Robert Varga

Windows is changing, and that's good It’s time to talk a bit differently. There is something for two whole months on my mind, since I gave another new chance for Windows, and must come out. Of course, if the world is going to be helped by or not, is a totally different scope of this event. If someone finds this just a good Sunday read, I already won. Windows is changing, the 10 I'm talking about, rapidly. Windows as a service (where you constantly get feature and performance upgrades, new applications) starts to work. We already can see its amazing fruits: it is faster than ever, safer than ever, more polished overall, productive if you want, entertaining if you don't. More useful than ever while also snappier with operations, more responsive. A shocking surprise, must admit. It doesn't tend to break down, freeze, or at least in my experiences these days (used to be different with past Windows iterations). And became gorgeous in the meantime. Yes, for some of us, that's important too. I think for many of us it is. • • • • • • • Its new type of control center is ever expanding with options to control your operating system, your device, apps’ use of certain data and hardware features. Its application store, the Windows Store, is getting better: feels more ordered, inviting, with more emphasis on quality. From tools to games, it is a good starting point after a first boot. Start Menu is a tasteful and modern combination of list and tile views, easy to resize, overview and navigation are pleasant experiences as well. File Explorer is enhanced greatly. Gone is the Not Responding warning in the window labels, network drives can be used, Quick Access smartly shows you your most visited folder locations. Aesthetics aren’t bad, but I do hope in more design refreshment, maybe with Fall Creators Update on October 17. Who knows. Task View (overview of open windows and virtual desktops) is fast and gorgeous With 3D object creation (Paint 3D) and Mixed Reality, a take-it-all OneNote, and other ever evolving Windows apps, constantly enhanced design languages, it seems that Windows 10 is rather getting serviced to be able to serve the present and near future. To serve better, more interestingly, fascinate and involve a broader age group. Like 6 to 86?! Edge is a pretty browser, with useful features which you do not want to use. Why? Because the browser far too often misbehaves. Sites wouldn’t load, tabs are crashing, to name a few issues. These issues are going to be fixed in October 17, so is the promise of the Fall upgrade. Windows, and I still wonder that I’m saying this, feels again great to use, daily. Feels fresh, very modern, fast and light, with the lack of constant crashes from the farther past, no unresponsive windows, no tearing hair or the will to smash the box entirely to the nearest wall. Good updates are coming, with actual improvements, user feedbacks are taken in serious considerations. Communication about future Windows features, upgrade packages, is vastly improved (as is their blog by the way). Finally all seems to be on the right path. And if the latest updates and upcoming Fall Creators Update (RS3) are any indication of a path taken, we have every reason to be excited about a gently mentioned RS4 (RS, if I recall it correctly, stands for RedStone updates. Probably after Redmont).