What are the Windows 10 system requirements?

What are the Windows 10 system requirements?

This is the same question that popped up in my mind when Microsoft announced its upcoming OS. As they skipped Windows 9, it would be a chunky hardware requirement for running the new 10 operating system.

Let’s cut to the chase and see it yourself whether you are sceptical or not.

The Requirements:

One gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor.

1 gigabyte of 32-bit or 2 gigabytes of 64-bit RAM

16 GB free space in the hard disc

Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver as Graphics card

A Microsoft account and access to the Internet

As you can see, it is less heavy requirements than it seemed. And it is one of the top reasons users switch to Windows 10. what is a benchmark test? I should disclose – I work at Microsoft as a developer. It is a pain for me to follow all the rules for collecting personal data.

The phone has your location, but we can only use it to suggest commute if we disclose that we use your location.

If we collect our application usage (how many times you use a feature, for example) or if we send crash data, we need to strip all personal data. It is a pain. We have mandatory training for dealing with customer data.

What are the Windows 10 system requirements?

Finally, Microsoft wants to make money (I am interested, too, to get a salary). The worst nightmare is accidentally collecting and then leaking personal data, so we take it very seriously.

For example, Windows 10 has a feedback tool where people can describe their problems.

People sometimes put their names and e-mail addresses, and since we want to share this feedback with device manufacturers, we need to clear personal data from the feedback.

This is a huge problem, and there is a whole project dedicated to this, but finally, they hired a contractor to do it manually.

It did cost a lot of money. The bottom line is that we use personal data (for example, Exchange servers keep a lot of e-mails ) but make special efforts to protect it.

For example, I work on a project that automatically checks you into meetings. We have to take extra steps to ensure your data is stored properly, which delays our project.

Sorry for the long answer, but the bottom line is that if my code leaks personal data and then people sue Microsoft, Microsoft loses money. That would not be fun for me.

Windows 10 system requirements:

Here’s what it takes to upgrade to Windows 10 on your PC or tablet:

Latest OS: Ensure you’re running the latest version—Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update.
Find out which version you’re running.
Need the latest version? Download Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update.
Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS or 20 GB for 64-bit OS
Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
Display: 800 x 600

Is Windows 10 better and faster than Windows 7?

Windows 10 is better than Windows 7; if you’re still running the older OS, it’s time to upgrade. Here’s why. Windows 8 was a radically different operating system, but Windows 10 brings back the legacy look and feel of Windows 7 whilst maintaining fast performance.

Here’s our comparison of Windows 7 vs Windows 10.

For many, Windows 7 has been the benchmark against which to judge all others. Considering how confusing and ill-thought-out Windows 8’s interface was (and still is in many ways), it’s no surprise that many are sceptical of the Windows 10 upgrade.

Well, we have good news. Microsoft is back in form, with Windows 10 taking the best bits of Windows 7 and Windows 8 and adding some welcome new features.

THE START MENU

Windows 7 has a straightforward, well-designed interface that is very familiar to Windows users. Click on the Start Menu button in the bottom left corner to navigate your PC.

When the minds behind Windows 8 decided to supplant this with a touch-focussed approach, it soon became apparent that only a few users wanted big icons, charm bars, and menus swiping in from up, down, left and right.

Many people we talked to used tools like Classic Shell and Start8 to bypass this completely and revert to the Desktop mode with its simple Start Menu. Windows 10 doesn’t make the same mistake.

The Start Menu returns from its brief hiatus, but now it’s been beefed with some useful new features. Live tiles from Windows 8 are now included on the right side of the menu, although if you’d prefer not to have these, they are easily removed.

Alternatively, there is also the option to run the Start Menu in fullscreen mode. The left side of the menu brings a sense of continuity with Windows 7 in that it contains options for regularly used apps, File Explorer, Settings, and a Search bar.

With the Anniversary Update in Windows 10, live tiles now take you to what is being displayed rather than to the app’s home page.

More importantly, the ‘All Apps’ list is now the default view when opening the Start Menu, meaning removing the extra option; this also changes the positioning of the power button, which now resides in the left-hand corner. This all adds to a better experience over Windows 7 through the Start Menu.

SEARCHING THE WEB FROM YOUR DESKTOP

One area where the changes between the two systems are obvious is in search. In Windows 10, the Search bar looks for folders, apps, and files on your PC and is also linked to the Windows Store and your browser to search the web right from your desktop.

No need to navigate to the right tab when you want to look something up; just hit the Windows key, start typing, and your search results will be displayed in a browser window.

In addition to this, there’s also the impressive addition of Microsoft’s assistant Cortana.

CORTANA

Windows phone owners will already be versed in Cortana, the virtual assistant to whom you can issue voice commands.

