Windows 10 Technical Preview Hands on Review

Windows 10: Microsoft gaining its grip?

So it has been awhile since I wrote anything about Microsoft. Truly anything at all. I wanted to wait till i got my hands on Windows 10 technical preview before I wrote this review. It is a good thing however I did get a new touchscreen laptop for Christmas, otherwise this review wouldn't be able to fully imply all the features of Windows like it did in my last review. Anyway i should point out a few things before i begin this review.

First and foremost, this is NOT a public release. It is a "Technical Preview". So if you don't hear me complain drastically about any bugs or missing features, you'll know why. Secondly, I will not be doing a side by side comparison this time with Ubuntu. I have realized that was a mistake and if I were to do a review on Linux, it must be kept separate for a fair and unbiased review. Aside from those 2 things, I can honestly say my bias for MS has been misguided and now I am more able to learn from the NT perspective. So let's begin!

First thing i noticed when i turned on Windows is the familiar lock screen. Swipe up and you get something like this:

I added a Fox theme straight from the Microsoft website. You can get it here: Fox Theme For Windows. Once it loaded up. First thing I did was go straight to the Windows icon in the bottom right to go straight to Metro. However, it has been replaced by the ever so familiar Star Menu. 

Indeed. The Start menu is finally back. No more third party programs to get it. One of the main reasons to try Windows 10 I assume. The only difference now is that it has Metro apps on the side and a curious little arrow outward box on the top right. When I clicked on it I got a mundane view of all my Metro apps. 

Alright, so this must be what is left of Metro, I thought. I wanted a little more to be honest. But it only gave me a solid palette identical to the task bar. I also soon realized the task bar is completely opaque and has lost it's transparency. Next thing i was looking for is the "Charm Menu". I tried swiping my mouse cursor along the right side of the screen. Nothing. Then i noticed a chat icon on the bottom right. I clicked it and soon realized the Charm menu was most likely replaced by this "Notifications" Panel. 

This is a hit or miss. Many people I know say the charm menu was the only useful feature in Windows 8. However, this new implementation is more direct and easier to understand for new-comers. I tend to miss the Charm menu however. Now onto the the two odd looking icons on the bottom left next to the Start Menu. The first I noticed was a circle. When I clicked on it, it not only showed a search bar, but a fully "functional" digital assistant. 

What I liked about it most is that it can actually say your name out loud. You can also change your name later on or choose not to have one. The digital assistant called "Cortana" is a lot like Google Now and Siri, however it uses Bing to find results online. Aside from it's querks. I can see myself using this quite often once it becomes more stable. Next was the tiling icon. I thought at first, "this must be to snap windows or something". However i was quick to judge and was actually impressed by a Virtual Workspace.

Finally! Microsoft has finally caught up with Linux and Mac OSX. One reason why i always kept Ubuntu. It took awhile to learn the new virtual workspaces, and it didn't always work. But it sure was useful and I like'd how it was presented. So once i covered that, i decided to see what else is new with Windows 10. I noticed that it can have a "tablet mode", so i decided to ts that out.

Aside from it's advantages, and disadvantages. One thing is clear: Microsoft has been making drastic changes to win its consumers back. Of course, not all are needed, and some are taking away other features it had in 8, (such as the charm menu and transparency). It feels different. Some parts feel like 7, and the others like Metro/8. I guess Microsoft is trying to appease to both groups perhaps? I really hope they add back some missing features later on. Only time can tell. On another note, some minor applications are not recognized properly on Windows 10 Technical Preview. For me it was an Anti-virus suite that came with my laptop and twitch client. Other than that, everything seemed to work.


Windows 10 Technical Preview:
Features: 4/5
Stability: 3/5
EyeCandy: 3/5
Ease of use: 4/5
Usability: 5/5
=
Average: 4/5

Compared to Windows 8 which was a 3/5, this is a huge step forward in my opinion. I just hope Microsoft doesn't fumble and botch this next version of Windows.