What is Windows 10?
Windows 10 is a Microsoft operating system for personal computers, tablets, embedded devices and internet of things devices.
Microsoft released Windows 10 in July 2015 as a follow-up to Windows 8. Windows 10 has an official end of support date of October, 2025, with Windows 11 as it’s successor.
Anyone adopting Windows 10 can upgrade legacy machines directly from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10 without re-imaging or performing intrusive and time-consuming system wipes and upgrade procedures. To upgrade from a previous version of Windows 10, IT or users run the Windows 10 OS installer, which transfers any applications and software on the previous OS, as well as settings and preferences over to Windows 10.
Organizations and users can pick and choose how they will patch and update Windows 10. IT or users can access a Windows 10 upgrade through the Windows Update Assistant to manually begin an upgrade or wait for Windows Update to offer an upgrade when it is set to run.
Windows 10 features built-in capabilities that allow corporate IT departments to use mobile device management (MDM) software to secure and control devices running the operating system. In addition, organizations can use traditional desktop management software such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.
Windows 10 features
The familiar Start Menu, which Microsoft replaced with Live Tiles in Windows 8, returned in Windows 10. Users can still access Live Tiles and the touch-centric Metro interface from a panel on the right side of the Start Menu, however.
Windows 10’s integrated search feature allows users to search all local locations, as well as the web site simultaneously.
Microsoft Edge debuted with Windows 10 and replaces Internet Explorer as the default web site browser. Edge includes tools such as Web Notes, which allows users to mark up websites, and Reading View, which allows users to view certain websites without the clutter of ads. The browser integrates directly with Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant, which is also embedded within Windows 10.
Cortana integrates directly with the Bing search engine and supports both text and voice input. It tracks and analyzes location services, communication history, e mail and text messages, speech and input personalization, services and applications, and browsing and search history in an effort to customize the OS experience to best suit users’ needs. IT professionals can disable Cortana and some of its features with Group Policy settings