It introduces an updated Start Menu, new login methods, a better taskbar, a notification center, support for virtual desktops, the Edge browser, and a host of other usability updates. Cortana, Microsoft’s mobile personal assistant, is part of Windows 10, even on desktop computers.
Windows 10 Features
Rather than continuing with the Windows 8-style “tiles” menu, which wasn’t well-received, Microsoft has reverted to a Windows 7-style menu in Windows 10. It does include tiles, but they’re smaller and more contained. Another new feature is the ability to pin an app to all your virtual desktops. This technique is useful for apps you know you want easy access to in each one. Windows 10 also makes it simple to quickly see your calendar tasks by just clicking or tapping on the time and date on the taskbar. It’s directly integrated with the main Calendar app in Windows 10. There’s also a central notification center, similar to those common on mobile devices and other operating systems like macOS and Ubuntu.
Windows 10 Release Date
Windows 10 was first released as a preview on October 1, 2014, and the final version was released to the public on July 29, 2015. Windows 10 was famously a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 owners, but that only lasted for one year, through July 29, 2016.
Windows 10 Editions
Several other editions are also available, but not directly to consumers. They include Windows 10 Mobile, Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows 10 Enterprise Mobile, and Windows 10 Education.
Windows 10 System Requirements
The minimum hardware required to run Windows 10 is similar to what was required for other recent versions of Windows:
CPU: 1 GHz with NX, PAE, and SSE2 support (CMPXCHG16b, PrefetchW, and LAHF/SAHF support for 64-bit versions) RAM: 1 GB (2 GB for 64-bit versions) Hard Drive: 16 GB free space (20 GB free for 64-bit versions) Graphics: A GPU that supports at least DirectX 9 with a WDDM driver
