Microsoft released its latest personal computer Operating System, Windows 10 on July 29, 2015 as a part of the Windows NT family of operating systems.

The key features introduced by the Microsoft in its new Windows 10 Operating system is its “Universal Application Platform” architecture. This enables one app to run on every Windows devices—on the phone in your pocket, the PC on your desktop, the tablet or laptop in your bag, the Xbox One console in your living room, Surface Hub and HoloLens. All these Windows devices will now access One Store for app acquisition, distribution and update. Also windows 10 user interface was revised to handle transitions between a mouse-oriented interface and a touchscreen-optimized interface based on available input devices-particularly on laplets; both interfaces include an updated Start Menu that comprises a design similar to windows 7. Windows 10 also introduces Task View, a virtual desktop system, the Microsoft Edge web browser, Cortana, and other new or updated applications, integrated support for fingerprint and face recognition login, new security features for enterprise environments, DirectX 12 and WDDM 2.0 to improve the operating systems graphic capabilities for games. Along with all these features, another feature which is especially introduces for game lovers is the Xbox gaming console compatibility. Now one can start recording gameplay on their Windows PC, compete against console players and stream games from their Xbox One to any Windows 10 PC.  

User Interface and Desktop: 

Now let’s talk about the user interface and desktop of the new Windows 10 operating system. It has an all new Start Menu on the desktop, with a list of places and other options on the left side, and tiles representing application on the right. The menu can be resized as the user desire. Program windows can now be snapped to quadrants of the screen by dragging them to the corner. When this is done, i.e., a window is snapped to one side of the screen, the user is prompted to choose a second window to fill the unused side of the screen (called “Snap Assist”). Windows’ system icons were also changed to a new minimalist design. Notification can be synced between multiple devices. Windows 10 is designed to adopt its user interface on the type of device being used and available input methods. It offers two separate UI modes: a user interface optimized for mouse and keyboard, and a “Tablet mode” designed for touchscreens. Switching between these modes is made quite easy. A new Virtual Desktop system known as Task View was added. Task View is used to switch between programs. 

System and Security: 

Windows 10 incorporates “multi-factor authentication” technology based upon standards developed by the FIDO Alliance. Thus it has very much improved system and security mechanism.

The three key security features of Windows 10 are:

Device Guard: - This security feature aim at blocking zero-day attacks by vetting applications that try to access a Windows 10 machine and its network.

Windows Hello: - This is a Password-killer feature that uses biometrics-your face, iris, or your fingerprint to launch Windows 10 devices rather than those pesky and vulnerable passwords.

Passport Platforms: - This feature lets users authenticate to applications, websites, and networks sans passwords. Windows 10 will ask you to verify that you have possession of your devices before it authenticates on your behalf, with a PIN or Windows Hello on devices with biometric sensors.

Thus these advance features of Windows 10 provide a much secure and private environment for users to work hassle-free.

Cortana: 

Another key new feature of Windows 10 is Cortana – Microsoft’s semantic digital assistant. A kind of super Siri, which can engage you in conversation. More than simple speech recognition, Cortana constantly scours the web for information to inform its interactions with you. And it learns from your behavior, contacts and so on, in order to better serve your needs. Cortana on Windows Phone is pretty great. And it improves with use. So the inclusion of Microsoft’s digital assistant is a big boost. 

Update and Support System: 

Windows 10 is serviced in entirely different manner from previous releases of Windows. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 10 update does not allow the selective installation of updates, and all updates (including patches, feature updates, and driver software) are downloaded and installed automatically. Uses can only control whether their system will reboot automatically to install updates when the system is inactive or be modified to schedule a reboot.

Thus Windows 10 packs in a lot of improvements over Windows 8 or previous Windows versions. The most important being the return of the familiar Start Menu. Windows 10 will allow businesses to customize and manage delivery of apps and updates to users. This would be a boon for CIOs and IT managers for having the control of their devices. Thus Windows 10 is compatible with all the traditional management systems used today and also provide a very novel approach of separating corporate and personal data across all devices. Hence it is an amalgamation of traditional Windows features along with all new advanced and enhanced features, security system and UI.