Windows 10 review

Getting niftier with the October 2020 Update

Windows 10
Windows 10 is more secure, reliable and efficient than ever.

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Ultimately, there's something for everyone in Windows 10, especially with the Windows 10 May 2019 Update. This update solidifies the success Windows 10 has enjoyed over the last few years. Installation is pain-free, performance is generally great, user experience is more streamlined, security is improved (with more options for businesses) – and, most compelling of all, it works, pure and simple.

It still has its share of annoyances, and there will always be people who are so comfortable on Windows 7 (or even 8.1) that they won't want to upgrade until those OS’s get long in the tooth (or they replace the older peripherals for which hardware makers haven't put out device drivers).

Microsoft remains committed to the idea of universal apps, which now run on Xbox One (and HoloLens, for the few people who have access to it) as well as on Store apps in general.

The quality of these remains mixed: Mail and Calendar are decent, though a long way behind the versions on Windows Mobile with Outlook (so it’s a good thing that users can now uninstall it, alongside other built-in app, to make space), and Skype is at last fully usable. Groove Music Pass has been completely axed, sadly. Edge has also graduated into a viable state. And, not only have desktop apps not been pushed aside, Microsoft is working on making them look better on high DPI, multi-screen systems.

What’s important here is that the steep learning curve that was there with Windows 8 or 8.1 is gone. Even if people don’t get to grips with features like taskbar search or Task View, it won’t actually take anything away from their core experience of Windows 10. Pretty much everything that most people will need is in the Start menu or Action Center.

And, of course, the fact that there will be plenty more updates after the Windows 10 May 2019 Update makes us confident that Windows 10 will just keep growing and getting better, giving its users ample opportunities and time to get to know it better.

Images Credit: Microsoft

Contributor

Mary (Twitter, Google+, website) started her career at Future Publishing, saw the AOL meltdown first hand the first time around when she ran the AOL UK computing channel, and she's been a freelance tech writer for over a decade. She's used every version of Windows and Office released, and every smartphone too, but she's still looking for the perfect tablet. Yes, she really does have USB earrings.