Wayne Williams

Hooray, Windows 10 has a Start menu. It may not be the Start menu you were hoping for (Windows 7 users I’m looking at you), but it’s there, and easily customized.

You can change the colors, transparency effect, and size and position of the tiles. If you don’t want the tiled interface you can turn this off, and just have a straightforward Windows 7-style menu. Here’s what you can do.

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Obviously Microsoft’s Edge browser is the new default choice in Windows 10, and it’s definitely worth giving it a try. I’ve found it to be speedy and surprisingly good. Persevere long enough and you might grow to like it as I have.

That said, if you prefer to use Chrome or Firefox, with all the add-ons and customizations in place, I really couldn’t blame you. Edge isn’t (yet) as flexible, and if you already use Google or Mozilla’s browser for syncing content between devices, then it makes sense to use the same browser in Windows 10. Here’s how to setup a rival browser as the default option.

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Windows 10's new modern web browser comes with Bing as its default search engine. This will, of course, surprise absolutely no one. Some people will be more than happy with that choice, but others will prefer to switch to using something different. Like Google.

The process isn’t especially intuitive but it is very straightforward and won’t take more than a few seconds of your time. Here’s how to do it.

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Now that Windows 10 is officially available, there’s a good chance you’ll be updating your existing PCs to the new OS. There are reasons for and against doing this of course.

If you’re not quite ready to jump aboard Windows 10, you might want to install it in a virtualized environment instead. This way you’ll be able to try it out -- no Windows key required -- without risking your current setup, and see whether you like it or not. It’s certainly worth playing around with.

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If you reserved a Windows 10 upgrade, you were probably expecting it to appear this morning. For many people that was the case, but not for all. There are ways around this problem of course -- you can use the free tool Microsoft released today in order to update your PC whenever you like.

However, if you reserved the update, then you probably just want to get your upgrade through that. And rightly so. Fortunately, there’s a simple little trick you can use.

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Like Windows 8.x, Windows 10 has been designed with security in mind and requires you to log in before you can start using it. That’s fine, and sensible, but if you’re the only person using your PC, and you’re confident that no one will be able to use it without your permission, or break in to your home and steal it, you might want to skip this stage.

The process of doing so is the same as in Windows 8, and is very simple without the need for registry hacks or complicated trickery.

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Windows 10 has launched in 190 countries, and if you reserved your copy you should be able to upgrade to it today, or soon afterwards. Microsoft will be notifying users in waves when their upgrade is ready to be installed.

However, for some people the wait may be long, and others have reported problems with the automatic installation. Fortunately, if you’re keen to get the upgrade started, Microsoft has released a tool that will let you download Windows 10 and create your own installation media on either a USB flash drive or DVD.

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If you’re still undecided whether Windows 10 is for you or not, or you just want to find out a bit more about the forthcoming OS, Microsoft has a new video designed to walk you through the changes and new features.

The video is presented by Mohammed Samji of the Windows Team, and it’s about as laid back as you can imagine. Samji, dressed in pastel colors, talks in the sort of tone you tend to hear in apps designed to help insomniacs get to sleep, while a similarly relaxing tune burbles along in the background. Is Samji explaining Windows 10’s key principles, or attempting to hypnotize the viewers? Watch the video and decide for yourself.

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So I’ve already listed reasons why people should switch to Windows 10, but here I am telling you why you shouldn’t. Contradictory, right? Except, not really. I will be upgrading to Windows 10 on July 29, because it’s my job to be running the latest version of Windows.

If it wasn’t I don’t know if I would be making the switch. at least not immediately. Windows 10 is a good OS, in my opinion. It’s much better than Windows 8.x, and the price (free!) is certainly attractive. But if you’re on the fence about making the upgrade, my honest advice is to stay there a while longer. Here are 10 reasons to wait.

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Microsoft has been listing the top reasons why you should upgrade to Windows 10, with familiarity cited as one of the main selling points, Cortana’s inclusion is another.

Maybe it’s just me (but I expect it isn’t), but I don’t think those are really the best reasons why anyone should switch to the new OS. So I figured I would come up with a list of reasons that genuinely do make the case for upgrading to Windows 10.

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Microsoft has started sending out emails to Windows users who have reserved their copy of Windows 10 in advance of the launch next week. As reported previously, you probably won’t get your copy on the big day -- Microsoft says "After July 29, when Windows 10 is ready for your device, it will download in the background. You’ll then get a notification to schedule your upgrade right away or at another time that’s convenient for you".

Before you do install it, you’ll want to make sure your PC or tablet is ready for the upgrade.

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With hundreds of millions of passengers passing through US airports every year, mobile networks often struggle to keep up with demand, which can result in poor and unreliable data performance.

Twice a year, RootMetrics tests mobile coverage at the 50 busiest airports in the US, using off-the-shelf smartphones to measure performance at all the places where passengers are most likely to use their phones. The latest US Airport Network Performance Review, which covers the first half of 2015, features some surprising results, including one of the busiest US airports ranking at the top and another major US airport landing near the very bottom.

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It’s taken two weeks to get there, but finally Microsoft has deemed the latest build of Windows 10 Mobile stable enough for Slow ring Insiders.

While the mobile version of the OS isn’t likely to launch until the fall, Microsoft is now mostly working on improving stability and squashing bugs along with some small changes and feature tweaks.

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Once Microsoft’s new OS launches on July 29 you’ll be able to upgrade an existing Windows 7 or 8.x install through Windows Update. If you haven’t reserved the OS yet, and the Get Windows 10 app isn’t showing in the system tray, follow the instructions here.

But what if you want to install the OS from scratch, or have an older version of Windows, such as XP? Although Microsoft hasn’t confirmed it as such, it’s expected the software giant will be releasing ISO files of Windows 10 for this very purpose, and the good news is it looks like you won’t need a product key to install and try out the OS.

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Despite being able to communicate with friends, family, and co-workers in myriad different ways, email remains incredibly popular. However, if you just want to send a quick message, ask a question, or fire off a reply, it’s often not as speedy or convenient as text messaging.

Send, from Microsoft Garage, is a new app that makes sending quick emails as easy as texting, without the need for a subject line, greeting, or signature.

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