Microsoft Windows advantages, disadvantages, review & features

by Heba Soffar · Published July 17, 2015 · Updated June 8, 2020

Microsoft Windows is a common operating system for the home computer users, It is also commonly found on the workplace and the school computers, Some versions of Windows are used on the servers at the companies and the schools as well, and it is easy to use.

Advantages of Microsoft Windows

Windows provides ready-made solutions that can be implemented by just about anyone who’s ever used a computer, Because of a large amount of Microsoft Windows users, there is a much larger selection of available software programs, utilities, and games for Windows.

Microsoft has implemented many changes throughout its versions of Windows to facilitate ease of use, While it may arguably not be the easiest operating system, it is still less difficult to use than Linux, Although Windows has the software programs, utilities, and games for free, the majority of the programs will cost anywhere between $20.00 – $200.00+ US dollars per copy, and it has backward compatibility.

Microsoft Windows has a very large user base, so, Most hardware manufacturers support Windows drivers for their products, the majority of Windows programs are not open source, Microsoft has made great security improvements to their operating system over the years, Windows continues to be the most vulnerable to the viruses, the malware, and other attacks.

Microsoft windows

Microsoft Windows includes its own help section, It has a vast amount of available online documentation and help and there are books on each of the version of Windows, Windows has an edge over the competition in the area of Plug and Play support for PC hardware, Windows will usually do a good job at recognizing new hardware.

Microsoft Windows is available software, There is a huge selection of software available for Windows, This is because of Microsoft’s dominance of the world market for PC computer operating systems and office software, If you crave the latest in PC gaming technology, then you need Windows, A plethora of gaming titles are available for Windows, as well as lots of special gaming hardware that’s supported.

After Windows had become the world’s most popular desktop operating system, Internet Explorer (IE) became the world’s most popular web browser, IE is only available for Windows, It has made Windows the only choice for those who want to take full advantage of those websites that use Microsoft’s technology, Windows has compatibility with MS driven websites.

Disadvantages of Microsoft Windows

Over 95% of all viruses and malicious software are written for the Windows OS, This means you have to double-down all the security measures if you are using Microsoft software across the board, only Microsoft has full access to its software’s source code.

The security vulnerabilities of Windows operating systems make them popular targets for the programmers of malicious code, Whether these vulnerabilities are due to their enormous share of the market or coding errors on the part of Microsoft.

Although Microsoft Windows has made great improvements in reliability over the last few versions of Windows, It still cannot match the reliability of Linux, Microsoft Windows has poor security, Compared to other operating systems.

Microsoft Windows has poor support for older hardware , Legacy support for older hardware is gone in Windows 2000 and Windows XP , Microsoft claims this that was necessary to increase the overall stability of their systems.

Microsoft Windows uses high resource requirements, As opposed to the makers of other operating systems, Microsoft requires its customers to invest the most in their computer hardware, a faster processor (CPU), more internal memory and a larger hard disk.

Windows computers are more likely than other systems to be hijacked and used to distribute everything from spam to pornography to hate mail, Windows does not generate log files.

Windows 10 advantages and disadvantages

by Heba Soffar · Published July 5, 2015 · Updated November 6, 2019

Windows 10 has new generation design, It is easy to use social media sites like Facebook , Twitter , It is the latest Windows operating system which features many changes and very eye catchy user interface, It delivers new features on free upgrade, So, You will not wait for the new release and it has trusted brand name of windows .

Advantages of windows 10

When you run Windows 7 , Windows 8.1 , and Windows Phone 8.1, You can upgrade to Windows 10 free, Windows 10 technical preview was recently launched by Microsoft, there are many new features added to the new operating system, Windows 10 will have two browsers, It will ship with both Internet Explorer 11 and Spartan, the new uncluttered browser that Microsoft is developing, apparently to replace IE .

