October 1, 201411 yr /monthly_10_2014/post-2-0-51718500-1412354677_thumb.jpgKick Windows 10's tires for free Microsoft surprised quite a few people yesterday when it unveiled its next generation of Windows. It wasn't that Microsoft announced a new version of Windows, but that it decided to skip over Windows 9 and go straight to Windows 10. The reason behind the decision is because the new version is the beginning of a new era for the Windows platform, so Microsoft decided it warranted a numerical skip. Curious about the new OS? If you join the Windows Insider program (free), you can download and install the Windows 10 Technical Preview today (also free). "As a member of the Windows Insider community, you will have an active role in helping us build Windows 10 and be among the first to see new stuff," Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc explains in a blog post. "You will automatically receive new builds as we release them with the latest features we’re experimenting with – and our freshest bugs. Some of these features may not be fully 'baked' – meaning they may not work correctly as you are seeing these features as we work on them. And there’s no guarantee that what you see will be part of the final release. But as a Windows Insider, you’ll have the ability to impact and influence those types of product decisions." Keep in mind that this is pre-release software you'd be dealing with, so it's probably not wise to install the Technical Preview on a mission critical system or any other rig that favors reliability. However, if you're curious about Windows 10 and want to help shape the direction it goes in, this is your chance to give it a spin and let your voice be heard. There's a Windows Feedback app you can use to report any issues you run into, or to simply tell Microsoft, "Hey, I don't like this feature and that feature," but hopefully with more detail than that. Also bear in mind that what you see today isn't the whole Windows 10 package. The final version will ship in 2015, and by then, it's likely to look and act a bit differently than what the Technical Preview portrays at this moment in time. All that said, if you still want to check out the Windows 10 Technical Preview, click here and follow the instructions. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article
October 5, 201411 yr I'll probably throw a partition on one of my many hard drives and give it a shot. Nice to see that start menu back was just more organized with it.
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