Windows 10 - Overall Review and Modding

[GrantSP]

What MS is catering for isn't just an easy way to maintain their OS across platforms, but an easy way to maintain their "support" for users that are either oblivious to or unconcerned about, the differences.

 

Sadly the average user of any computing device today has next to no knowledge of what is an UI or widget or a processor or a graphics card or ... You get the idea. For such a large conglomerate that caters to many differing formats I can fully understand the need to bring everything onto the same page, it just makes sense. (to me)

[z929669]

Guys, the desktop in Windows 10 is the default interface for PCs.

The desktop interface in Win 7 is probably still the most prominently used desktop OS. Win 10 cannot be the default, since it has not yet been released to the general market. Win 8.1 is MS's 'default', but I doubt it is more prevalent in the market, particularly in business.

 

What MS wants, MS doesn't necessarily determine and definitely not for me.

Not that I'm a computer expert. Lucky I even how to turn this thing on. But its so entertaining watching people complain about start buttons and the app desktop on windows 8. My computer isn't much different than it was when it was windows 7. Why wouldn't there be a desktop screen. Maybe from a programmers perspective a few inconveniences probably occur but for GQ public it will pretty much be the same thing. People complain about the dumbest things in life sometimes.

Easy for you to say if you are indeed new to computer use. Try using a desktop platform and workflow for twenty years and have all of your methods squished by an interface-layout overhaul that masks all of the most important administrative doorways into your OS. It is all still there, but accessing it is more cumbersome for those of us that have developed very efficient workflows within a traditional desktop env (Linux, mac, and Windows all have had a similar desktop interface for the past 20+ years).

 

Change is good, but only when it is better. Metro is a marketing/branding change and is largely useless to many/most PC users, albeit convenient for MS.

 

What MS is catering for isn't just an easy way to maintain their OS across platforms, but an easy way to maintain their "support" for users that are either oblivious to or unconcerned about, the differences.

 

Sadly the average user of any computing device today has next to no knowledge of what is an UI or widget or a processor or a graphics card or ... You get the idea. For such a large conglomerate that caters to many differing formats I can fully understand the need to bring everything onto the same page, it just makes sense. (to me)

Actually, it is a pure branding move as well as an attempt to make their mobile OS/apps more relevant. It has the secondary, serendipitous effect of creating consistency across platforms. I would say that a huge chunk (?most?) of traditional windows users hate the new move. Even Googling Metro "love' brings up this Reddit.

[Octopuss]

That reddit's style makes me dizzy.

I survived about 10 minutes of looking at Windows 8 (even when switched to the supposedly classic desktop - the Metro is everywhere anyway, in some shape or form).

 

I am actually more and more scared of Windows 10 as the release date closes in. I know I want to use it, but I'm afraid I won't be able to.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Octopuss

[TechAngel85]

The desktop interface in Win 7 is probably still the most prominently used desktop OS. Win 10 cannot be the default, since it has not yet been released to the general market. Win 8.1 is MS's 'default', but I doubt it is more prevalent in the market, particularly in business.

You misunderstood me. They've been talking about the "Metro" interface (Start Screen) and how it was the default thing in Windows 8. For Windows 10, the desktop is now the default for all PCs. I'm assuming when you install Windows 10 on a table or phone, the default will be the "Metro" style Start Screen. Windows 10, in my short time of using it, was not bad at all.

[Kessno]

If you haven't already I recommend that you try out Build 10158 that was released yesterday, available through Windows Update (Fast distro). Microsoft has *finally* included an option to disable internet searches and show local results only when searching for files through the start menu. Once it built an index of my files, the results came up pretty much instantly. The system also feels a little bit snappier and more responsive in general. Microsoft Edge has also had a few new features added into it.

 

Hopefully everything will start shaping up as we're about 4 weeks out from the official release of Windows 10.

[Octopuss]

How customizable is Start menu in the latest builds? Is it possible to eliminate the colourful metro rectangles and make it at least look (if not work) like in Windows 7?

[CJ2311]

Even if it's not possible, there'll certainly be an app to fix it, like classic start and start+ did to windows 8.

EDIT: Anyway from what I've seen it's totally possible to remove the metro widgets.

Edited July 1, 2015 by CJ2311

[TechAngel85]

You can (if I remember) customize those little widgets in the Start Menu to be your most used apps for quick access.

[z929669]

@Tech

Thanks for clarifying that the 'desktop' will be the default in Win10. That is at lease something positive. I would also like to not only disable, but uninstall mobile apps from the OS in favor of the standard, non-portable, more feature-rich versions.

[Greg]

Yeah, you can add and remove apps from the Start panel. I think you can change the size from large to small (and vice versa) as well.

[hishutup]

MS FINALLY fixed an annoying bug.
If you have a application like YouTube in fullscreen mode and switch workstations, the fullscreen'd application will follow. 
Its a small bug but it was very annoying.
 
As for removing metro apps, you can remove any tile from the start menu but for some reason MS thinks that everyone needs the default calculator

or camera, Im a on a bloody desktop that doesnt even have a webcam.

and every now and then, this happens


At one point I had all the tiles set to small but it seems that they changed.

 

I also dislike the Metro look. It seems lazy and less elegant compared to areo. When the color is black, it doesnt look half bad but its still terrible.

I think the reason is because tablets couldnt render the "glass" effect. If I remember correctly, some PCs struggled when it first came out

[Greg]

My biggest concern at the moment remains with Windows Update in that I can't find a way to actually choose which updates I want to install. I made a few tweaks (one in group policy and one in the registry) that lets me view details of each update but it doesn't allow me to reject updates. I know Microsoft has in the past attempted to push crap like Bing Desktop down the Windows Update pipeline and I've been able to reject and hide these with Windows 7.

 

I'm currently downloading the Windows 10 Professional 10130 update so we'll see if anything changes.

[hishutup]

build 10158 is when they fixed the fullscreen thing.

windows explorer tended to crash a lot losing settings, I am unsure of built 10158 though.

 

Yeah, the updates thing bugs me. That may be a final release thing because they want everyone to have the same updates within a build #.

 

Since this is supposed to be the last OS they may give every feature a separate version # upon release.

 

I haven't seen bing in my face but Im sure I can find it. I dont like it either but then again I search local or Im on a browser. The search is still laggy  when it runs the search.

[Greg]

For what it's worth, the issue with the Start menu doesn't really surprise me that much. Explorer has a long history of forgetting folder settings going back to at least Vista. I think the same bug was in XP, but it's been too many years since I've used XP to make that claim with any authenticity.

[Octopuss]

My biggest concern at the moment remains with Windows Update in that I can't find a way to actually choose which updates I want to install. I made a few tweaks (one in group policy and one in the registry) that lets me view details of each update but it doesn't allow me to reject updates. I know Microsoft has in the past attempted to push crap like Bing Desktop down the Windows Update pipeline and I've been able to reject and hide these with Windows 7.

 

I'm currently downloading the Windows 10 Professional 10130 update so we'll see if anything changes.

I don't understand why so many people are freaking out about this. You DO want to install ALL updates no matter what. Unless you are a masochist of course. Sometimes all those vulnerabilities are not even fixed quickly enough and you'd even want to be able not to install them? :P

 

edit: Oh you mean all the crapware that usually appears under optional updates in Windows 7? Then I agree. I hope it only applies to fixes and not new "features". I'm sure I would instantly reinstall Windows 7 if I realized I had shitty useless half functional drivers from WU forced on me.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Octopuss