I’ll offer more detailed thoughts on Windows 10 later but here’s a bullet list of the good, bad and ugly I’ve found so far. I updated my Surface Pro 3 the day of release (July 29) and my main PC a few days later and so far don’t regret updating either.
The Good:
- refined look to windows–drop shadows are back, thick borders of Win8 are gone, widgets are thinner, classier-looking
- ALT-TAB presents all open windows in a grid, making it easier to see and switch between them
- the thin line underneath running programs on the taskbar is easier to see than the old glowing effect
- ditto for the effect showing multiple windows open for the same program
- Start menu is back and offers a balance between Win 7 functionality and the advantages of Win 8’s live tiles (with the option to turn them off)
- File Explorer now has an optional Quick Access feature that makes it simple to find files you use most often
- you don’t need to dip into Control Panel to change most settings anymore
- a bigger, better calculator
- a bigger, better date/time setting
- built-in calendar, mail and store apps are better than before
- redesigned Action Center has better notifications and handy quick task options
- Modern (Metro) apps now run in windows and can be moved around and closed like regular programs
- Cortana works decently though I rarely have need to use it (her?)
The Bad:
- rearranging tiles in the Start menu is still needlessly fiddly (though not as bad as Windows 8)
- requires rebooting to fix most issues (in my experience so far)
- really wants you to sign in with a Microsoft account (I have one so no biggie but others may object)
- the calendar and mail apps may be better but still aren’t good enough to replace better alternatives
- ditto for Edge, a decent (and speedy) browser but way too barebones to replace something like Firefox or Chrome
- the store is still filled with tons of junk
- some parts of the UI feel unfinished (Settings is still not a full replacement for Control Panel)
- Solitaire is not included and now features a yearly subscription (!)
- you can’t change the color of title bars in windows without some hackery. Hope you like white!
The Ugly:
- the Groove music app a) has a dumb name b) is also barebones c) will happily mangle your music library when you import it
- probably more stuff but my ire hasn’t been sufficiently raised to be able to think of anything else off the top of my head
