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August 08, 2015
(Image: Microsoft)

Windows 10: 5 Reasons It Matters, 5 Key Concerns

The Windows 10 rollout has officially begun. Here are five reasons we're excited about the OS, and a few concerns for its future.

(Image: Microsoft)
After months of development and testing, several preview builds, and global anticipation, Windows 10 has finally arrived.
Microsoft today officially began rolling out its Windows 10 operating system. If you've reserved your upgrade, it won't be long until you can use the new OS.
We've been watching the development of Windows 10 since Microsoft shared the strategy and new features behind the operating system during a media event in January. We've read the developers' blog posts, downloaded the preview builds, and watched the OS take shape.
Microsoft has a lot to prove in Windows 10. Its predecessor, Windows 8, was a disaster among enterprises and consumers alike. In an effort to build an operating system users would appreciate, the company decided to let customers in on the development process.
[ About that cloud. Read: Windows 10: Microsoft Attempts SaaS.]
The Windows Insider program has enabled users to download preview builds of Windows 10, explore its updates and features, and share their opinions with Microsoft. OS developers took feedback into consideration and altered different aspects of Windows 10 according to customer demands.
Microsoft's final product is a system that blends old and new versions of Windows in an effort to accommodate a modern audience. More than 5 million Insiders have contributed to the system that launched today.
[ What about Windows 9? Read 10 "Real" Reasons Microsoft Skipped Windows 9. ]
Windows 10 is reminiscent of the past but makes room for the future. Its desktop brings back the Start menu, which users can customize with preferred apps then use to navigate new features like the Microsoft Edge browser.
The Insider crew is ensuring the compatibility of Windows 10 before Microsoft begins its broader rollout. While you wait for your upgrade notification, take a look at the reasons Windows 10 matters and some concerns we have about its future.

Why It Matters: It's Not Windows 8 Nobody -- not consumers, businesses, or developers -- liked Windows 8. The interface revamp, which proved frustrating to anyone hoping for familiar laptop or desktop functionality, was enough to encourage most people to stick with predecessor Windows 7. There's a touch of Windows 8 influence in the new OS, as Microsoft decided to combine features from both Windows 7 and 8 in the Windows 10 design. The desktop is reminiscent of Windows 7, but the Start menu (which is back at home in the lower left-hand corner) consists of Live Tiles you'll recognize from Windows 8. These provide access to a customizable collection of apps, including Mail, Calendar, News, Photos, Music, Weather, and the Windows Store. Instead of taking up the full screen, the tiles don't pop up until you access the Start menu via the Windows button. Windows 10 is generally better designed for desktop use. Windows 8 was optimized for touchscreens, a tremendous mistake that left PC users navigating tablet mode with a mouse and keyboard. The fresh design accommodates PCs and tablets with modes for each type of device; hybrid products, such as the Surface, can transition between the two by adding or disconnecting a keyboard. The bottom line: if you're running Windows 8 and hate it, do yourself a favor and go for the free upgrade. Chances are, you won't be worse off. (Image: Microsoft)

Why It Matters: It's Not Windows 8

Nobody -- not consumers, businesses, or developers -- liked Windows 8. The interface revamp, which proved frustrating to anyone hoping for familiar laptop or desktop functionality, was enough to encourage most people to stick with predecessor Windows 7.
There's a touch of Windows 8 influence in the new OS, as Microsoft decided to combine features from both Windows 7 and 8 in the Windows 10 design. The desktop is reminiscent of Windows 7, but the Start menu (which is back at home in the lower left-hand corner) consists of Live Tiles you'll recognize from Windows 8. These provide access to a customizable collection of apps, including Mail, Calendar, News, Photos, Music, Weather, and the Windows Store. Instead of taking up the full screen, the tiles don't pop up until you access the Start menu via the Windows button.
Windows 10 is generally better designed for desktop use. Windows 8 was optimized for touchscreens, a tremendous mistake that left PC users navigating tablet mode with a mouse and keyboard. The fresh design accommodates PCs and tablets with modes for each type of device; hybrid products, such as the Surface, can transition between the two by adding or disconnecting a keyboard.
The bottom line: if you're running Windows 8 and hate it, do yourself a favor and go for the free upgrade. Chances are, you won't be worse off.

