On September 30 Microsoft announced that their new operating system would be called Windows 10 and would be available mid-2015. The next day they released the Technical Preview (or what most people would refer to as a Beta even though this is more like an Alpha) of Windows 10. Since then they have released several more updates. I have been using it since then and thought it was time to give some of my impressions and some clear up some misconceptions.

I have it installed on an old Windows 7 desktop and Windows 7 laptop I refurbished. The laptop is an old Acer with 3GB of RAM and a dual-core AMD 2.0Ghz processor. For those not up on all the confusing names and acronyms, the laptop isn't exactly a speed demon - I think I'd be lucky to get a $100 for it on eBay. This is the computer I'm using Windows 10 on the most and the one I'm using right now to write this. Even though this is a comparatively slow computer and any beta or Technical Preview is supposed to be buggy, Windows 10 is running better than almost all the computers I see running Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8 on a faster computer. Since Windows Vista Microsoft has succeed in making sure that each new version of it's OS runs better on less, and Windows 10 has carried on this trend.

Since this is a very early version of what Windows 10 will eventually be there isn't a whole lot that the average person would notice at first. The one thing that will jump out at people is something people have been moaning about since Windows 8 came about - a start menu (see picture above). Yes, finally you can click on the Start button and be shown something like the traditional start menu that has been in Windows for over a decade. You will see in the picture that some of programs that pop up in the start menu look like the Windows 8 tile apps that would pop up and take over the entire screen. This is not the case anymore. Now when you open one of these Tile apps they open within the desktop, just like a traditional desktop program. Also missing are the Charms bar that would slide out from the right side of the screen.

This is not to say that all these Windows 8 features have been removed, they have just been hidden. If you were to have Windows 10 on a tablet or phone you'd still see the tile screen as your main screen since this is more touch friendly. After using Windows 8 for years I now find it odd not to have the charms bar come up on the side when I'm looking for things.

Besides running nice and smooth the only other noticeable differences are slight image redesigns of of common icons - folder icon, wifi signal, etc. What is still to come are big changes to the web browser. Internet Explorer, after being introduced 20 years ago, will be no more and will be replaced with Spartan. This is being touted as being much faster and safer than Internet Explorer. Another big addition for Xbox One users will be the ability to stream your games to your PC.

I hope, in vain I'm sure, that people will give Windows 10 a chance after all the negative press about Windows 8.