Windows is currently working on it’s next-generation operating system, Windows 10. What happened to Windows 9 you ask? Well I don’t know. They just decided to go all the way to ten.
Windows 10 brings back a start menu that the desktop users are used to, blending the metro tile look of Windows 8, and the start menu of Windows 7. Windows 10 also brings multiple desktops to Windows, something Mac and Linux users have had for quite a while. Metro Apps, which are apps downloaded from the Windows Store, can now be ran in Windowed mode, rather than full-screen all the time.
Windows is working on a voice-recognition system dubbed ‘Cortana.’ Videos show users being able to use their voice to do common tasks, like searching the web, checking the weather, setting reminders, and calling people on Skype.
Though a release date has not been set yet, Microsoft has an event for January 21, 2015, where more details about its next operating system are expected to be announced. Windows 10 is currently available as a free preview until mid-April. You can download your copy from the Microsoft website. I would recommend that you would not install it on the main computer you use, as it is still in development, could fail, and you could lose all your data.
There are ways, of course, to install the Windows 10 preview alongside your current operating system, so that you don’t have to replace your current system with Windows 10 if you just want to try it out. I shrunk the partition on my hard drive and made a second partition onto which I installed Windows 10. One could also create a virtual drive in Disk Manager and then mount it during the install process, allowing them to install a copy to a virtual drive in your computer. However you choose to do it, back up your data first. You wouldn’t want to lose that.
Hopefully, Windows 10 will encourage users to upgrade from Windows 8, 7, or even XP. Adoption of Windows 8 has been hesitant, as many users do not like the new start screen. Users of Windows 7 should consider upgrading, as mainstream support just ended last week (January 13, 2015), though extended support for Windows 7 will still be available for another 5 years. Users of XP should definitely considering upgrading as no updates have been issued for the operating system since last April!
That’s all for now…