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  • hughlle - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    define "enable a touch experience"..

    I'm using 10 predominantly with touch quite happily, it's not that much different to 8.1. Anything but unusable.
  • Brett Howse - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    Continuum is not enabled or available, and switching to the touch first Windows 8.1 style start screen is not as simple as it will be in future versions.

    Also, the WinRT apps seem to be fairly buggy in the Technical Preview.
  • hughlle - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    Just after your definition of "touch experience". As i said, i use touch on the surface pro 3 and it works just great. It may have bugs as to be expected, but it still works just great. Not sure what much continuum can add. I hit a text field, keyboard pops up, this that and the other. I'm actually finding it a far better touch experience than 8.1 on the whole.

    In short, sure there might be improvements to be made, but your choice of words seems poor. There is already a touch experience, and a good one at that. You can't enable something that already works.
  • Brett Howse - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    You could also alter your definition. The entire touch UI is not enabled in the current build. Yes, touch still works, but there isn't even a touch browser right now (without hacks).

    Touch works but the Touch UI is hidden and difficult to get in to. This will change with Continuum. I'm glad you've had a good experience with touch so far, and hopefully with the new build it will get even better.
  • hughlle - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    I couldn't care less about the touch UI. The longer it stays hidden the better imo. Touch works just great as it is. I can use touch quite happily as is, so as such, i have a touch experience.. something you have claimed is not enabled.
  • Naphistim - Friday, December 12, 2014 - link

    To quote (and agree with) Brett Howse: "Continuum is not enabled or available".

    So NO, the experience that Microsoft is planning for the average end-user is not enabled. I do understand what you mean by saying you have a working touch *environment*, but the article is by no means misleading or improperly worded: Continuum is Microsoft's new touch-to-tactile transition experience, and it's not in the Technical Preview. Factual.

    Workable environment != UX.
  • Laststop311 - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    continuum is a game changer. Allows all the touch enhancements without hindering normal desktop users. This is how things should be done.
  • powerarmour - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    Just as long as a touch experience stays the hell away from my KB&M interface I'll be happy
  • tuxRoller - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    I hope alljoyn gets some traction. Qualcomm signed the coffee over to the Linux foundation some time ago, so Microsoft making use of it suggests that we might, finally, see a good, ubiquitous, functional standard for networked services and devices.
  • Hairs_ - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    1. Focus stealing. If Windows still allows applications to steal focus while you're typing then I'm not jumping.
    2. Explorer learning what a hard link is. No, Microsoft, users understand perfectly well that WinSxS isn't "really" using all that disk space. Your creepy file explorer still doesn't, and that means we can't use it.
    3. Aero theme and texture. This Modern style is fine for smartphones, it's ugly on a decent sized screen. It looks like Windows 3, and that's definitely not modern, hip or groovy.
  • Lolimaster - Thursday, December 11, 2014 - link

    Enough with this boring, plain UI. Even 2007 integrated gpu's could handle aero effects like it was nothing. This unicolor makes your windows Windows Boring -_-.
  • xrror - Friday, December 12, 2014 - link

    Ugh yes. I hate that the reason that Aero got the axe was because crappy tablets at the time couldn't handle it. And oh noes forbid that desktop users might get a "premium" UI that tablets couldn't at the time.

    Win 8 transparency is like... you could do that in winXP with a 300kb utility and enough free time.
  • kyuu - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    Except that Aero getting the axe had nothing to do with tablets being able to handle it or not. It was a deliberate design decision. The fact that you don't like it doesn't mean it's bad or that there had to have been some technical reason for it.

