Kazi Fahim Forhad

Windows 10 is the latest addition to the Windows Family of the tech giant Microsoft. After a somewhat disappointing OS 8.1 Microsoft seems to have come back strongly with this latest version of windows operating system- a version that is make-or-break for it. With the release date just a month away, today we take a look at some of its finer features.

•    Feels Familiar:  One of the major flaws in the 8.1 experience was that it felt oddly unfamiliar to end users. The lack of a Start Menu meant users had to learn and adjust to an interface which was nothing like its predecessor 7. Windows 10 brings back the classic Start Menu and retains the live tiles from 8.1 that are pleasant on the eyes and fun to play with. So it’s a pretty good combination. Also the explorer, control panel and search settings are more or less the same, providing with an user-friendly and modern feel.

 •    Microsoft Edge: Internet Explorer was dead long before. We knew something was coming. Windows 10 sees Microsoft Edge take over the old timer.
 With complete HTML5 compatibility and a richer web experience Microsoft Edge (ME) is a juicy part of the Windows 10 experience. It has a reading mode for customized distraction free reading. You can also save stuff to read later and Hub makes it possible to share your reading list across devices. So if you leave off an article to read later you can easily find it on your Windows Phone and read at your convenience. ME also gives you the power to leave your mark on the web itself. You can draw and scribble things on webpages and share it with your friends.
 
•    Say hi to Cortana: Windows 10 welcomes Cortana to the PC. Cortana is your personal digital assistant. She can make your life easier by taking care of tasks on your behalf. Just say, “Hey Cortana!” and she’ll pop right up. You can ask her to make a call, send a text, set up an appointment, give you a reminder, play music, get directions to a place, search the web and lots more. She also has good comebacks for such questions as, “What is the meaning of life?” and she’s fun to hang. around!

•    Virtual Desktops: With this late but much needed addition, workspace management will get a solid boost. The ability to control and manage several desktops at once has been long missed on the Windows platform. With Windows 10 you can finally swipe between desktops and get more done.  

•    Gaming: Windows 10 seeks to enrich gaming experience by taking hardware accelerations to new levels. That means you will get a better user experience with the same set of hardware configurations. Also DirectX opens doors to a wide range of exciting possibilities with richer display and smoother gameplays. Microsoft also introduces the ability to access your Xbox Live account, stream games from your Xbox to your PC and have multiplayer games work with both PC and Xbox players.

•    Notification bar: The sleek new notifications menu comes in really handy, not only giving you all the update and info’s at a glance but also providing you with a handful of settings to help you achieve maximum productivity.

•    It’s free: Windows 10 will be available on July 29 as a free upgrade for users running Windows PC 8, 8.1 and also 7. Microsoft announced that this upgrade will be available free for 1 year after its release. That means you don’t have to decide right now if you should upgrade or not. But it’s definitely worth a shot!