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A look back at Windows through the ages
It's hard to believe that Windows is 30 years old this year. Originally a graphic shell that sat on MS-DOS, Windows has blossomed over the years to be the visually rich experience it is today. That's not to say it hasn't encountered a few pitfalls along the way -- Windows ME, anyone? -- but despite weathering rivals from the likes of Apple, Microsoft's pride and joy is still the most widely used personal computer operating system on the planet. In the gallery here, we take a look back at Windows through the ages. Be sure to keep an eye out for a few cameos from Jennifer Aniston, Jerry Seinfeld and, of course, Steve Ballmer. [Image credit: Associated Press]
Mini review video: our verdict on Windows 10 in 45 seconds
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-790918{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-790918, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-790918{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-418354").style.display="none";}catch(e){}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-790918").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Didn't read all the way through our nearly 3,700-word review of Windows 10? You really should: Devindra makes some good points. That said, if you're short on time, or just have a hopelessly short attention span, we've distilled our writeup into a mini review video. As you can tell by the score alone (91 out of 100), we really, really dig the new software, and found very little fault with it. In particular, we love how the new, Live Tile-ized Start menu seems to combine the best of Windows 7 and 8, all the while correcting some big UX mistakes that Microsoft made over the past few years. In addition, new features like Cortana search and the Edge browser are in and of themselves worth the upgrade (and what an easy upgrade process it is too). Find the highlights in the short video above, and head over to our full review at the link below if you decide you want a little more detail after all.
Mozilla is unhappy with Microsoft over Windows 10 changes
If you're one of the millions of people who've already upgraded to Windows 10, you've probably noticed that the OS changed your default apps. Your main browser, for instance, suddenly became Microsoft Edge after the upgrade -- something Mozilla finds "disturbing," especially since the platform actually made it trickier to switch back to Chrome, Firefox or any other browser. In an open letter to Microsoft head honcho Satya Nadella, Mozilla's CEO Chris Beard revealed that the non-profit got in touch with the Windows 10 team when it got wind of the change, but that "didn't result in any meaningful progress."
Windows 10 is up to 14 million installs already
Microsoft's Yusuf Mehdi is checking in with a Windows 10 status update, revealing that the OS is already on some 14 million devices. He noted that not everyone who reserved an upgrade has gotten it yet, but says the rollout will continue in phases over the next few weeks. While whether or not you can upgrade to Windows 10 may still be in question, we have information to help decide if you should with our FAQ and review. Of course, if you're one of the millions already in the door, you can just let us know how the new experience is working so far.
A closer look at the Edge browser in Windows 10
In 18 days, Internet Explorer will turn 20 years old. But rather than celebrating with a new version, as it did for birthday number 15, Microsoft will be shoving IE away into an obscure folder with other legacy applications -- you know, like Paint. Though the browser will live on, mostly for the sake of enterprise users, it will only receive security patches going forward (read: no new features or design changes). Just as important, it will no longer be the default browser in Windows. That honor now goes to Edge, a cleaner, leaner browser that makes its debut on Win 10. Microsoft hopes that with the name change, fresh design, smarter features and improved performance, Edge will be enough to convince people to set aside whatever negative impressions they may have had of Internet Explorer.
Office Mobile apps are now available for Windows 10 tablets
Have you already installed Windows 10 on your trusty slate? Well, Microsoft released its mobile productivity apps for the new shiny new version of the OS, too. Touch-friendly versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint are available for download from the Windows Store. The new version of OneNote is available as well, but it's pre-installed on Windows 10. On top of those gesture-friendly interfaces, the apps play nice with OneDrive for easy cloud-based storage and save changes automatically so you don't have to worry about losing any work. Of course, if you want the productivity suite on all of your desktop and mobile devices (especially when Office 2016 arrives in September), you'll need to splurge for an Office 365 subscription.
Here's how you stream Xbox One games on Windows 10
Microsoft has made much ado about Windows 10's support for streaming Xbox One games to your PC, but how do you actually do it? There's a good chance that you can figure it out if you're reading this, but Microsoft has helpfully posted a full walkthrough in case you or your friends need some help. The gist? You'll need both an Xbox One controller and an Xbox Live account, of course, but you'll also need to make sure that the Xbox One is set to allow game streaming in the first place. We could see that easily becoming a stumbling block if you're rushing to get started. The guide is also a friendly reminder of what you can do once everything is working, such as voice chat (with a microphone) and controlling the Xbox One's menus. It's simple enough... let's just hope that PC-to-Xbox streaming isn't any more complex.
Twitter's Windows 10 app shows you top tweets right from the start
You're going to see a lot of apps rushing to take advantage of Windows 10 post-launch, but one of them will be particularly important if you're a social networking maven. Twitter has released a new app for Windows 10 right alongside Microsoft's shiny new platform, and the client is big on discovering content even if you aren't signed in -- you'll see the top tweets and media in the app itself, as well as on the Live Tile. This certainly isn't the most sophisticated app (it won't replace TweetDeck any time soon), but it does offer a lot of the in-line media playback you'd expect in 2015, such as multiple photos, Vine videos and GIF animations. Really, it's for that moment you decide that Twitter's website isn't quite enough for your needs.
Windows 10 review: the best of Windows 7 and 8
The best thing about Windows 10 is that it's simply Windows, through and through. It's as if Microsoft realized that devaluing the desktop in Windows 8 was akin to sacrilege, and Windows 10 is its penance. At its core, it's a union of the best qualities of Windows 7 and Windows 8 -- the desktop features of the former with some of the touch-friendly aspects of the latter. It's no wonder Microsoft is calling it an operating system that's both fresh and familiar. It's easy to use with a keyboard and mouse, but it's even better with touchscreen computers. The Start menu is back! And new features like Microsoft's Cortana virtual assistant and Edge browser breathe new life into Windows. Microsoft is framing the OS as "Windows as a Service," meaning it's never quite done and constantly evolving. Most importantly, Windows 10 proves that Microsoft's dream of delivering a single OS that can work across computers, tablets and phones might actually come true.
With Windows 10, Microsoft corrects the problems it created
First released almost three years ago (and updated to 8.1 a year later), Windows 8 was a bet that didn't pay off. Bold -- or brash -- design decisions and a fundamental shift in UX led to a very slow uptake of the OS, and we're now just days away from the release of its replacement. Windows 10 comes at a difficult time for Microsoft, but although it too makes grand design revisions to the current formula, this time, it's fixing problems, not causing them.
What you need to know about upgrading to Windows 10
Everyone has a Windows upgrade horror story. For me, it was an XP installation that inexplicably crashed halfway through the upgrade process, somehow corrupting my hard drive at the same time. And with Windows 10 launching on July 29th, it's hard to avoid the traumatic flashbacks to past Windows releases. But fret not. Windows 10, it turns out, offers the smoothest Windows upgrade process ever. It's remarkable for just how unremarkable the entire endeavor actually is. Still, there are a few things you should know before taking the plunge.
