WINDOWS SPECIAL GUIDE - PERFECT 10?

WINDOWS SPECIAL GUIDE - PERFECT 10?





Windows 10 launches today and it's a free upgrade for existing Windows 7 and 8 users. Here are some features that could make it worth the switch

METRO'S BACK WITH A BANG MICROSOFT'S

Metro design language was a breath of fresh air when it debuted on Windows Phone 7, but one of the most hated aspects of Windows 88.1 was the way it was shoved onto you. With Windows 10, they've gone back and reworked everything from the ground up, from the taskbar to Control Panel settings.Metro's at home here. It looks beautiful, and it doesn't give you a headache.

CORTANA IS SIRI ON YOUR DESKTOP MICROSOFT'S

Windows 10 digital assistant will be instantly familiar to Halo fans. Cortana plays the same role as Siri does on the iPhone, but because of Microsoft's commitment to a seamless Windows 10 experience across the board, we'll be getting Cortana on mobile and desktop.

MICROSOFT EDGE REPLACES INTERNET EXPLORER INTERNET

Explorer has always been at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to usability, speed and compatibility. Edge is IE's speedy, svelte-looking replacement. It's everything IE isn't, wrapped in a beautiful, minimalist design. Is it as good as Chrome or Firefox? Not right now, but with Microsoft focusing on iterative improvements, it's only a matter of time before Edge catches up with the big boys.

DESKTOP-MOBILE CONVERGENCE WINDOWS

Phone 7 and 8 were both widely panned for looking pretty but not being nearly as functional as Android, or even iOS.With Windows 10, Microsoft wants you to have a productive experience regardless of device. The Windows Store is now unified.While PC-specific software like games are likely to remain only on your computer, universal apps from the store will run on both PC and mobile.

DIRECTX 12 GIVES GAMES A BOOST

ALL those shiny new next-gen games take a lot of graphics power to run, and not everyone's got a rig equipped to run the latest games. Windows 10 supports DirectX 12, Microsoft's latest graphics API, which enables games to run up to 20 per cent faster. So you can postpone that upgrade for a while.

THE START MENU

THE Start Screen was Windows 8's gravest sin. Instead of the Start Menu that we knew and loved since the '90s, the Start Screen plopped bewildered users onto some kind of tablet UI that was simply not meant for desktop use.Thankfully, Microsoft learned its lession. The Start Menu is back in Windows 10 and, combined with the Search BarCortana, it's more useful than ever before.

Arjun Krishna Lal

 MM29JUL15