Of course, Google Now and Apple’s own Siri perform similar duties, but in Windows 10, Cortana has become an integral part of the desktop OS.

Clicking on the Search area in the Taskbar opens the Cortana interface. It allows you to ask her various questions, such as search queries, your upcoming appointments, the weather, directions to the nearest coffee shop, and many others. She can also schedule appointments, take dictated notes, add tasks and reminders, plus play music on her PC.

Microsoft also revealed that it is launching Cortana apps for iOS and Android, which hopefully means the notebook that she uses to remember all of your requests will also work on those platforms.

What are the Windows 10 system requirements?

This could make Cortana an incredibly useful way to organize your life across all your devices, whatever they may be, from your Windows 10 desktop.

With the Anniversary Update in Windows 10, Cortana has taken even greater emphasis in operating systems.

You can now use voice activation to set reminders directly from the lock screen and use Cortana to provide more information within web-based searches.

Note: Unfortunately, Microsoft has decided to keep Cortana-based searches forcefully. You can turn off the option, but you won’t be able to fully remove it as you were able to before the Anniversary Update.

VIRTUAL DESKTOP

While it’s technically possible to have virtual desktops in Windows 7 via the Desktops v2.0 software available on the Windows Sysinternals site, Windows 10 has the feature included directly in the operating system.

Click on the Task view icon in the Taskbar (or use the WIN+Tab key combination), and you can quickly add a virtual desktop by clicking on the Plus sign in the bottom right corner.

You can easily drag open applications onto the new workspace and declutter your tasks.

Navigating between them is easy, and as they all share the same data, any changes you make will be universal.

UNIVERSAL APPS

When Windows 7 was first released in 2009, the smartphone phenomenon only began, and the iPad was still just a rumour.

Having software that worked across all platforms could have made sense.

This is a much bigger issue in our increasingly mobile-centered world. In Windows 10, Microsoft has announced Universal apps (or Windows Apps as they’ve now renamed them), whose purpose is to run smoothly across your phone, tablet, PC, and even Xbox One. Windows 10 system requirements

This means that when you buy an app, you buy it once, and it’s immediately available on all your devices.

Of course, it isn’t quite that simple, as a full version of Photoshop isn’t going to run on a £59 budget smartphone, but expect to see trimmed-down applications that can do many of the basics and sync up with each other seamlessly.

EDGE BROWSER

Internet Explorer has been a staple of the Windows experience for many years. Windows 7 is the default gateway to the World Wide Web, as it comes pre-installed with the OS.

Of course, nothing stops you from downloading an alternative browser – say Firefox, Chrome, or Opera – but statistics show that many opt to go with what they’ve got.

There’s a good reason for this, as IE is a standard that many sites on the web are guaranteed to work with, and it’s a stable, easy-to-use app.

It came as something of a surprise then when Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would ship with a brand new browser – Edge – that it thought was better suited to the modern web.

After testing Edge recently, we certainly agree, as it is fast, elegantly designed, and features a variety of advanced capabilities, including being able to annotate web pages and then send the image to friends or colleagues, Cortana integration, a new simplified reading mode that clears out the clutter on a screen, and several under the hood improvements.

In the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft has added extensions, web notifications and the option to clear your browsing history on exit, making it a more modern web browser over IE.

GAMING

DirectX 12, PC Game DVR, and Xbox One game streaming One of the most popular uses for a Windows machine is – of course – games. Windows 7 is a tried and trusted gaming platform that has stood up well to the rigours of time, still delivering excellent performance, stability, and compatibility.

Windows 10 builds on this solid base with enhancements that might make you consider leaping to the new version.

The most obvious is the inclusion of DirectX 12, which has already seen some impressive bench testing results on various gaming sites.

AMD-based systems owners should note this in particular, as reports suggest that DirectX 12 makes significant strides in improving gaming performance from AMD-powered graphics cards.

Another game-related addition to Windows 10 is the PC Game DVR. This smart upgrade to the Xbox app allows users to record videos of their games in real time and then share it with friends.

Users can also play Xbox One games on their PCs by streaming across their local network.

This new feature means you can plug your Xbox One controller into your PC, fire up the Xbox One, don your headphones, and play away happily in the next room while the rest of the family watches the television.

Conclusion or my opinion

Windows 7 is still an excellent, reliable, and stable operating system, but we’ve been impressed by the innovations Microsoft has included with Windows 10.

If Windows 8 left a bad taste in your mouth or just never appealed, we think you’ll find the user-friendly feel of Windows 10 an easier transition from 7.

The new features make it feel like an operating system for the modern world, with mobile devices and web integration opening up the possibilities. Give it a go; we don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Windows 10 system requirements