Resolved Windows 10

This is from the free section of "Windows Secrets" newsletter. Explains things more, don't know if the links will come through but the article is online.

Microsoft unveils preview of a new Windows

By Woody Leonhard

At a much-anticipated event held in San Francisco, Microsoft vice president Terry Myerson unveiled the official Technical Preview of the next Windows.
The presentation packed several surprises, not least of which is the new operating system's name: Windows 10.
Depending on how you look at it, either Windows 10 is such a leap forward that there just couldn't be a Version 9, or Microsoft is making a not-so-subtle attempt to distance itself from Windows 8.
Joining Myerson on stage, Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore rousingly demo'ed some of Windows 10's new features. (You can see the entire presentation on YouTube.) Keep in mind that this release is the Windows Technical Preview — it represents the final product but is certainly far from complete. If you want to do your own preview, sign up for the Windows Insider Program (site) and you, too, can try this early version of Windows 10. Here's what you'll find:

A new Start menu: This change from Windows 8 is an obvious no-brainer. No one was going to accept Windows 10 without a real Start menu; Microsoft got that message loud and clear from its customers.
In the new Start menu, the left half looks much like Windows 7's. But the right half is a pastiche of scaled-down Metro tiles. Both sides are customizable; you can click-and-drag or pin/unpin both menu items and tiles till the cows come home. Drag a menu entry from the left side to the right side, and it instantly turns into a Metro tile. Unpin all tiles, and you end up with a Start menu that looks and works much like Win7's — at least to a first approximation.

Universal apps: It's heartening that Microsoft has given up trying to shove Metro apps into our collective faces. Metro apps (aka Full-screen apps, Immersive apps, Windows 8 apps, Windows Store apps, Modern apps, and who knows what else) are now called "Universal" apps. Whatever you want to call them, they're not the full-screen monstrosities found in Windows 8. Universal apps will now run on the standard desktop in their own floating, resizable windows (think Stardock's ModernMix).

That's an excellent compromise between the Desktop and Metro sides of Windows 8. If the Universal app concept carries through the way Microsoft envisions, developers can write apps that run inside their own windows on the Windows 10 desktop and on Windows phones and tablets — or on watches, refrigerators, servers, drones, or whatever. Obviously a Universal app will need some modifications for different platforms, but the inner workings — specifically, the API calls — should be consistent (if not identical), no matter where the app finds itself. It's a grand idea, though whether it's practical remains to be seen.

Platform smarts: Not available in Preview, but shown in a conceptual video, Windows 10 will determine whether you have a keyboard and a mouse. If Win10 finds a keyboard, it takes you directly to the desktop. (It's not clear yet whether, in this mode, the Metro Start screen disappears entirely.) If Windows 10 detects that a device has no attached keyboard — or if the keyboard is detached (think convertible tablet PC) — Win10 asks permission to take you to the Metro Start menu. It's a slick idea Microsoft calls "Continuum." It might go a long way toward reducing the headaches we've had with Windows 8.

Multiple desktops: With Windows 10, you can run whatever you like on one desktop, then flip over to another desktop and run something different. (You can add virtual desktops to Windows as far back as XP with third-party apps such as Dexpot [site].) That's a great feature for people like me, who tend to work on one project and then suddenly shift to another one.

On-screen application snapping: This gets better in Windows 10; up to four programs can be snapped into the corners of the screen. Metro, uh, Universal apps can be snapped just like standard programs. There's also a new Task View icon that makes it easy to see and switch among running programs — or different desktops.

What's missing? A few features I expected to see in Windows 10 didn't make it into the Windows Technical Preview. For example, Cortana, the Windows phone assistant, is currently missing but will most likely show up eventually. Internet Explorer 12 isn't in Preview, and there's no Notification Center, either. Expect the final Windows 10 to have a Notification Center that's almost as good as the one on your phone.

