Testing Windows 10

[Joelist]

Once of the nice things about my line of work is I get in on a lot of programs like there. In this case it is testing Windows 10. I'm testing it in two scenarios so far - one is Boot Camp on my Mac and the other as a primary OS on an ultrabook.

Boot Up:

This is the primary difference so far between the Ultrabook and Boot Camp - Boot Camp takes about 90 seconds to start up and the Ultrabook roughly 2 seconds. My guess is a lot of this is Boot Camp drivers are not yet in place for Windows 10.

UI:

This is of course the most publicized difference and it is a huge improvement over the Windows 8 "Franken-OS". It goes direct to desktop (no more idiot Start Screen - at least when you are not using a tablet), the Start Menu is back and usefully implemented and it is WAY easier to find and do stuff. More to come of course as I get more system time.

Speed:

Windows 8 was fast already so I did not expect this to be an issue - and it isn't. So far it is if anything a bit faster than 8.1

Stability:

Let's remember this is pre-Beta stage software. With that in mind stability is good although some things are glitchy and choppy (like the store and some of the Modern Apps). Stability, speed and UI impressions are the things the development team is being the most aggressive right now about pushing for input on. I gather the next phase once they have those three where they need to be will be is it feature complete than another pass over everything.

Project Spartan:

Yep, Windows 10 is the first step in sunsetting IE. Right now the Dev builds still have IE but that will end soon as Spartan will be the shipping browser. It is based on a fairly extreme forking of the Trident engine and among other things junks boatloads of old legacy stuff including Active X. For stuff too old to use the Spartan rendering engine the OS runs Trident 7 in a fully sandboxed environment.

Right now although we cannot fully test Spartan we can access the rendering engine with some behind the scenes configuration. I did so, and love the results. This thing is FAST and remember I am not even running it in its native UI. Websites (including GateFans) literally render in a blink and so far I am not seeing font or scaling or other such issues.

Conclusion

If they tried to release the OS now the bugs would drive the casual user nuts. But then again that is part of the purpose of pre-beta and beta testing - to squash bugs. So far I am liking what I am seeing but want to see more.

 

[Overmind One]

Once of the nice things about my line of work is I get in on a lot of programs like there. In this case it is testing Windows 10. I'm testing it in two scenarios so far - one is Boot Camp on my Mac and the other as a primary OS on an ultrabook.

Boot Up:

This is the primary difference so far between the Ultrabook and Boot Camp - Boot Camp takes about 90 seconds to start up and the Ultrabook roughly 2 seconds. My guess is a lot of this is Boot Camp drivers are not yet in place for Windows 10.

UI:

This is of course the most publicized difference and it is a huge improvement over the Windows 8 "Franken-OS". It goes direct to desktop (no more idiot Start Screen - at least when you are not using a tablet), the Start Menu is back and usefully implemented and it is WAY easier to find and do stuff. More to come of course as I get more system time.

Speed:

Windows 8 was fast already so I did not expect this to be an issue - and it isn't. So far it is if anything a bit faster than 8.1

Stability:

Let's remember this is pre-Beta stage software. With that in mind stability is good although some things are glitchy and choppy (like the store and some of the Modern Apps). Stability, speed and UI impressions are the things the development team is being the most aggressive right now about pushing for input on. I gather the next phase once they have those three where they need to be will be is it feature complete than another pass over everything.

Project Spartan:

Yep, Windows 10 is the first step in sunsetting IE. Right now the Dev builds still have IE but that will end soon as Spartan will be the shipping browser. It is based on a fairly extreme forking of the Trident engine and among other things junks boatloads of old legacy stuff including Active X. For stuff too old to use the Spartan rendering engine the OS runs Trident 7 in a fully sandboxed environment.

Right now although we cannot fully test Spartan we can access the rendering engine with some behind the scenes configuration. I did so, and love the results. This thing is FAST and remember I am not even running it in its native UI. Websites (including GateFans) literally render in a blink and so far I am not seeing font or scaling or other such issues.

Conclusion

If they tried to release the OS now the bugs would drive the casual user nuts. But then again that is part of the purpose of pre-beta and beta testing - to squash bugs. So far I am liking what I am seeing but want to see more.

This is good news. I have heard similar positive comments on a couple of others I know who are trying out Windows 10. How about the enterprise user? Is this Windows too casual for the workplace or do you see it as being a viable (and desirable) upgrade in an enterprise environment?

