Microsoft has released their latest version of the Windows operating system. And a look around the Web has revealed a consensus: Windows 10 rocks.
From tech sites to PC users hoping for some kind of life from the Windows line of software, reviews have been largely positive for the OS. This bodes well for Microsoft, who have had to endure a wave of negativity over their latest earnings report and news they were laying off around 7,800 employees. Their last attempt, Windows 8, earned major minus points for their interface redesign, and with CEO Satya Nadella stating his goal was to hit 1 billion Windows-powered devices by 2019, the pressure was on to make their newest Windows iteration a success.
So far, so good. Some reviewers were effusive in their praise for Windows 10 (and couldn’t be happier to finally stop using Windows 8):
Geoffrey A.Fowler, Wall Street Journal:
I’ve been testing Windows 10 for three months on these computers and even on my everyday work laptop. It’s the best PC experience I’ve had since Windows XP. Here’s why: it’s familiar. The Start menu is back, and all your apps launch in your standard desktop view. Basically, if you know how to use Windows XP, you’ll have no problems with Windows 10. But even though it’s familiar, it’s also fresh… With Windows 10, your PC is actually useful again.
Tom Warren, The Verge:
Windows 10 is hugely exciting. I rarely touch my MacBook Air anymore as I find the combination of some good hardware (like the Dell XPS 13) and Windows 10 is a joy to use. I like the direction Microsoft is taking with Windows 10, accepting feedback and ideas from its customers along the way. It feels like the best way to shape Windows into something people enjoy using, rather than something they have to use… The best part of Windows 10 is that it ends the cycle of good and bad in favor of something great.
Devindra Hardawar, Engadget:
The best thing about Windows 10 is that it’s simply Windows, through and through. It’s as if Microsoft realized that devaluing the desktop in Windows 8 was akin to sacrilege, and Windows 10 is its penance. At its core, it’s a union of the best qualities of Windows 7 and Windows 8 – the desktop features of the former with some of the touch-friendly aspects of the latter. It’s no wonder Microsoft is calling it an operating system that’s both fresh and familiar.
David Pierce, Wired:
Before we go any further, let’s get this out of the way: You should upgrade to Windows 10. If you’re using Windows 8, 7, XP, ME, or 3.1, you should upgrade. Maybe wait a couple of weeks for the biggest bugs to be squashed, but do it. Why wouldn’t you? It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s a huge improvement on whatever version you’re using.
Some of the more seasoned tech reviewers were more reserved in their comments, due to some bugs they’ve found in the system:
Walt Mossberg, Recode:
The near-final build I’ve been testing proved surprisingly buggy. In particular, I had trouble with Windows 10’s sexiest new feature, the voice-controlled Cortana intelligent assistant — Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri — which has migrated from Windows Phones to the PC. Still, some of the new features are promising, the balance between old and new styles seems right this time, and — if the bugs get erased — Windows 10 would be a good choice for Windows devotees.
David Pogue, Yahoo Tech:
You really are going to love Windows 10. You’ll almost certainly want to upgrade your computers to it, especially since it’s free. But you might not want to do that tomorrow. I’d suggest you wait six weeks. By then, Microsoft will have swatted most of the bugs, and many of your favorite software companies will have released Windows 10-compatible versions.
Brian Chen, New York Times:
Combine the early bugs with the spottiness of Cortana and the fact that third-party app developers are still updating their Windows apps for Windows 10, and the operating system still has a little ways to go before it becomes a solid all-around upgrade. But the improvements to security, along with the familiar user interface, should be reasons to grab this upgrade sooner than later.
One reviewer, however, felt Windows 10 reflects a company caught in a transition:
Lance Ulanoff, Mashable:
Windows 10 is a reflection of a company at a crossroads. Microsoft desperately needs to drag Windows into the future (as a service or OS) and make it an integral part of both PCs and mobile devices. Microsoft clearly went too far for most users with Windows 8 and addressed many of the complaints with Windows 8.1, but more work was needed.
Users also took to Twitter to express a myriad of opinions on Windows 10:
Windows 10 is like the Linux of Windows.
— SwiftOnSecurity (@SwiftOnSecurity) July 29, 2015
Something happened when trying to install Windows 10 pic.twitter.com/wc4rHKMc3N
— Adʍin @NicsFix (@UnbendableStraw) July 29, 2015
Think I might have downloaded the wrong version.#Windows10pic.twitter.com/ShaO6xRU8c
— Carl Maxim (@carlmaxim) July 29, 2015
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