Microsoft's newest PC operating system Windows 10 is rolling out this week as a free upgrade to those running Windows 7 and above.
And if you're running Windows 8, you absolutely must download Windows 10 as soon as you can get it.
There's no way around it. Windows 8 was a disaster. With Windows 8, Microsoft completely reconfigured the classic desktop interface and gave users what it called a "Modern UI" instead.
But Modern UI was designed for touch devices like tablets and laptop/tablet hybrids. It's a pain to use with a mouse and keyboard, which is still how a majority of PC owners interact with their machines.
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You could still work in a classic desktop mode in Windows 8, but you'd often have to go back to Modern UI to perform a lot of tasks and run certain apps. It was like having two operating systems in one. No wonder why most people kept Windows 7 instead of upgrading to Windows 8.
Luckily, Windows 10 fixes all the mistakes Microsoft made with Windows 8. If you're running Windows 8 now, it's time to jump in and fix everything Microsoft screwed up in the first place. You have nothing to lose. Microsoft will even let you upgrade for free.
The most important change in Windows 10 is the return of the classic Start menu. In Windows 8, clicking the Start button would take you to the Modern UI Start menu, which was difficult to use with a mouse and keyboard. (It was fine on tablets, but that's not how most people use Windows machines.)
The Windows 10 Start menu looks cleaner and more modern, but should feel immediately familiar to anyone who has used Windows since 1995. Even better, the new Start menu means desktop users never have to look at Modern UI ever again. They can do everything, even running newer Windows apps originally designed for Modern UI, on the traditional desktop.
Other than that, Windows 10 adds several other great features like the digital assistant Cortana and frequent, free updates that continually improve your system.
