Slashdot Mirror
Windows 10 Launches
An anonymous reader writes: Today Microsoft officially released Windows 10 in 190 countries as a free upgrade for anyone with Windows 7 or later. Major features include Continuum (which brings back the start menu and lets you switch between a keyboard/mouse UI and a touch UI without forcing you into one or the other), the Cortana digital assistant, the Edge browser, virtual desktops, DirectX 12 support, universal apps, an Xbox app, and security improvements. Reviews of the operating system generally consider it an improvement over Windows 8.1, despite launch-day bugs. Peter Bright writes, "Windows 8 felt unfinished, but it was an unfinished thought. ... Windows 10 feels unfinished, but in a different way. The concept of the operating system is a great deal better than its predecessor. It's better in fact than all of its predecessors. ... For all my gripes, it's the right idea, and it's implemented in more or less the right way. But I think it's also buggier than Windows 8.1, 8, 7, or Vista were on their respective launch days." Tom Warren draws similar conclusions: "During my testing on a variety of hardware, I've run into a lot of bugs and issues — even with the version that will be released to consumers on launch day. ... Everything about Windows 10 feels like a new approach for Microsoft, and I'm confident these early bugs and issues will be addressed fairly quickly."
Now the UEFI BIOS of the OEM machines can be locked using the M$ keys. What do you think of this new feature? OEM laptop=mobile phone?
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An anonymous Microsoft PR person writes
Disclaimer: Cynical greybeard here. most of what im arguing isnt everyones cuppa.
congrats on the release redmond. after having shed more than 7000 employees in the wake of multibillion dollar cellular phone and tablet losses, it seems like youve learned nothing.
The OS emerged with a zero-day bug so egregious it has its own front-page post on imgur and reddit (how exactly did that pass QC?)
You bastards were told time and time again the start screen was an abortion. we hated it, and we hated you for turning our servers into touchscreens. So you made sure to include a mini version in windows 10 as a big fat fuck you to the audience for not accepting something redmond banked big on and lost.
Terry Myerson is so balls deep into this release its like he was born yesterday, and completely forgot the last 6 iterations of your OS have been utter rubbish. the disconnect is palpable as he waxes prophetic on personal computing but your C-levels regularly insist windows is an environment that transcends the personal computer. Windows 10 has 'feedback from 5 million insiders' and you still couldnt manage to avoid a condescending experience with windows Hello, a biometric powered emoticon assault on the login screen. Great. now windows has the ability to announce to passerby my schedule and full name. It flouts voice pen and gesture interactivity to fully imbue a sense of puerile toddler-like engagement with an OS that, despite microsoft bob being a total fucking trainwreck, somehow made it into the OS again as Cortana, the window-licking autistic knockoff of siri.
8 years late you finally realize Explorer was a turd without polish. Edge is Internet Explorer sans the toxic branding, just like Bing is Yahoo search after 6 years of hostile takeover buffonery. Appstore moneytrain version 10 is officially out of the station and chugging along to an equally miserable failure in light of the fact that two apps stores already exist and dominate the market in which you currently have no killer apps or interesting content. Games will come from steam and professional tools will come from packaged vendors who dont feel inclined to do backflips into your walled garden.
Good people go to bed earlier.