10 Things to Love About Windows 10

For months, we’ve watched as Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system took shape. Early on, the operating system looked an awful lot like Windows 8, it’s immediate and almost universally hated predecessor. Quietly, the company did some work behind the scenes before unleashing a ton of new features on testers and members of its Insider Program.

Windows 10 launches on July 29th with a host of new features and software changes. Microsoft says that it’s listened to what users wanted. The Start Screen that completely took over your display is out, unless you’d like to turn it back on or have a Windows PC equipped with touch. Everything from how new updates are delivered to how Microsoft makes its Office productivity apps available has been addressed.

More importantly, Microsoft is trying to strike a new balance between all of its different devices. Windows 10 is Microsoft’s first foray into uniformed ecosystems like the one that Apple pioneered with the iTunes App Store. Buying an app or game works on multiple devices. Xbox accessories work with Windows 10 PCs in the same ways they would an Xbox One. OneDrive and app settings sync keeps all of your important account details and information synced from PC to PC. The Windows Store that was stuffed full of ill-conceived apps and garbage has been cleaned up. Now it offers apps compatible with notebooks, desktops, smartphones and tablets.

Read: What is Windows 10?

Having used Windows 10 all this year, I can promise you that there are going to be some things you love about the new operating system and the way it behaves. Here are 10 of the things you’ll love about the free Windows 10 update in no particular order.

The Surprisingly Small Windows 10 Upgrade Price

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First, let’s start with actual pricing. For years, Microsoft took a two prong approach to Windows upgrades. Say you had a PC already and just wanted to get the latest operating system on it. If you played your cards right and waited until just the right moment, Microsoft gave away free upgrades with PCs still running the previous version of Windows. Microsoft offered this upgrade program in partnership PC makers who didn’t want sales of their machines to tank because people were waiting to get their hands on something new. The other way you could get a Windows upgrade was by simply paying upwards of $100 for it. Microsoft sold digital copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 on its Microsoft Store website. Boxed DVDs were available on store shelves. Neither of those things make sense today. A very, very small percent of users actually paid the full upgrade price for Windows. Rather than do that, people simply waited until they had to purchase a new PC anyway. Second, in a world where devices, priorities and attention shifts at any given moment, taking three years to develop and add new features in a huge upgrade isn’t reasonable. Read: How to Get the Free Windows 10 Upgrade Windows 10 upgrades are absolutely free for anyone running Home, Pro and Ultimate versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 for the next year. Those that manage to make to install the upgrade on their PC can expect free updates with new features going forward.

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