If there is one thing we know about Windows 10, it is that the Start
menu will not be missing this time. Microsoft, which reveals more
details about the latest iteration of its operating system later today,
needs to get at least that right after the miscalculation of Windows 8.
The new operating system, the first under new boss Satya Nadella,
replaces the unpopular Windows 8, an operating system that was arguably
ahead of its time. Replacing the Start menu with the Start screen, big
interactive tiles, slide-out menus and full-screen apps all made Windows 8 great on a touchscreen device, but frustrating at best on a desktop or laptop with a keyboard and mouse.
An update, Windows 8.1, revived the Start button, but did little to
convince users to upgrade, resulting in poor sales of the now two and a
half year old operating system. Windows 7 accounts
for 56% of the desktop computer market, according to Netmarketshare
data, leaving Windows 8 and 8.1 languishing on just 15%. Even the now
14-year-old Windows XP is still running on 18% of desktops despite no
longer being supported by Microsoft.
Window 10 doesn’t have to beat Windows 8 - it has to entice consumers
and business users to upgrade from Windows 7 given that the days of
routine upgrades are long gone.
Windows 10 must have a solid, reinvigorated desktop experience. Previews of the operating system indicate Microsoft understands that this is the crucial piece of the puzzle that could dissuade businesses from upgrading if it gets it wrong.
Wanting to improve the desktop experience is perfectly understandable,
but it must remain familiar and easy to use. Most business users will
simply want software like Microsoft Office to work fast and efficiently.
The same goes for home users, who could be instantly put off by
something that doesn’t vaguely resemble their ideas of how a computer
should work.
However, it must also function well on tablets, hybrid touchscreen
computers and smartphones. Microsoft’s “continuum” promises to do just
that by detecting whether a keyboard and mouse are attached and
presenting the right interface for the device.
The Start menu
Microsoft has confirmed that a proper Start menu is coming back in
Windows 10. Windows 8.1 reintroduced the Start button, but now the menu
is going replace the full-screen tiled Start screen.
Here it has to tread a delicate line between innovation and familiarity.
The Start menu can include active tiles that display information as
they did on the Start screen. They are useful, and something Microsoft
does better than anyone else. But the Start menu can also display simple
to use and understand program icons and settings as it does in Windows
7.
A straightforward and intuitive Start menu that looks fresh and
introduces small but useful features could make the difference when
attracting new home users and keeping businesses away from Windows 7.
Search
A universal search function is an essential feature on a desktop
computer. Windows 10 is expected to transplant Microsoft’s digital
assistant Cortana fromWindows Phone to
the desktop. Combining it with search is a natural fit, but Microsoft
must be mindful that Windows users are normally in an office with
hundreds of other people.
Talking to a computer or having one talk back to you is just not going
to work for many. Cortana can add useful information, but users will
quickly regard it as a curse rather than a blessing if it becomes
frustrating.
Universal apps
Microsoft is promising to unify its Windows stores across the desktop,
tablets and smartphones. For home users this could be a killer feature.
No other manufacturer can make that claim. If Microsoft can get
developers interested, it could help boost its lagging Windows Phone and
help it to compete against Android and Apple’s iPhone.
Microsoft is far from a one-product company, but Windows remains an
important part of its business and Windows 10 needs to prove that it can
still deliver something people need as more and more services become
browser-based.
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