Tested In-Depth: Windows 10 Technical Preview

The next release of Windows is going to be...Windows 10. We install the Technical Preview and show off the its new features, including refined touch on the Desktop, new multiple Desktop management, and the return of the Start Menu! This is software we don't recommend running on production systems, but we like what we see so far!

[MurrayWebber_AU]

Hi guys, a few things that you missed - which were covered in the September 30th event, or by using Windows 10 TP for longer:

1. The "Universal apps" is a great thing, and is not just a new name for "metro" or "modern" apps. A "Universal App" has a different icon in its description, and are already in the stores (yes, both). A good example is Plex, but there are already heaps of them. To get this "Universal App" designation, your app has to be a single project that contains resources targeting at least two platforms i.e. Desktop/RT and Phone. I've seen a Visual Studio project at work where a single line of code changed, could successfully update the app for Xbox One, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows RT, and Windows 8.1 on an x64 Desktop. They really are merging the stores for the next version of Windows, and universal apps is what will make that all just work.

2. The feature Will wants, where a hybrid device (like the Surface Pro) can switch between tablet mode (Start Screen), and Desktop mode (Start Menu), was demonstrated as a pre-visualisation during the September 30th event: It's called "Continuum". It will provide you a "Do you want to?" style box, with a "Don't ask me again" check box. It's coming in the more consumer-oriented technical preview around April 2015 (or sooner if they get it working correctly). And yes, right now the option to switch is in the "Properties", but it requires a log out and log in to switch modes. This is planned to be seamless.
  
3. The "Notifications" for desktop and modern apps, which are a little flakey at the moment (as Will found out with Dropbox), are going to be merged into notification panel. This panel will show you a history of notifications, allow you to dismiss notifications, allow you to click on notifications to activate their actions (i.e. view Dropbox folder/picture/etc.), and more. It will work, from information gathered from various sources, just like the panel in Windows Phone 8.1 (and therefore OSX, iOS, Android, etc.). This will be a good thing, though no ETA is given at this time.

4. There are also plenty of business/enterprise features coming that will make Windows 10 absolutely amazing. On top of proper MDM support, they look to be making ADFS - which can be deployed as part of an Office 365 implementation - work as the Microsoft Account component. So no more signing up for a "consumer" account just to access resources like the Store... it will all "just work" using the single-sign-on functionality of a hybrid Active Directory. So much cool stuff coming.

[RadioactivFly]

I know this might sound trivial, but it really bugs me that *_MICROSOFT_* has started calling PROGRAMS "apps."

[simmosideways]

Great video Will. No anti-Microsofty chat here :)

[cooloox]

Great video! Nice insight for those of us who haven't installed the Windows 10 preview. Thanks guys.

[amineo]

why the download is slow in windows 10 preview? navigation is fast, download is slow.Before the upgrade windows 8.1 was too fast.any solution plz?

[srgwarcock]

Dude this is awesome!! I knew you had it in you Microsoft! :')

[DIOcelot]

Do you think I should install the Technical Preview of this in my primary personal desktop? I was really excited for this OS and I heard that there is a risk in doing this and their website recommends trying this out on a secondary computer in case of something going wrong. I really don't want to wait but I want to know what's the worst that can happen?

[WCT]

I am amazed at how stable the release is ..  and now build 9860 is available

[DeathBringer]

14:29 It's always on the Right* side. Think about where the start button has been in every windows. The left. It has never popped up to cover that with a notification. Less words and more thinking Will.

[DriveCancelDC]

I always laugh when people hate on Windows 8, even before 8.1 it was fine. Start Screen is stupid but easily worked around, then it's exactly the same as 7 with some new useful shortcuts and faster performance. Haters are indeed going to hate.

[guile_]

I love 8.1. I really noticed a decent performance boost on BF4 going from 7 to 8.1.

[dobeydoberton]

Norm is the bomb about Windows updates. I trust him completely. This is a great intro to the new Windows paradigm, IMO.

[InfiniteVisionsArts]

Awesome thanks guys! I'd love to hear the new start up sounds.
I hope they experiment with Adobe programs on the multi desktops. That could be really interesting when working on multi projects as long as you still have easy access to all of the tools bars.

[MurrayWebber_AU]

Just putting it out there. Windows Vista was NT kernel 6.0, Windows 7 was NT 6.1 (6+1), and Windows 8 was NT 6.2 (6+2). Windows 8.1, which may as well have been called Windows 9 - but Microsoft wanted to keep it as a free update for Windows 8 users - is NT 6.3 (6+3?). Windows 10 is on the newly updated NT 6.4 kernel (6+4). 

It may not be how they decided the name, and it doesn't make a great deal of sense... but it kinda works.

[Antenox]

Microsoft OSes are like Star Trek movies. Skip every other release, and you'll never be disappointed.

[nicholasstarinsky]

"Nothing happens" - pretty accurate description of Windows 10 and this "in-depth" TECHNICAL review.

[Savatore]

wow we had to wait just 16 years for past and copy feature in the shell. amazing :D

[power-max]

Windows 3.1, good!
Windows 95/98, meh.
Windows ME, bad.
Windows XP, good!
Windows Vista, bad.
Windows 7, good!
Windows 8 and 8.1, bad.
Windows 10, Good!

[lifehacker]

Come on guys, you make it sound like Windows 10 has suddenly revolutionized the way we interact with PCs, which is totally not true. The "new" features are just some things they have caught up with other operating systems. You shouldn't say "Wow look at this, this is so cool! I wonder how it will look like in the final version!". What you indeed should have said is "How has this feature taken so long to make it into Windows! If it doesn't look at least like in other OSs, I'll be disappointed."

I know that most people will probably never even touch Linux and stuff, but come on. 80% of these "new" features can be found in most Linux distributions and have been there for years. So it's really sad to see a billion dollar company doing worse than an open source community.. 

[kyleecorbin]

Look awesome! Can't wait to download it!