    I never cared for Aero and, before Win8, I'd always regress to the "flatter, more boring" WinXP-like scheme. Transparencies and faux-3D elements are unnecessary clutter for the most part, except for the limited areas where they can enhance usability. They could certainly tweak a few things in the Win8 desktop UI, but all-in-all its a definite improvement over Aero, IMO.
  • kyuu - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    Sorry, should have said Win2K-like scheme. WinXP implies the ugly bubble-style UI they implemented with XP.
  • bigboxes - Monday, December 15, 2014 - link

    Then you and I are in two different universes. WinXP was a definite improvement over Win2k in looks. I get it. You grew up in an WinNT environment and never wanted to see it change. Personally, Aero was the best and if you could just turn it off (or on whatever is the default) then all would be happy. I build a power machine that can handle all the eye candy then I want a UI that give me that experience. If I want to experience of my phone that I'd whip out my Note 3.
  • inighthawki - Monday, December 15, 2014 - link

    "Except that Aero getting the axe had nothing to do with tablets being able to handle it or not."

    Actually it was. Low end tablets had performance issues and ti was removed. Only then did the UI team capitalize on the removal to change the theme. There is a reason why there was an entirely other theme in the release candidates.
  • edzieba - Friday, December 12, 2014 - link

    The one update I'd like to see for Windows 10, above all, is a keyboard shortcut to fully minimise a window from fullscreen, so it can then be restored to fullscreen. Currently you have WIN+down-arrow, which will take a fullscreen window and turn it into a window of random size (i.e whatever you accidentally resized it to last time you accidentally make it non-fullscreen) before a second WIN+down-arrow will minimise it, and restoring that window either with alt-tab, WIN+number or WIN+up-arrow will restore it as said randomly sized window rather than fullscreen.
    Minimising with a macro sequence of ALT+space, 'N' works if you tweak the delays between alt-keydown and space, and between alt keyup and 'N' so that applications accept it as a shortcut rather than an input (Chrome is the major offender here), but that's an awkward hack for something that should be built in.
    Win 8 was a big improvement from Win 7 when it came to adding keyboard shortcuts for common tasks (the WIN+X menu is fantastic), so it was sad to see this missed yet again.
  • robkott - Thursday, December 18, 2014 - link

    WIN+M will minimize your current (maximized) window. ALT+TAB or WIN+Num will restore the window to its maximized state.

    This was done in Windows 7. I am assuming it still works in Win 8 and Win 10.
  • R3MF - Friday, December 12, 2014 - link

    I want a product I can buy, not a service which you expect me to subscribe too!
  • deeps6x - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    It seems obvious that MS wants to drive you to Apple.

    First they F'd up Win7 by forcing Touch and Metro onto everything. Then with Intel, forced Glossy touch screens onto almost all new laptops (instead of the much better, matte, non-touch screens).

    And now adding subscription services for the OS?

    If you F up Win10 like this MS, and don't correct these other screw ups, I'm gone.

    Hello Apple.
  • Morawka - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    bye bye money then
  • star-affinity - Monday, December 15, 2014 - link

    Or ”hello time”. Less fiddling with the operating system. It's worth some money I think.
  • kyuu - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    What a bunch of nonsense. Metro/Touch was forced on very little on the desktop in Win8, and those few elements hardly impact usability. Win8's desktop was perfectly usable with mouse+kb. In fact, unless you're one of those that really missed the start menu, in most ways it was a definite improvement over Win7. I really just don't get these hysterics people throw over Metro, especially when it can largely be ignored on the desktop if you prefer.
  • Michael Bay - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    It`s just a dumb apple shill.
  • MrSpadge - Monday, December 15, 2014 - link

    I whole-heartedly agree!
  • tolgerias - Monday, December 29, 2014 - link

    I too am getting tired of hearing these "MS forced touch UI on me" idiotic comments. It is one of those things that you hear over and over even though it is FUD and total BS. As if you couldn't use Windows without a touch screen.

