Windows 10 Announced

[Arizona Hot]

[attach=#]

Microsoft Announces Windows 10  TechCrunch

Windows 10 Everything You Need To Know About The New Windows - Forbes

Windows 10 is a balancing act  News  TechRadar

Windows 8 was so bad it's skipping Windows 9.

[mouser]

You can download a preview of Windows 10 here:
http://news.yahoo.com/download-preview-windows-10-105110101.html

That will be useful for developers who want to make sure their apps work on it
(for what it's worth, all of my apps seem to run on Windows 10 without issue).

[mouser]

More links:
http://www.ghacks.net/2014/10/01/the-important-changes-of-the-windows-10-preview/

[wetsmellydog]

How are you people installing it? The 64-bit USA ISO just has errors in VirtualBox when I try to install it.

I had problems too so ended up using VMware.

So far it seems to be the same as Win8 without the hassle of bypassing the Metro screen.

[Deozaan]

How are you people installing it? The 64-bit USA ISO just has errors in VirtualBox when I try to install it.

I had problems too so ended up using VMware.

So far it seems to be the same as Win8 without the hassle of bypassing the Metro screen.

You caught me! I removed my post because after I asked, I tried again and got it to work.

I'm not sure what the solution was, to be honest.

I tried it with the 32-bit ISO and it warned me about needing to enable PAE, so I enabled it and got to the setup screen. Then I mounted the 64-bit ISO and rebooted my VM and it worked. So maybe I needed to enable PAE to get it to work?

[Stoic Joker]

I tried it with the 32-bit ISO and it warned me about needing to enable PAE, so I enabled it and got to the setup screen. Then I mounted the 64-bit ISO and rebooted my VM and it worked. So maybe I needed to enable PAE to get it to work?

Hm... You could be on to something there...I only gave the VM 1 GB of RAM to work with when I installed so it didn't see the total amount of RAM on the machine.

[TaoPhoenix]

You know, something I have been hoping for, for a while, might in fact be coming through. Take a look at this line from the new Microsoft CEO's bio:

"Nadella subsequently traveled to the U.S. to study for an MS degree in Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee,[21] receiving his degree in 1990."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satya_Nadella

So we now have a comp sci guy at the top, instead of the marketing guy.

So, now that it's been a couple of days and everyone is having time to get past blurbs, I think this version from Yahoo might sum things up:
"Windows 10 Undoes the Disaster of Windows 8 (Mostly)".
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/windows-10-undoes-the-disaster-of-windows-8-mostly-98835840904.html

I am a utilitarian user of Windows - I have no "love" for the company; it just has not been worth my while to switch, and of course I've bided my time waiting for "the state of things to shake out".

"Windows 8, as the world now knows, was a superimposed mishmash of two operating systems. There was the touchscreen-friendly TileWorld interface, as I called it. (Microsoft, at various times, called it Modern or Metro; it has officially retired both of those terms and replaced them with nothing.)
...
They are quite separate, these two environments. Each has its own Help system, its own Web browser, its own email program, its own control panel, its own conventions and gestures. Worse, each runs its own kind of programs. Regular Windows programs open at the desktop, as always — but TileWorld apps open in TileWorld, with no menus overlapping windows. Like iPad apps.".

And then this funny line:
"And at the Windows 10 announcement, you would not have believed the words coming out of Microsoft’s mouth.

“In Windows 8, when users launched a Modern [TileWorld] app, it sort of had a different environment,” OS Group VP Joe Belfiore said in his demo. “We don’t want that duality.”

Now, when I wrote exactly that in The New York Times, Microsoft PR descended on me like the beasts of hell."

So besides some desperate cleanup on the UI, I'm betting that with a comp sci guy in charge, they could have removed a ton of bloat that could have hindered Win 8 from running on a certain class of aging machine. (Such as mine!)

Heh that even-odd pattern continues! Will Windows _______ from a few years from now quietly continue the good work? Or will they have found yet *another* way to shoot themselves in the leg (having run out of feet!)

It's online comedy gold, except they're serious!

[x16wda]

So, out of curiosity, what does ver report the o/s version to be?

[Stoic Joker]

Version 6.4 (Build 9841)

[MilesAhead]

Heh.  The Admin on W9 Forums had to scramble to change everything to Windows 10.

http://www.tenforums.com/forum.php

These guys typically get the forum going months before a preview release is ready for each new major Windows release.  A good place for latest news,safe/legal download info etc..

And once people are running it, tutorials, system tweaks and of course you may post your issues there for people to try to resolve with you gratis.

[dr_andus]

"Windows 8, as the world now knows, was a superimposed mishmash of two operating systems.

Interesting to note that Google (perhaps a competitor MS should keep an eye on) goes out of its way to stress that it has no intention of forcing the merging of its desktop and mobile operating systems:

Don't Expect Android and Chrome to Merge Soon, Says Google Exec

Other than adding in (or adding back in) features that are already available via 3rd party tools even in Win7, I haven't heard of any compelling argument yet as to why anyone (business or consumer) should be looking to upgrade to Win10 (from Win7, or even XP).

If anything, it sounds like grudgingly back-pedalling on some features in the face of user resistance, while continuing to press on with the merging of platforms, despite the fact that it has not worked (RT?) and none of the big competitors are doing it either.

[Arizona Hot]

The acid test will be when somebody who has used only Win XP or 7 installs it or gets a machine with it new and tries it out.

[dr_andus]

The acid test will be when somebody who has used only Win XP or 7 installs it or gets a machine with it new and tries it out.

Yes, but that's what I'm saying: what are they offering (in terms of new killer features) that will entice masses of businesses and consumers to try it out? I'm not seeing anything so far.

