Windows 10 features – Start Menu

Windows 10 is still a work in progress, but the most noticeable addition is the return of the Start Menu, and many of us are wondering if it will be as horrible and bizarre as the Windows 8 Start Screen.

Luckily for us it’s clear to see in the new Windows 10 preview that Microsoft is taking a better direction, the new Start Menu mixes desktop apps with the new modern Windows 8 apps by surfacing Live Tiles. The best part is, if they’re annoying you – you can turn them off! Or if you’d like, keep them around if you want to quickly glance at the weather, news or any other information.

Microsoft has added a full screen option which lets you expand the menu to make it look similar to the Start Screen found in Windows 8. There is a big difference though; the taskbar is present at all times! This is a much needed improvement to make navigation between apps easier. There are also some small changes that help with switching between apps:

       -          Microsoft is bringing back the flip 3D feature to present a view of all apps running on a system.

       -          When you swipe in from the left on a large tablet or a 2-in-1 will activate the new apps view.

       -          It’s easier to use a mouse and keyboard or touch to select the app you want.

If you think back to Windows 8 or if you have Windows 8 at the moment, you have to navigate into the corners and activate a side menu with your mouse, and it is rather irritating the more you use it.

The navigation changes extend to the Charms menu – it is gone and has now been replace by a notification centre is you swipe from the right. If you move your mouse into the corners on the right, it does nothing, but you can access the notification centre from the system tray in the lower right side. To be honest this change is quite strange and lacks convenient access to settings like WiFi or display brightness for laptops and tablets, but Microsoft is balancing that with quick toggles for settings. This particular area still needs some improvement, but either way, getting rid of the awkward Charms menu is a good thing.

All in all the Start menu is much better suited for all devices whether they are touchscreen or not, and its good to see a joined Start menu design instead of it being split into a Start menu and Start screen.

For all your IT needs and services, contact The Computer Guyz in Cape Town or Centurion. We can offer you a wide variety of options, from IT support and graphic design to just some friendly advice.

Written By: Christine Romans
CopyWriter at The Computer Guyz Cape Town