Windows 10: Win 10 Tech Preview is interesting but not compelling

I see a lot of excitement over Win 10 with some actually using it as their main OS. I installed it in a VM the first day is was available and have played with it quite a bit. It's definitely interesting but I'm not chomping at the bit to upgrade to it.

The main thing that everyone seems to like is the Start Menu. I stopped using the Start Menu back in Win 2000 when I discovered Toolbars. The combination of Toolbars and the ability for me to pin my oft used programs to the Taskbar has made the Start Menu redundant for me which is why I didn't miss it in Win 8. I don't use anything like Classic Shell in Win 8 because I never saw the need.

Another thing that people seem to like is Windowed MUI apps. It's interesting that MUI apps can be resized and all but the fact is that I don't use MUI apps on my desktop where running them windowed might make sense. I only run MUI apps on my Win 8 tablet where the screen is small enough that running them Windowed doesn't make sense and I really only want to run them full screen.

Virtual desktops sounds interesting but I would need to rethink how I currently do things in order to make use of them.

Continuum and Cortana seem like they'd be worth a look at when they're delivered but I'm not that interested in either of those features.

To me, it looks like W10 is capable and usable to the point where I would use it if it came installed on a machine I bought or if I wanted to buy an OS to install on a machine I was building but (just like with W8) I don't see anything compelling in there that will make me want to upgrade my existing W7 or W8 machines to W10 when it's released.

:)

 

i think i messed up

I was a silly one and completely got rid of my win 8.1 and for the life of me cant find the key. I reserved my copy of win 10 then I decided I wanted it now so I got the tech preview. so my question is am I now forever bound to the tech preview and have
to buy win 8.1/10 again to get the final release and for it to no longer be a tech preview

 

i think i messed up

Even when you get the new release on July 29th you will be on the Tech Preview forever unless you Buy a Windows 10 License. Windows 10 Insiders are not going to get Windows 10 for free as such! If you want to keep using it you Must stay in the Windows
Insider Program.

 

It was a step back for me. The 2 Metro Apps that I use can't be resized small enough in Windows 10, to be snapped side by side on my 19 inch screen. It's easily doable in Windows 8.1 though.

 

I can't get 4 apps in an equal quadrant. Hopefully they'll get it worked out.

 

Me neither!

I see they kept the 'Slide To Shutdown' feature for desktops!

I actually like it, it's quick, handy and fun! *Biggrin

 

Don't the Apps still use WinRT snapping like in the W8 series?

 

No, I don't think so. In 8.1 just moving them to one side of the screen offers up the 1/3 or 1/2 snap. Now they don't. They now have a fixed minimum size that is bigger than half screen so they won't snap at all. I can now snap desktop programs in quadrants though. Not what I wanted though.

 

I didn't notice that one. That's just like WP8. However one of the first things I tried was holding the WinKey > Period key > Down arrow > Release WinKey to no avail.

 

I don't use MUI apps on my desktop so don't care how many apps I can get on the screen at one time. When I'm on my tablet I use MUI apps and prefer them to be full screen there.

 

Well then I'm really happy for you, strollin. *Thumbs

 

And I'm happy for you as well! *Biggrin

 

Maybe that will appear with other touch features in the next "milestone" preview.

 

Hi folks

This OS was primarily designed to address the concerns of ("Non Touch") classical keyboard and Mouse desktop users who usually don't bother with those Metro thingy's anyway so as a first pass I think if you are a desktop user then it works very well.

Touch users will be given I'm sure another preview before W10 makes final release -- there could even be several iterations.

Remember this preview was done to address the concerns of a large number of W7 (and XP) users who Ms does want to get to upgrade. Going from W7 to W10 (desktop model) or even XP to W10 is not much of a leap - most users could do it without batting an eyelid.

W8 (initially) was a whole new ballgame. W8.1 was streets better but still required a learning curve. I think W10 is a great compromise -- you can do stuff the OLD way but you can (when they get Touch and the metro thingy's working properly) also learn new (and possibly better) ways of working too.

A win win situation.

Cheers
jimbo

 

As a mouse and keyboard user I can't really "feel" any major differences between 8.1 and 10. By and large the user experience is the same.