(I understand programmers, sysadmin and the like will try it out because of their professional needs and curiosity - but I'm talking about MS's target customers, the vast majority of whom are still with Win7 and XP.)

[Arizona Hot]

The possible problem is not whether they will find it better, it is whether they will find it compatible with the programs they use and easily usable. These people want to continue what they have been doing with as little transition trouble as possible. They will have to transfer to it sooner or later, the question is when and with what problems.

[TaoPhoenix]

The acid test will be when somebody who has used only Win XP or 7 installs it or gets a machine with it new and tries it out.

Well, I don't plan to mess with pre-release versions, but I'll exactly be trying a dual boot (with lots of help!) on the final version of Win 10 next year. Some article I was reading says it was supposed to be (my words) "not that hard". (More like "Q. is it possible to dual boot this?" "Answer: Yes, do __ __ ____ ____ ____ ___ ___ ___ __" aka some bunch of steps.)

[TaoPhoenix]

The acid test will be when somebody who has used only Win XP or 7 installs it or gets a machine with it new and tries it out.

Yes, but that's what I'm saying: what are they offering (in terms of new killer features) that will entice masses of businesses and consumers to try it out? I'm not seeing anything so far.

(I understand programmers, sysadmin and the like will try it out because of their professional needs and curiosity - but I'm talking about MS's target customers, the vast majority of whom are still with Win7 and XP.)

The possible problem is not whether they will find it better, it is whether they will find it compatible with the programs they use and easily usable. These people want to continue what they have been doing with as little transition trouble as possible. They will have to transfer to it sooner or later, the question is when and with what problems.

I think we're close to the crux here, and I'm Your Average User.

I'm not looking for screaming new features, though a few cute ones can't help. (Copy and paste around command lines can't hurt! I still have a couple dos-type programs running around!)

I am just a wee bit nervous that XP is fading slowly into a risk zone, and I basically believe that now without "TileLand" or whatever obscuring the decision, plus that extra couple years of development, I want and I think I trust the "backbone" of it, especially because this is the new edition with a comp sci guy as CEO.

So yeah, I'll switch my stuff over, and as long as it doesn't also include evil tricks like "this music is not authorized so you can't play it", and if all my most important apps work, off I go to forget about upgrading for another bunch of years.

[Deozaan]

Heh.  The Admin on W9 Forums had to scramble to change everything to Windows 10.

They couldn't just do a search and replace on it! What if they accidentally turned every reference to Windows 95 or 98 to Windows 105 or Windows 108? The results could be disastrous!

[rgdot]

elevenforums.com taken? 

[MilesAhead]

Heh.  The Admin on W9 Forums had to scramble to change everything to Windows 10.

They couldn't just do a search and replace on it! What if they accidentally turned every reference to Windows 95 or 98 to Windows 105 or Windows 108? The results could be disastrous!

Heh heh.  That and a bunch of W9x references. 

[MilesAhead]

elevenforums.com taken? 

With MS getting cagey it might be like boxing a bet.  They'll register domains eleven through twenty and still not get a hit.  Maybe they'll call it Picture Windows because everything will be stacked fullscreen programs so they can also run on phones.    Maybe like DesqView.  Hit a hotkey to switch programs(Alt Tab anyone?) 

[Arizona Hot]

After 24 hours of using Windows 10, as a tablet user, it is an incremental improvement on Windows 8.1.  The biggest improvement is that my Pro 3's WiFi now works without issues. Right now Windows 10 is not a HUGE revolutionary jump that would merit skipping a whole major version number.  That said Microsoft had at least two good reasons for that, one of marketing and one which is technical.  For non touch users or those who follow the myth that every other Windows release will suck (without even giving them a try) Windows 10 will be the tolerable touchable Windows. The real reasons to skip the name Windows 9 are legacy code and marketing.

24 hours with Windows 10 on a Surface Pro 3

[MilesAhead]

@AH I'm glad to hear the WiFi is improved.  I'm curious to see what happens with Glass on the desktops.  Unfortunately I think it was too difficult to program to garner much support even from the development community.

The other thing I'm watching out for is the "blurry font" issue that seems to be related to W8 and later.  It's hard to pin down the cause or even if it's a Laptop only issue.

[Arizona Hot]

[attach=#]

Mouse lovers may rejoice, Windows 10 is a step back for touch tablets  Digital Trends

The Windows 10 Tech Preview is snooping in on you, just so you know

Free at last After Windows 10, consumers won't pay for updates or upgrades  Computerworld

[MilesAhead]

Here's a bug list thread on Windows 10 Forums.

One on the list.. if you expand the Taskbar such as making it double height, after logoff or reboot it goes back to the default single height.  

Edit:  I'm running it in VMPlayer.  Drag and drop files from the host OS to W10 guest is a bit flaky.  Also downloads caan be incredibly slow.  Whereas W7 32 and 64 bit Guest OS the downloads and drag and drop copy seem normal.

I tried to set up W10 English x64 but it kept hanging 50% into Configuring Devices.  The 32 bit went on fine.  But installing VMware Tools I had to resort to D:\setup.exe from the Run line after I was logged in.

From what Big Muscle says, the Glass is likely to be limited as it was on W8.  Unless the customization aficionados can provoke some improvement from MS.

Edit2:  The other wrinkle I didn't like, even when logged into the built in administrator account, the dropdown to change Windows Update setting is grayed out.  For now I just disabled the service.

[TaoPhoenix]

Free at last After Windows 10, consumers won't pay for updates or upgrades  Computerworld

That's a strange article. I don't really care what my browsers do for versions, but OS side, I want it to just be safe and stay put out of the way. Now it sounds like they are mashing service packs and versions together, and I agree, I don't want to shell out $50 a year for my OS!

They were talking about "long term 10 year tracks", and that's more my style - roll up ten years worth of features, but get current security update patches.