Why It Matters: Security Boost Microsoft is making security a priority for Windows 10. New security features include Device Guard, which protects against zero-day attacks by blocking apps that are not verified by the enterprise, software vendors, or Windows Store. In an effort to eliminate the need for traditional passwords, Microsoft has developed biometric security measures, such as Windows Hello, which lets you scan your fingerprint, iris, or face to launch Windows 10 devices. Passport, another password-killer, will verify you are using your device before allowing passcode-free entry to websites, apps, and networks. Virtualization will also provide a security boost in Windows 10. The local security authority, which enables communication, will be protected in a virtualization-based security environment. If a Windows 10 system is breached, an attacker will not be able to control the system's authentication. (Image: Microsoft)

Why It Matters: Security Boost

Microsoft is making security a priority for Windows 10. New security features include Device Guard, which protects against zero-day attacks by blocking apps that are not verified by the enterprise, software vendors, or Windows Store.
In an effort to eliminate the need for traditional passwords, Microsoft has developed biometric security measures, such as Windows Hello, which lets you scan your fingerprint, iris, or face to launch Windows 10 devices. Passport, another password-killer, will verify you are using your device before allowing passcode-free entry to websites, apps, and networks.
Virtualization will also provide a security boost in Windows 10. The local security authority, which enables communication, will be protected in a virtualization-based security environment. If a Windows 10 system is breached, an attacker will not be able to control the system's authentication.

Why It Matters: Cortana Microsoft's virtual assistant has arrived on the desktop, specifically in the taskbar next to the Start menu. You can search Cortana with written or spoken commands. The tool also processes natural language inquiries to search for information online or for specific content within OneDrive. The search capabilities are speedy, and I use them often. However, Cortana's capabilities go far beyond search. The assistant's interface displays a personalized snapshot of your schedule and interests, which I've found to be pretty handy. You can catch up on local and world news, view recommendations for local restaurants, and track the weather for your area. Cortana will also scan your messages to provide travel alerts and other updates. On the security front, it's important to note that you do have control over how much Cortana knows and whether it works. You can manage the information Cortana holds in the cloud and turn Cortana off to clear what it knows on a specific device. (Image: Microsoft)

Why It Matters: Cortana

Microsoft's virtual assistant has arrived on the desktop, specifically in the taskbar next to the Start menu. You can search Cortana with written or spoken commands. The tool also processes natural language inquiries to search for information online or for specific content within OneDrive. The search capabilities are speedy, and I use them often.
However, Cortana's capabilities go far beyond search. The assistant's interface displays a personalized snapshot of your schedule and interests, which I've found to be pretty handy. You can catch up on local and world news, view recommendations for local restaurants, and track the weather for your area. Cortana will also scan your messages to provide travel alerts and other updates.
On the security front, it's important to note that you do have control over how much Cortana knows and whether it works. You can manage the information Cortana holds in the cloud and turn Cortana off to clear what it knows on a specific device.

Why It Matters: Microsoft Edge Another sign of Microsoft's modernization is the new Edge browser, which is intended to replace Internet Explorer for the majority of Windows users. IE will continue to be available for enterprise purposes, but it will no longer be the default browser. As it stands, Edge is lightweight and efficient. It works like most other browsers, but it's a big improvement over Internet Explorer. The new browser has a few key features that I've found to be pretty useful. If you're running Windows 10 on a device like the Surface, Edge's Web Note feature lets you mark up pages and share them, which is handy for marking documents and organizing plans. An improved Reading View gets rid of advertisements for certain websites, and Cortana integration facilitates quick Web searches. It's worth noting that even in the final version of Windows 10, Edge is far from perfect. The browser is fast but still lacks features such as extension support, which is promised to arrive as Windows 10 continues to develop. (Image: Microsoft)

Why It Matters: Microsoft Edge

Another sign of Microsoft's modernization is the new Edge browser, which is intended to replace Internet Explorer for the majority of Windows users. IE will continue to be available for enterprise purposes, but it will no longer be the default browser.
As it stands, Edge is lightweight and efficient. It works like most other browsers, but it's a big improvement over Internet Explorer.
The new browser has a few key features that I've found to be pretty useful. If you're running Windows 10 on a device like the Surface, Edge's Web Note feature lets you mark up pages and share them, which is handy for marking documents and organizing plans. An improved Reading View gets rid of advertisements for certain websites, and Cortana integration facilitates quick Web searches.
It's worth noting that even in the final version of Windows 10, Edge is far from perfect. The browser is fast but still lacks features such as extension support, which is promised to arrive as Windows 10 continues to develop.

Why It Matters: Potential For Growth With its Windows-as-a-Service approach, Microsoft will regularly administer minor updates in addition to major upgrades that will address the growth of the Internet of Things and new hardware such as HoloLens. The initial launch of Windows 10 is the beginning of a series of updates we'll see arrive on the OS over the coming years. We've already heard about a minor Windows 10 update launching this fall and a critical update coming next year. The latter, an initiative codenamed Project Redstone, may integrate support for devices that were not created at the time of the Windows 10 launch. (Image: Maxsattana/iStockPhoto)

Why It Matters: Potential For Growth

With its Windows-as-a-Service approach, Microsoft will regularly administer minor updates in addition to major upgrades that will address the growth of the Internet of Things and new hardware such as HoloLens. The initial launch of Windows 10 is the beginning of a series of updates we'll see arrive on the OS over the coming years.
We've already heard about a minor Windows 10 update launching this fall and a critical update coming next year. The latter, an initiative codenamed Project Redstone, may integrate support for devices that were not created at the time of the Windows 10 launch.
- August 08, 2015