tablets, and other similar devices have arrived and are gaining traction. People have realized that tablets are not as effective for work as they would have liked.
Cue the announcement of Windows 10, an operating system that genuinely looks to be capable of being run across a variety of devices, with touchscreen or without.
The Technical Preview says a lot about Windows 10
While a lot could change between now and the release of Windows 10, the Technical Preview does show how a touchscreen interface can work and be adapted to work well with non-touchscreen devices.
Need proof?
The Start Menu is back…with a friend
A lot of people were upset when the Start Menu went away (and don’t get us started). But it is back, and it combines the best of what people loved about Windows XP and 7 with some of the enhancements of 8. Namely – the app tiles.
Before you cry foul, let’s take a look at this puppy.
It has the program list that people come to expect from the Start Menu, with apps organized by “Most Used,” “Recently Added,” and in alphabetical order for the full list. The tiles that you see do resemble what you may remember (or not, if you never upgraded) from Windows 8. They are essentially app shortcuts with live updates.
But what is so special about the new Start Menu, is that it lets you preview how Windows 10 will probably adapt to fit other form factors such as phones, and tablets. How, you ask? You can resize the menu!
Need more proof?
Adjustable App Windows
In the Windows 10 Technical Preview, Microsoft Store apps (universal apps) open up within windows. This is much like how a legacy software application would work. But there is a twist:
If you click on the edge of a window and resize it, the content of the app will adjust to fit the size of the container. This resembles the behavior of a mobile-responsive website, which also moves content around to fill the shape of its container.
This means that Microsoft’s new universal apps system will make each experience a user has on their laptop, tablet, and phone almost identical. There will be no need for a separate app!
This is just the tip of the iceberg
The Windows 10 Technical Preview has been showing off a lot of what Microsoft is working on, and we’ve only touched on two of the unveiled concepts so far.
In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be looking closer at other previewed functionality, including: Snap, Task View, the new File Explorer, Cortana integration (this one is huge!), the all-new Action Center, and hopefully the Project Spartan browser.
Are you running the Windows 10 Technical Preview?
Let us know what you think, by commenting in the field below, or by tweeting us at@UptrendsMonitor.
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