    I use Windows 8.1 on my non-touch desktop machine and it boots directly to the desktop. The only time I see "metro" is when I hit the Windows key to search for something. It doesn't bother me or hinder me one bit. On the other hand, I appreciate the many improvements that went into 8.x over 7.x. The super-fast boot times, improved task management, etc.
  • Olaf van der Spek - Friday, December 12, 2014 - link

    Is the Control Panel **menu** back in Start Menu yet? https://xwis.net/temp/control-panel.jpg
  • Flunk - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link

    Actually, yes. It doesn't seem to have as many items though and you have to turn it on in the taskbar properties menu.
  • Michael Bay - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    Personally I`d like to hear something new about Windows Phone. Desktop 10 is going well, no surprises here, but they are suspiciously silent on mobile front.
  • kyuu - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    Last I heard, Win10 for phones/ARM was on-track for release in the second half of 2015, which puts it right on schedule to coincide with the release of x86 Win10.
  • Michael Bay - Saturday, December 13, 2014 - link

    I think it was AT where I`ve read a good argument about WP having to increase the amount of yearly releases in comparison to Android or iOS.
  • Th-z - Monday, December 15, 2014 - link

    Bring back Aero Microsoft, let users have the option to turn it on if they want to. If you indeed listen to customers this time, then it's one of the most wanted features since Windows 8. If you want to attract as many Win 7 users as possible, then desktop beautification is a thing for many people. The solid colors look really dull to me.
  • Flunk - Friday, December 19, 2014 - link

    I suggest they just allow theming the OS without hacks. It's not like the code isn't already there anyway. Then all the people who are incapable of coping with change can have whatever they like. Win 3.1 style if they like and talented artists can make up their own interesting themes.
  • QuantumPion - Monday, December 15, 2014 - link

    I was using Windows 10 perfectly fine until they pushed an update which broke USB device compatibility. My joystick and Oculus Rift ceased to function. Other than that I liked Windows 10, it was fast and most everything worked well.
  • JonnyDough - Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - link

    Aside from the "touch" experience which is not necessary for a desktop - what is the driving motivation? With Ubuntu being so polished now, I'm surprised that more businesses aren't jumping the M$ ship. Google docs has been growing in popularity and works with Ubuntu should hopefully convince people to start looking towards cheaper solutions. When you're talking about hundreds or even thousands of PCs for a non-profit for example, this makes a lot of sense. If Linux can gain in market share then perhaps Microsoft will lower the cost of Windows 10. Even Valve/Steam is trying to push for more games on Linux, to make PC gaming cheaper. These are exciting times my friends. PC gaming is not dead, but in the next ten years Windows could be. The Windows phone has not gained huge reception either. Microsoft does a lot of things really will, but like all the big Companies (Apple, Google, Samsung, etc) they want to monopolize and capitalize. I'm all for open standards, because they help consumers (like me) pay less and get more. The profit margins for these companies is just ridiculous.
  • shane007 - Monday, December 29, 2014 - link

    My main concern is proper scaling.
    Can anyone who has tried win 10 tell me if they have improved OS scaling for 4k monitors?
    Win 8.1 isn't bad but it's far from perfect, Apple's OS seems to do a far better job in terms of scaling.
    I know most of it is 3rd party software not programmed correctly to scale but windows scaling plays up as well, With 4k about to take off mainstream next year I think it would be a top priority instead of worrying about silly side bars and metro interface.
    If they can get 4k scaling done correctly that in itself is one main reason for me to upgrade!
  • milkod2001 - Tuesday, December 30, 2014 - link

    @shane007

    'With 4k about to take off mainstream next year' - not very likely.

    Most users are not even on 1080p yet statistically unfortunately. Yeap 4k screen are getting more and more affordable but it'll take at least 3 years to be mainstream.
  • MamiyaOtaru - Tuesday, December 30, 2014 - link

    mainstream doesn't necessarily mean "most people will have it". In this case I think it means "more than a vanishingly small, easily ignorable minority will have it". Enough that any new OS needs to deal with it
  • shane007 - Tuesday, December 30, 2014 - link

    Well I am no one special and I already a cheap 4k TN panel.
    Don't go off statistics those same statistics show a massive uptake of 4k televisions in 2015 even though there is hardly any content, 4k is a certainty and will need to be supported so they should do it right from the beginning.
    No point arguing over 4k it will happen, My question was if it was implemented correctly in Win 10 if it is I would certainly upgrade if not I'll just stick to win 8.1

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