 

[Joelist]

Unless something profound is missing I don't see why it cannot work well in Enterprise. The login structure is easily switchable to a directory service, it embraces all the usual security protocols we know and love, Windows Update can be easily pointed to a corporate source, likewise you can set up your own store or turn it off easy. Even the modern apps in the Start Menu can be easily replaced if desired. The only wildcard is if some web piece you use is both Active X and cannot run sandboxed - and if that is the case you should get rid of the web piece in question.

Basically it seems like if your Enterprise was ok with Windows 7 it should be okay with 10 too.

 

[Overmind One]

Unless something profound is missing I don't see why it cannot work well in Enterprise. The login structure is easily switchable to a directory service, it embraces all the usual security protocols we know and love, Windows Update can be easily pointed to a corporate source, likewise you can set up your own store or turn it off easy. Even the modern apps in the Start Menu can be easily replaced if desired. The only wildcard is if some web piece you use is both Active X and cannot run sandboxed - and if that is the case you should get rid of the web piece in question.

Basically it seems like if your Enterprise was ok with Windows 7 it should be okay with 10 too.

The problem with Windows 8 is that Store. Such a feature is not only unnecessary in the office, but undesirable.

 

[Gate_Boarder]

Once of the nice things about my line of work is I get in on a lot of programs like there. In this case it is testing Windows 10. I'm testing it in two scenarios so far - one is Boot Camp on my Mac and the other as a primary OS on an ultrabook.

Boot Up:

This is the primary difference so far between the Ultrabook and Boot Camp - Boot Camp takes about 90 seconds to start up and the Ultrabook roughly 2 seconds. My guess is a lot of this is Boot Camp drivers are not yet in place for Windows 10.

UI:

This is of course the most publicized difference and it is a huge improvement over the Windows 8 "Franken-OS". It goes direct to desktop (no more idiot Start Screen - at least when you are not using a tablet), the Start Menu is back and usefully implemented and it is WAY easier to find and do stuff. More to come of course as I get more system time.
...

Stability:

Let's remember this is pre-Beta stage software. With that in mind stability is good although some things are glitchy and choppy (like the store and some of the Modern Apps). Stability, speed and UI impressions are the things the development team is being the most aggressive right now about pushing for input on. I gather the next phase once they have those three where they need to be will be is it feature complete than another pass over everything.

....

Conclusion

If they tried to release the OS now the bugs would drive the casual user nuts. But then again that is part of the purpose of pre-beta and beta testing - to squash bugs. So far I am liking what I am seeing but want to see more.

Are you saying that Windows 10 is more like a suped up XP-Pro, than Windows 8,1.

I am assuming that you are using the 64 bit version and that the 32 bit version still has the RAM limitations. In that you can have 16 Gigs of RAM on a 32 bit machine and the most it will share with you is that dreaded short anount, say 3.2 Gigs?

It took me a couple of hours to to go inside the 8.1 system and figure out how to tell the windows to open up in Desktop and dragg the Icons there. One bad part about 8.1 are those travel and sports blogs that had their Internet options set to "open" sucking up my download speed.

The worst part is when I stray to close to the sides and get "charmed" to death when those bars seem to stay there for ever. Hopefully, they have put some sort of mouse delay there, whereby if the mouse just rubs up against the wall it kind of does an intuitive delay until I really ask for that deployment.

So far, so good you say, in that they have continued with the 8.1 improvements.

 

[Overmind One]

Im gonna give this a whirl myself. You can get the full Beta here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-iso

The key is: NKJFK-GPHP7-G8C3J-P6JXR-HQRJR

Im going to load this in a VM.

 

[Joelist]

Hope you enjoy. Remember my caution that this is pre-beta (as in it is not even yet at beta level) so it has very real rough spots.

 

[Overmind One]

Hope you enjoy. Remember my caution that this is pre-beta (as in it is not even yet at beta level) so it has very real rough spots.

I am going to be looking for functionality which would be useful in the enterprise only. I do not find any live tiles or the Microsoft Store to be of any value in the enterprise environment. I need to know that I can block them all out and disable the store and any visible references to it during the user experience. I want to see if my existing Group Policies can work on it, I want to see what compatibility tweaks they have added. I also want to test hardware against it.

 

[Joelist]

Be sure you're getting the Enterprise preview.

 

[Overmind One]

For the first time in over a decade, I am actually excited about a Microsoft product: Windows 10. This new OS makes up for Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 8 RT, and it is a proper, well assembled and executed successor to Windows 7 Professional. From the browser to the interface to the way the dreaded "Metro" interface has now been smoothly integrated into the desktop, to the mind-boggling customization available, Microsoft has a winner here.

