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The new Microsoft operating system reverses the sins of Windows 8 and improves on Windows 7, yet misses chances for the PC to reclaim relevance
Imagine you buy a new car, the same brand you’ve driven for years. But in this new model, the steering wheel is in the back seat. “That’s the future!” says the salesman, rattling off a list of reasons it’s better to steer from the rear. Driving home with your new car, you’d probably end up in a ditch.
The last time Microsoft updated Windows, that’s what happened. In a desperate plea for relevance in a smartphone and tablet world, Windows 8 presented radical ideas about operating computers with fingers and pens instead of mice and keyboards. But it turns out melding touch-based and traditional operating systems was the wrong idea.
Most people avoided upgrading like the plague. With Windows 10, which arrives as a free update Wednesday, Microsoft puts us back in a familiar driver’s seat. Turn it on and, hallelujah, there’s your desktop, unencumbered by gobbledygook. All the important stuff is back where you can find it, including the Start menu.
It’s worth the upgrade from Windows 8 for these repairs alone. You should also get Windows 10 if, like me, you still use Windows 7 on your primary computer. You’ll love its new search. It can do some things other operating systems can’t, like identify your face instead of making you type passwords. It will talk back when you call out, “Hey, Cortana,” to summon Microsoft’s fledgling virtual assistant.
And chances are, it will even work on your household’s most senior PC. For the first year, upgrading your computer to Windows 10 is free. If you don’t do it in the first year, Microsoft may charge you $120 or more for the upgrade.
Windows is actually useful again—assuming you still rely on a PC. These days we’re spending more of our time on smartphones and Web browsers, and it’s Microsoft’s burden to keep evolving Windows to stay relevant to that reality.
Alas, Windows 10 also misses opportunities to tip things in its favor. Its idea of Internet savvy is shoehorning in lots of new ways to get you to use Bing, Microsoft’s unpopular search engine.
But at least this time, Microsoft doesn’t let its existential crisis get in the way of important improvements. After testing Windows 10 for three months, this familiar yet fresh overhaul far outweighs any problems.
It’s a Throwback
If you knew how to use Windows XP back in 2001, you’ll have no problem finding your way around Windows 10.The Start menu is back, giving easy access to your most-used applications and controls. All your apps launch in a familiar desktop view, with resizable, move-anywhere windows. Even the trusty old recycle bin is there, waiting to be emptied.
The interface is colorful but flatter now, which makes things easier for aging eyes. You can still touch the screen if you have a compatible device, but Microsoft ditched the dual interface of Windows 8.
If you still want to use Windows 10 as a tablet, there’s a separate mode that expands the Start menu into a full screen of finger-friendly tiles. On a dual-purpose device like the Surface, the system is smart enough to switch back to desktop mode when you attach a keyboard.
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