Windows 10 vs Windows 8 Walk Through: What’s New & Better

To say, Microsoft’s unveiling of its Windows 10 operating system was unexpected would be a complete stretch. As it became clear that Windows 8 was hurting the operating system’s reputation Microsoft tried to patch up things where it could. The Windows 8.1 update filled in many of the feature gaps and made some concessions for Windows 8 users with a mouse and keyboard. Then came BUILD 2014 and Microsoft’s acknowledgement that what it’d tried to do in Windows 8 had alienated some users and that it would work to bridge the past with the future with an upcoming Windows release.

Windows 10 is the early culmination of that work to marry the old with the new. When it formally launches sometime next year users can expect Windows 10 to offer a very different experience than what they get in Windows 8. A lot of that is due to a switch in philosophy and Microsoft acknowledging that maybe making users get used to navigation structures meant for tablets across the board isn’t necessarily a good idea. Here’s a comparison of Windows 10 vs Windows 8.1, the latest stable operating system that users can purchase on tablets or smartphones made by Microsoft and its partners. Today, we’re using the Windows 10 Technical Preview that Microsoft recently made available online. Microsoft has other releases and features planned that we don’t yet know about that will make it into the final version next year.

The Start Screen

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If you ever tried to explain to people what the Start Screen that Microsoft added in Windows 8 was and how great it could be you know what a waste of time that was. Forget that the Start Screen allowed users to see notifications from important apps without opening them. Pay no attention to the fact that the Start Screen's Live Tiles were easier to click on than the small icons scattered throughout the old Start Menu. Users didn’t take to kindly to the Start Screen completely taking over their screen in Windows 8. Now Microsoft is back with a different philosophy. Instead of forcing the Start Screen on users, Microsoft is introducing a new system where Windows uses the inputs that are available and tailors itself to them. Have a tablet with touch and you’ll just see the Start Screen. Have a Windows 10 laptop and you get a Start Screen/Start Menu mash-up as you can see above. This new Start Menu includes all the same functionality as the Start Screen, but respects the usage boundaries that owners of Windows 8 devices have made clear. Without a touch screen they don’t want the Start Screen. As more apps are added to the Start Menu’s Live Tile area, the Start Menu grows.

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