Win 10 Tech Preview is interesting but not compelling

alphanumeric said:

No, I don't think so. In 8.1 just moving them to one side of the screen offers up the 1/3 or 1/2 snap. Now they don't. They now have a fixed minimum size that is bigger than half screen so they won't snap at all. I can now snap desktop programs in quadrants though. Not what I wanted though.

Maybe that will appear with other touch features in the next "milestone" preview.

I am still no convinced MS are going to bring much back when they release the consumer preview with more touch features added (though I would like to be proven wrong)
They have made a big thing of telling people that they are removing the features of 8 that the majority hated

What about the minority of people who like these features, used with a mouse

It just looks to me like if you are a mouse/keyboard user then you can only have the desktop side of things, you want anything else then stick with 8 (same as they did for 7 users when 8 came out)

Mooly said:

As a mouse and keyboard user I can't really "feel" any major differences between 8.1 and 10. By and large the user experience is the same.

Hi there

For "Non computer Geeks" working every day in an office with Windows 7 (or even Windows XP) the whole navigation stuff on Windows 8 was nightmare -- with the charms stuff and all sorts of "effects" if they pointed their mouse at the screen.

It's easy enough - especially with W8.1 to learn to handle it - but in the main we are talking about non technical people who just want to switch on a machine and start working. They don't want all sorts of things popping up whenever they move the mouse to the edge of the screen and they usually want a start menu.

So for THEM W10 has fixed it properly.

Users on these boards are much more technical (or at least we have to assume so) and therefore it's not too much of a big deal to switch from W8.1 (especially) or even W8 to W10.

For a large proportion of "Joe Public" however W8 was a change to far. This puts it back again into decent AND FAMILIAR useability.
@paulsalter - THIS preview was rushed out for DESKTOP users to show them that W10 could still be used in the same way the've always used Windows.

Ms has clearly stated they want W10 to be useable both for Mobile/ Touch AND desktops so I'm 100% certain that there will be either updates or new builds coming out which will add the W8 features back that some people want.

Ms had to bring W10 out QUICKLY otherwise W7 will become as someone put it "The new XP" where nobody would bother to update for YEARS if ever. Ms also wants to be in a position where it doesn't have to maintain a whole slew of different OS'es for ages and ages.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

@paulsalter - THIS preview was rushed out for DESKTOP users to show them that W10 could still be used in the same way the've always used Windows.

Ms has clearly stated they want W10 to be useable both for Mobile/ Touch AND desktops so I'm 100% certain that there will be either updates or new builds coming out which will add the W8 features back that some people want.

I agree on your thinking

But why do we need to have a distinction between mobile/touch and desktop, cant people decide what is best (or default to the best and let it be changed if people want)

For me I like the look of the 'Touch' options, Charms Bar, App switcher at top left, full screen apps

I don't want my computer to work differently if I use the mouse to if I use the touch screen, I want a unified experience, the same results whichever option I chose

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

For "Non computer Geeks" working every day in an office with Windows 7 (or even Windows XP) the whole navigation stuff on Windows 8 was nightmare -- with the charms stuff and all sorts of "effects" if they pointed their mouse at the screen.

It's easy enough - especially with W8.1 to learn to handle it - but in the main we are talking about non technical people who just want to switch on a machine and start working. They don't want all sorts of things popping up whenever they move the mouse to the edge of the screen and they usually want a start menu.

So for THEM W10 has fixed it properly.

Users on these boards are much more technical (or at least we have to assume so) and therefore it's not too much of a big deal to switch from W8.1 (especially) or even W8 to W10.

For a large proportion of "Joe Public" however W8 was a change to far. This puts it back again into decent AND FAMILIAR useability.
@paulsalter - THIS preview was rushed out for DESKTOP users to show them that W10 could still be used in the same way the've always used Windows.

Ms has clearly stated they want W10 to be useable both for Mobile/ Touch AND desktops so I'm 100% certain that there will be either updates or new builds coming out which will add the W8 features back that some people want.

Ms had to bring W10 out QUICKLY otherwise W7 will become as someone put it "The new XP" where nobody would bother to update for YEARS if ever. Ms also wants to be in a position where it doesn't have to maintain a whole slew of different OS'es for ages and ages.

Cheers
jimbo

Well, I don't think Windows 10 has really fixed anything. Desktop wise I feel the menu is horrible, no separation of Legacy and Metro apps, you are unable to change text size, unable to arrange them, etc.. I am not at all happy how the tiles behave, nor am I fond of the overall aesthetics of it.

Yes, it is Windows with a menu, just not a very nice one. I like almost everything else about it, but would be much happier with a Win 7 menu and able to switch to Metro as in Windows 8.

And I am really confused as to why the taskbar is transparent but the menu itself is not, I don't understand the reasoning in that? Maybe future versions will address all these things.

An after thought:
I think it would be great if they had a Windows 7 Menu, with a toggle that opened and closed the tile menu. That would be sweet.

I don't really like the see-through Taskbar either (I prefer solid colour for that GUI element).

lehnerus2000 said:

I don't really like the see-through Taskbar either (I prefer solid colour for that GUI element).

I would really like to be able to turn the transparency OFF.