Here's what the new OS feels like after more than 30 days

Sep 1, 2015 13:26 GMT  ·  By
This is the new Windows 10 Start menu with live tiles borrowed from the Start screen
4 photos
   This is the new Windows 10 Start menu with live tiles borrowed from the Start screen

Windows 10 is the new kid on the block, and in the past 30 days, we've witnessed one of the most aggressive marketing campaigns ever put together by the Redmond-based software giant Microsoft, as the company has encouraged not only users but also its own employees to upgrade their communities to the new operating system.

Microsoft took the wraps off Windows 10 on July 29, and since then, we've been flooded with ads, news, and information about the operating system, everything with the purpose of making people aware that the product is finally available and that everyone can download it free of charge as long as they are running a genuine copy of Windows 7 and 8.1.

Obviously, we installed Windows 10 RTM on day 1, but we've also been one of the six million insiders (according to Microsoft's own numbers) who have used the operating system since the first testing build reached the web in October 2014, so the final version rolled out on July 29 brought little to no surprises for us.

But yet, what has happened in the last 30 days has provided us with an in-depth look at how Microsoft sees the future of Windows as a Service because, as the company has said on so many occasions, the new operating system is no longer a piece of software, but a service per se.

Under this new strategy, Windows 10 receives updates at a much faster pace than before, no new app versions and system improvements are released every few days. And despite this, the latest 30 days have shown that it's not all just milk and honey as far as Windows 10 is concerned, so read on to find out what we think about the new operating system.

Internet Explorer's replacement" alt="Microsoft Edge browser, Internet Explorer's replacement" />
Microsoft Edge browser, Internet Explorer's replacement

THE GOOD (ಠ‿ಠ)

First and foremost, the good part. Windows 10 is, in essence, a significantly improved version of Windows 7 and 8.1, so it brings the best of both, including a Start menu that can turn into a Start screen, as well as a new browser, an action center, multiple desktops, and Cortana.

We're not going to describe all the new features that are available in Windows 10 because you probably know all of them already, but there's one important thing that's related to this.

All those features are living proof that Microsoft is listening to users, which is actually what the company has been looking after from the very beginning. Cortana was previously available on the mobile platform only, and there were millions of users who asked Microsoft to bring it on the PC too, so with Windows 10, Redmond finally answers all these requests.

The same is the case with Microsoft Edge browser and multiple desktops, as users have been looking for a powerful replacement for Internet Explorer for years, while multiple desktops are available in rival operating systems since forever.

Windows 10 is proof that Microsoft is listening.

Probably the best thing about Windows 10 is that it feels fresh and is that major step that we've all been waiting for towards a seamless experience across all devices.

It comes with universal apps that look and feel the same on all Windows 10 devices, be they PCs or smartphones, and offers the same feature portfolio, which should help users feel at home no matter if they are at the office or on the go.

Windows 10 also features an overhauled look that makes it more pleasant to the eye, with the dark theme and the revised icons also contributing to this.

Obviously, it is more secure and faster than its predecessors, but this shouldn't be such a big surprise after all since every new release is expected to be better than all previous versions.

THE BAD (ಠ_ಠ)

This part is tricky to say the least. Windows 10 was supposed to be a fantastic release from the very beginning, but just as Microsoft said in July, Windows 10 is never done. And, boy, that was so true.

Windows 10 certainly feels like an unfinished product, and the problems experienced by users in the last few weeks are living proof.

First, there were the errors that many experienced when trying to install Windows 10. It's no secret that installation of the OS failed with various errors, including 80040020, which made it pretty much impossible to complete the upgrade.

What's worse is that, despite all these errors, Microsoft has remained tight-lipped most of the time, so users who experienced issues with Windows 10 had no other solution than to turn to workarounds that other more experienced and tech-savvy people provided them with.

The Windows 10 action center in all its glory
The Windows 10 action center in all its glory

In many cases, Microsoft did come up with a fix, but only a while after the first reports reached the web, and the latest updates that were shipped indeed came to address a number of problems.

Then, there were the activation issues. Microsoft said that users who completed the upgrade to Windows 10 and activated could then perform a clean install without any problem. Well, there was a problem because, after the clean install, the OS failed to re-activate, so thousands of users found themselves working on an OS version that was scheduled to expire in a few weeks.

Microsoft fixed that eventually, saying that it was just a problem with its activation servers and promised to make the OS available to everyone via the built-in upgrade as fast as possible. Obviously, it took more than expected for that to happen, and we're hearing from our users that some are still waiting to get the upgrade to Windows 10.

Read more: Windows 10 errors

In case all these errors were fixed and the OS was installed at last, there were errors with Cortana and the Start menu, as some found that both failed to work because of some kind of issue that prevented them from launching. A patch was again released, but obviously, it didn't work for all.

Besides all of these, there are problems with a number of apps that aren't yet compatible, as well as with features that are integrated into the OS and do not work correctly. Apps such as the Store and Photos failed to launch, and it took Microsoft almost a week to fix them.

And let's not forget the privacy scandal that Microsoft was dragged into because of the data tracking features bundled into Windows 10. Many accused Microsoft of collecting data without users' consent, but the company replied quickly by saying that everyone was in full control of their data and they could disable all tracking services if they wanted to. And yet, there were claims that Windows 10 was phoning home even when asked not to.

Overall, Windows 10 certainly feels unfinished, and Microsoft promised to take care of this in the coming updates, but that's clearly not a good thing for users who want something that works perfectly fine right now.

Edge lacks a lot of features, Cortana collects way too many details, the Start menu fails to work and comes with live tiles (a feature that many still hate), there are tons of errors when you try to do simple things, and a number of apps don't work because of compatibility issues.

Read more: Windows 10 bug

THE TRUTH ◔_◔

Windows 10 is certainly a sign of evolution, but it's pretty clear it is far from becoming a revolution. It works really well for some, but it's shockingly bad for others, and this lack of consistency is definitely hurting its image.

Many have already decided to stick to Windows 7, and this isn't a good thing at all, neither for users nor Microsoft itself. Windows 7 support is ending in January 2020, so unless a new OS comes out by then, sooner or later they will still have to upgrade (under the new Windows as a Service strategy, Microsoft says that the core OS would remain unchanged, and only major updates would be released).

What's more, Microsoft wants to bring Windows 10 on 1 billion devices by 2017, so all these problems have to be fixed in record time.

The truth is that, right now, your experience with Windows 10 depends on how lucky you are. If everything works fine for you, stick to Windows 10 and never look back, but in case your screen gets full of errors the second after you boot, downgrading is your best option.

Evolution, not revolution.

Right now, the Windows 10 upgrade should only be considered on PCs by experienced users because, in case something goes wrong and you don't have the know-how to diagnose and fix the problems, you're in trouble. Microsoft claims that, once the upgrade is available on your PC and you're notified about this, you can safely move to Windows 10, but don't be too surprised if the process isn't really going as smoothly as promised.

Read more: Windows 10 stats after 30 days

So in the end, the future updates that Microsoft plans to release are a breath of fresh air for Windows 10, and the company still has a lot of work to do on this operating system before really making it a worthy replacement for Windows 7.

Remember those people who claimed that Windows 10 was rushed? They might be right after all.

These are the revamped Windows 10 Store and Settings
These are the revamped Windows 10 Store and Settings

Windows 10 screenshots (4 Images)

This is the new Windows 10 Start menu with live tiles borrowed from the Start screen
Microsoft Edge browser, Internet Explorer's replacementThe Windows 10 action center in all its glory
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