Windows 10: released at the end of July
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Undying
If its free update i dont see why not. Cant be worse than 8.1. 😀
Veteran
Will be using once full version is out which will be June RTM.
Ghosty
I haven't tried Windows 10 yet to be honest. I don't have the search bar in Windows 8.1. Do you mean the Bing search bar?
Denial
Windows 10 has a search bar attached to the taskbar, to the right of the start button.
It can be disabled but it's on by default.
Ghosty
I have always hated search bars. I like my desktop to be as clean as possible. This is one of the things I like about the metro UI as it allows me to keep my desktop free of icons.
Cave Waverider
Can you sort the start menu items under "All Apps" and arrange them in folders and sub-folders like in Windows 7 yet? I really like to have a sorted and tidy start menu (and desktop for that matter).
Denial
No you can't sort or arrange them or even sub folder them.
I honestly think the new start menu is worse than the one in 8.1. I don't like how when you expand the start screen to fullsize the all apps menu remains in a slide navbar on the left. I want it to take up the full screen like it did in 8.1.
But it's not finished yet so who knows really. I know the search results are eventually supposed to be moved inside the start screen, as opposed to the pop out it creates now.
Ghosty
The most useless feature I've seen so far is 'Ask Cortana'. I really have no use at all for voice search on a PC. I don't even use it on Android.
fantaskarsef
I agree. Also, it's constantly listening to what is happening, an you never know what of it is recorded and sent somewhere else, not necessarily by M$ (or google on your cell phone), but by somebody hijacking your machine.
Ghosty
Microsoft should give the option to disable it. Plus it can't record or 'listen' without a mic enabled.
vbetts
Moderator
You can disable the Windows Search service, Cortana is attached to that.
Denial
Well again, it can be disabled. I mean someone hijacking your machine could have done this before, regardless to Cortana being there or not.
I also think the feature could be useful, if search was actually good and the results were quick. Like I don't know about you but I often search stuff when playing games or watching movies or whatever. For example I'm playing Warframe and I want to know if a Warframe part drops off a boss. It would be really cool if I could say "Hey Cortana, Where does Nyx parts drop in Warframe?" and on a separate screen, without alt tabbing me from the game, it display the results. Or "Hey Cortana, Who is the actor that plays Wilson Fisk in Daredevil, and what other movies is he in?" And it displays the results without pausing/taking focus from the window. Or even cooler, in combination with a camera/touch screen, allow me to click on an actor while a movie is playing and ask who it is (similar to google movies) and have it answer.
Idk, I think it has potential but it hasn't been fully realized at all. I'm not waking up in the morning and turning on my computer to ask what traffic is like or set a reminder. I have a phone for that. It needs to be geared towards actions that I'd do on my computer and not with my phone.
Ghosty
Cortana is just a spin off from the 'Ok Google' feature. It adds nothing new or exciting, just something Microsoft added to compete with Google on. I do not see it being anything other than a gimmick. It has been added to appease the mobile and Tablet users.
vbetts
Moderator
Honestly after using Cortana and Google search, Cortana reacts way better and works better. I would more compare Cortana to Siri.
Deathchild
8.1 is way better than 7, move on all of you noobs. 😀
I was using 7 until I moved to 8 and I haven't moved back since.. I don't even use the start "metro" menu (only when I search for stuff), I just use the taskbar and explorer..
Denial
Yeah but that's my point. Like obviously it's useless now, but the idea of talking to your computer and getting results definitely is not a gimmick or useless.
I also kind of find Ok Google to be useful with my phone. I have always on listening, so when I dock my phone in the car and I want to call someone, all I say is "Ok Google, call xxxx" or "OK Google, message Brandon, 'You're bad at all video games'" or "OK Google, "Play Outlive the Hand by Be'lakor" and it plays music.
But I mean for a PC, the voice has to be tailored towards different purposes and geared in a way that it doesn't take focus from what you're working on. In the car driving is the focus, the speech is aiding you to use the phone without touching it. On a PC you're already on the "phone" the speech should aid you in what you're doing on the PC without getting in the way, like the examples I gave. If I could run searches with voice on a separate screen while playing a video game, I'll find that incredibly useful, as long as it provides me with the detail I'm looking for.
Currently it doesn't do **** though, so yeah it's pretty useless. But they can add functionality to it on the serverside without pushing major updates, so who knows in what direction it will end up going.
riardon
It's a bit early to judge W10. The product is not finished yet. This release date seem too early for me. I hope a good stable version will be ready by then. Only 3 months left if we believe this leak. I have a feeling MS will delay W10. I hope I will be wrong cause the sooner the better for me but only if this comes without serious problems. Time will tell.
vbetts
Moderator
I don't think Microsoft will delay Windows 10 only seeing how much they are pushng it for a summer release.
sykozis
Actually, Cortana is an attempt to copy Siri. Same as the "OK Google" BS....
Ghosty
If you remember the outcry when Windows 8 was released, I only hope the same doesn't happen again. We all know that Windows 8 wasn't designed with a pc in mind, it was made for touchscreens and tablets. Even then it was still hard to use. Have Microsoft learned from this? Well if they expect business to adopt to later versions of Windows, they need to get this right.
