A closer look at the future of Windows 10
Post by: max
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 preview offers up a good look at what the company is planning for the future of laptops and PCs. Compared to the first preview of Windows 10 things are changing rapidly. It has more built-in apps, user interface changes, and a whole new touch mode designed for 2-in-1 laptops and tablets.
Windows 10 is still a work in progress, but Microsoft is soliciting feedback and changing parts of its operating system before it ships later this year.
A number of new apps will debut in the coming months, and Microsoft plans to more rapidly roll out new builds of Windows 10 to testers.
Until then, let's take a look at what's new in the second major Windows 10 preview.
1) A new start menu for a new Windows - Windows 10’s Start Menu mixes legacy desktop applications with the new modern Windows 8 apps by surfacing Live Tiles. You can turn them off if they’re or annoying, or keep them around if you want to quickly glance at the weather, news, or various other information. Microsoft has added a fullscreen option now which lets you expand the menu to make it look similar to the Start Screen found in Windows 8. The big difference is the presence of the taskbar at all times, which is a welcome improvement to enhance navigation between apps.
2) Windows 10 Design changes - There’s lots of changes in the latest Windows 10 preview, and it appears that even Microsoft isn’t sure on exactly how Windows 10 will look in its final form. Some built-in apps have a hamburger menu, while the new beta version of the Windows Store has a mysterious back button for navigation. there’s also a new login screen that you can enable from the registry, round profile pictures, and even an improved calendar and clock for the taskbar that’s also available from a registry tweak.
3) Abundant apps - Apps make the OS complete and the latest preview of Windows 10 doesn’t disappoint. While Microsoft is developing a new universal Outlook mail app for phone, tablets, and PCs running Windows 10, that app isn’t ready for preview just yet. Microsoft is also previewing its new Xbox app as part of this new Windows 10 build. We can expect a lot of apps for Windows 10.
4) On Tablets - Windows 10 runs on 8-inch tablets, and it’s very similar to how it works on a desktop PC, but there’s a key "touch mode" in this latest preview that activates some interesting changes. For 2-in-1 laptops and tablets with removable keyboards, Microsoft is calling this feature “Continuum. There’s a notification that triggers when you disconnect the keyboard on a Surface Pro 3 asking you to enter touch mode. You can dismiss it or click it to enable the mode, and all apps are immediately maximized (for traditional apps) or fullscreen (for modern apps).
5) Future - Future preview versions of Windows 10 should demonstrate an even clearer path towards the final version of Microsoft’s new operating system. An improved Xbox app is on the way, alongside preview versions of Office apps and Microsoft's upcoming Spartan browser. All these additions should give us a better look at how Windows 10 will work once it ships later this year.
