Testing Windows 10

I'm testing Microsoft's latest Windows 10 version and getting really good impressions from it. It appears to be combining some of the best features of the highly successful Windows 7 version together with the total disaster of Windows 8 in a consistent and modern approach. Gone is the weird Start menu, (unless you want it) and the Charms side menu. It is much easier to find apps and files now.

I'm running Windows 10 Technical Preview via the Insider program on an old DELL Optiplex GX520 with Intel Pentium D dual core at 3GHz and just 2Gb of DDR2 memory. Even on this low-end specification it runs reasonably responsive. I've yet to try any really demanding applications or games.

There are many new features though Cortana the speaking personal assistant is not available in the UK yet. Quite a number of the new apps are just place-holders requiring further development but even these add an integrated vision of what is to come. It appears that Microsoft has learnt its lesson from Windows 8 and the really good news is that it will be free to upgrade to Windows 10 for a year when it is released later this year. With this generous offer in place and from what I have seen so far, I'm a firm supporter of Windows 10.