If you currently have a licensed copy of Windows 7 or above, Windows 10 will be free as available after July 29. You will receive it as an upgrade either through Windows Update or through the Microsoft Store if you have Windows 8. And YES, it will update Windows 7 virtual machines running in VMware or Fusion or Parallels in Mac.

If you loved Windows XP and Windows 7 but hated Windows 8, you will LOVE Windows 10 if you are looking for a properly modern experience. It also makes an awesome media center computer.

It strangely reminds me of Linux Mint in many ways, but far more sophisticated. For gamers, you will love the increased performance of Windows 10 when gaming and watching media in HD. Compatibility is awesome all the way back to emulated DOS.

 

[ecgordon]

Yeah, but is it as good as Vista?

 

[Jim of WVa]

Yeah, but is it as good as Vista?

Hardy, Har, Har

 

[Overmind One]

Yeah, but is it as good as Vista?

I have been using the Beta for a few months (in a virtual machine). Joelist has been testing it as well (he started this thread). They really fixed it this time. Only it isn't fair to just call this "fixed". They took the best of Windows 7 and Windows 8, and created an amalgam greater than the sum of it's parts. It is different enough to feel completely "new". If you are already a Windows user, the learning curve is not even there if you just want to sit down and get to work. But to really take advantage of this new OS you have to see the many ways you can organize your work and your workspace. It has the familiarity of Windows 7, with the speed and modern capabilities of Windows 8/8.1, but is neither.

The enterprise is going to love this new operating system, and if they do to Server what they have done with Windows 10, I'm on board with that as well.

 

[Joelist]

Amazing what getting new blood in charge can do. After Microsoft retired Steve Ballmer and fired Joe Sinofsky (head of the Operating Systems division) new blood came in. Satya Nadella is the CEO and Terry Myerson now heads Windows. Windows 10 is Myerson's brainchild and the "free upgrade" strategy is Nadella's.

Also, there is a new approach to updates and such. Instead of the periodic Service Releases, Windows will be "evergreen". This means that updates are released in different rings with different times before installation. The enterprise can choose their ring and have it not install until they release it - this lets them get updates for testing in a FAR more timely manner and they can custom set the install cycle to whatever is desired.

 

[Joelist]

And on testing, I am currently on Fast Ring build 10166. The test builds were temporarily suspended this week because next week us testers will start getting build RTM1 (Release to Manufacturing).

The browser is still evolving nicely (and puts Chrome to shame) and the OS has had most of the bugs stamped out as of 10166 - the vast majority of the remainder are driver specific tuning on items like the integrated graphics on the newest Intel Atom SOCs (and they are amazing new chips - blowing everyone else out of the water in performance in that tablet/phone area).

 

[ecgordon]

What is the browser Windows 10 uses, something different than IE-11?

 

[ecgordon]

Do you recommend taking advantage of the free upgrade to 10, or would it be best to wait?

 

[Joelist]

Personally I would take advantage of the upgrade.

Browser wise IE is being sunset. Microsoft Edge is the new (and very slick) browser.

 

[Overmind One]

Amazing what getting new blood in charge can do. After Microsoft retired Steve Ballmer and fired Joe Sinofsky (head of the Operating Systems division) new blood came in. Satya Nadella is the CEO and Terry Myerson now heads Windows. Windows 10 is Myerson's brainchild and the "free upgrade" strategy is Nadella's.

Also, there is a new approach to updates and such. Instead of the periodic Service Releases, Windows will be "evergreen". This means that updates are released in different rings with different times before installation. The enterprise can choose their ring and have it not install until they release it - this lets them get updates for testing in a FAR more timely manner and they can custom set the install cycle to whatever is desired.

This whole thing is mimicking the open source Linux model and IIRC, Microsoft briefly considered going open source. I think this move is brilliant because most of the newest Microsoft offerings (including the ones in the pipeline) have a cloud component which means the potential for subscription based software and "in app purchases" which can come from the apps in the "Metro" facet of Windows 10. I love the way you can run the Metro apps in a window on the desktop.

 

[Overmind One]

Do you recommend taking advantage of the free upgrade to 10, or would it be best to wait?

No, take the upgrade as soon as it is available. Trust me, there is nothing to be afraid of in this OS. They have expanded compatibility massively in Windows 10 and it may be the friendliest Windows since XP for running any type of Windows app (including DOS!). Hardware support is far beyond anything Windows has offered before. Whatever you have, Windows 10 is going to run it and it will run it faster and open it quicker.
--- merged: Jul 15, 2015 8:31 PM ---

Personally I would take advantage of the upgrade.

Browser wise IE is being sunset. Microsoft Edge is the new (and very slick) browser.

I like Edge, but I still am not a fan of Protected Mode.