The New Windows 10 vs. Windows 8

Why Windows ’10’ already? Because 8 ate 9.

Windows users can rejoice! – Or at least relax. The new Windows 10 software has calmed the outlashing and bad reviews that flooded the internet after the release of Windows 8 (which was for good reason). Windows 8 did a terrible job and rushed into their new ‘simple’ ideological approach. If you want my opinion, it’s because they were trying to catch up to Macintosh’s user-friendly capabilities in one jump.

In with the old, in with the new

But there’s a reason why Microsoft users have stuck it out with PC regardless of the influx of Mac users- it’s because of Windows and their familiarity with the software. By jumping to the Windows 8 “simplicity” scheme and the faulty menu screen that came along with it, Microsoft defied their loyal users. They rid of the familiar menu options and customizable home screen and instead inserted a bunch of big buttons familiar to tablets. While tablets may seem like the way of the future, they certainly aren’t yet as computers can do much more and you have a lot more control of them. That computer essence is exactly what they got rid of and it turned on them.

With Microsoft Windows 10 following Windows 8 (wanting to distance themselves as much as possible by removing 9), a compromise was made and the consumers are receiving the favorable portion. Microsoft jumped back to Windows 7 for its general home screen, yet used the simplicity of the Windows 8 menu as a sidebar off of the main menu pop-up. This way, there was the original on the left, and the “buttons” on the right.

Now, although Windows users absolutely did hate 8, it had its strengths and its sights toward the future. The simple buttons create an easy way to click around and organize ones email’s, folders, entertainment, etc. and create a fun menu that’s fairly attractive using squares with cute little pictures in them. Simple enough. Users now have the best of both worlds, combining their familiarity that they’ve used for decades with some fun new items that stick with the generational move, and eliminates clutter.

Skipping 9 works

So far, the skip over 9 has seemed like a good move- ‘Windows 10’ also sounds like a fresh start as compared to Windows 9. Into the teens now for their software, Microsoft seems to be developing their own edge. Along with new software like Microsoft Edge, Microsoft ‘Hello’, and Microsoft ‘Passport’, comes new usability for Windows users. They now have a bit of their own style (but with no doubt, some borrowed ideas from the Macintosh masterminds), but their whole ‘computer community’ essence is starting to come through. They’re now making it easy to share one’s experience with a friend, and making the computer more like a personal assistant that knows you well. While seemingly strange, it is pretty cool and innovative.

The new assets that Windows 10 has brought to the table could attract many more new users, especially with the addition of their tablet-computer combination (the ‘Surface’), which allows people to mobilize their computer even more. Their new software-hardware pair is a dynamic force that could stand as Microsoft’s new foundation. Regardless, in the present, Windows 10 has satisfied disgruntled Microsoft users and redeemed itself for the disaster that occurred with Windows 8.