Again, you must remember we're still very early in Windows 10's development cycle. Windows Technical Preview is designed only to give testers an idea of the broad pieces in Windows 10. Kudos to Myerson for putting Preview out for comment — something I can't recall Microsoft seriously attempting since Windows 95.

If you play with the preview, keep in mind that the user interface can change before the final release. Also, the Metro side has not been touched as yet. Myerson stated that the consumer side of Metro will appear in early 2015 and that developers will get a dose of "Universal-app" religion at the April 2015 Build conference. The final Windows 10 release will ship sometime later in 2015.

Note: The usual beta software warnings apply to Windows Technical Preview. It's actually a pre-beta-quality operating system — you'd be crazy to put it on a production system. Put nothing on a Preview test system you want to keep. With that said, find a spare system or make room for another virtual machine, then hop over to the Windows Insider Program site and give the next Windows a whirl!

Feedback welcome: Have a question or comment about this story? Post your thoughts, praise, or constructive criticisms in the WS Columns forum.

 

I tested installation 3 times. No crash after installation, but in the second time I entered a wrong password for the Microsoft Account, then it stuck there forever until I "Force Quit" the process from the OS X Activity Monitor. There is no "Go Back" button, meaning that if you are through a "Clean Installation" you may need to reboot and restart the installation and I'm not sure if the HDD file system integrity will be affected.

 

Plastic surgery? The chipset is also crucially deterministic if a certain OS can be run on, productively.

 

Windows 10 is nowhere near ready.

Windows Technical Preview

Microsoft advises users to wait for Windows 10 Consumer Preview

 

Here's another review & surprise - its favorable.

Windows 10 review - A good Start

 

Why is it a surprise that the review is favourable?

I can only assume you feel it's surprising because bad image is hard to shake off?

 

In today's world Windows seems much less relevant, tired, old and a bit confused . . . much like me.

 

Two days ago I tested Windows 10 Technical Preview on Mac OS X Yosemite Beta 4. Yesterday I repeated it on Mac OS X 10.9.5.

After I installed Windows 10 Technical Preview (TP) to Virtual Box (latest version as of today), I strongly believe that Microsoft should develop it's own hypervisors for OS X in order to ensure performance, compatibility and functionality of Windows 10 can be fully revealed.

Installation of Windows 10 TP on Virtual Box (4.3.16) is not as smooth and satisfactory as on Fusion 7 installation. The VB virtual management management is poor and thus if you are using older Mac (like me) with a physical hard drive (5,400 rpm), you may need a higher EQ. The Windows 10 TP display resolution options are limited on Virtual Box. For example, there is a lack of 1280 x 800. Moving Windows 10 TP to other desktops will render Windows 10 TP blank-out. Many other hiccups, just not worth to mention more.

So, if Mac users want a first look of Windows 10, you may install the Windows 10 Technical Preview to Virtual Box, which is free. If you want to get an impression of the Windows 10 performance, go strict to Fusion 7 (one license for the whole family's Macs). If you want to best performance, consider Parallels Desktop 10. However, I believe when the Windows 10 General Release is out, you may need to upgrade the hypervisor you have in order to squeeze the last juice of the best from Windows 10.

 

Windows 8.1 was just out for a few years, now windows 10?
Amazing. I am now looking forward to it. Hope that this windows 10 will be better and improved compared to windows 8. (I still have not used to the new windows 8 start menu system)

 

Hi scgoh123, Why don't you Download and install one of the many available alternative Start Menu software for W8/8.1?
I use Start8 and have tried Classic Shell which are a couple of popular programs.
These have been discussed on Windows 8 Forum previously.
Interestingly, Classic Shell won't run in W10 Preview (not compatible).
I'm using my Preview HDD at the moment with this Post. Latest build 9879 plus an Update which arrived today. Neil.

 

Doc:

The reason all the cars are starting to look similar is that all the manufacturers are using the same structural design and aerodynamics software packages!

Frank Damp