Windows 10 will include extended built-in mobile device management (MDM) capabilities making it easier to manage a device from the cloud, Windows 10 interface will adapt via Continuum which will allow the Windows 10 interface to adapt based on the hardware it is running in.

Windows 10 will be great for gaming, Microsoft is bringing big changes to PC gaming with Windows 10, We will see the debut of DirectX 12 API which promises faster, “closer-to-the-metal” gaming performance and greater efficiency, Windows 10 will also include a “game DVR” mode to allow recordings of the last 30 seconds of play, all better for the social gaming.

Windows 10

Windows 10 will be free for Windows 8.1 users for its first year, While there is no word on pricing for users still on Windows 7 or an older version, Microsoft confirmed a while ago that the two most recent Windows versions will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 directly.

Microsoft has added an Xbox app, you can see what your friends are doing and send them messages, check out achievements, and look at game clips, people have pre-recorded, Microsoft aims to bring the full Xbox Live experience to Windows 10 PCs, including allowing you to stream games from your Xbox One console directly to your PC.

Windows 10 will include universal Office apps, Microsoft is creating universal Office apps that will be touch-friendly and run on all devices, Future Windows Phones & Windows tablets will come with Office apps preinstalled.

A specialised version of Windows 10 will be launched for smartphones, with revamped Office and Outlook applications, which resemble their PC counterparts, Windows Phone 10 will also have an integrated messaging hub for Skype , texts and other IM services.

Windows 10 will have hologram technology, Microsoft introduced Microsoft Holographic, a set of technologies that will enable 3D imaging and hologram projection for Windows 10 apps, A video and live demo showed people wearing Microsoft HoloLens projection goggles to interact with remote coworkers, play a 3D version of Minecraft, or explore a 3D projection of Mars, Developers will be able to use HoloStudio software to develop 3D applications.

Microsoft has confirmed Windows 10 will support the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) standard, The users will be able to sign into commonly used apps like Outlook using a variety of biometric tools from fingerprint readers to retina scanners.

There will be two versions of the OS available, Windows 10 Technical Preview and Windows 10 Technical Preview for Enterprise, Both have the same functionality but the Windows 10 Technical Preview for Enterprise also includes current enterprise capabilities such as Windows To Go, DirectAccess, BranchCache and AppLocker, so, It is intended for IT pros.

Windows 10 improved multitasking, It will introduce a quadrant layout allowing up to four apps to be snapped on the same screen, The OS will even make smart suggestions to fill available screen space.

You will be able to cycle through open apps using the familiar Alt + Tab shortcut but there is also a Task View button on the task-bar , Pressing this will show all open apps, allow you to re-arrange them and switch between virtual desktops, There are no more typos in Command Prompt, The power users rejoice as copy and paste will be enabled in Windows 10’s Command Prompt.

Microsoft will launch a new web browser for Windows 10 which will be called Microsoft Edge after dropping the “Project Spartan” code name, So, the users will be able to annotate any web page using finger/stylus or keyboard input, Spartan will have a reading mode, And the Cortana voice assistant will be integrated into the browser.

Disadvantages of windows 10

Windows 10 can not upgrade oldest windows versions such as Windows 2000, windows 2001 etc, there is more cost for new PCs with Windows 10, There is no update in Windows media player, It is the same as it was earlier.

Touch-friendly features have been removed from Windows 10, You can no longer close apps by swiping them down from top to bottom, Many tablet users are going to face some difficulties in case of the touch control of the operating system.

You can not resize windows using the handle-bars which were present in most of the previous versions of Windows, Grabbing edges of the windows is very difficult if you are using a pen, Windows 10 has removed the functionality to change the volume level using the scroll button present in the taskbar.

If you get fed up with testing Windows 10 and want to revert the PC to the OS you were running before, It won’t be easy, The previous Windows OS will have to be reinstalled from the recovery or installation disk—typically a DVD—that came with the PC.

Installing Windows 10 Technical Preview disables the PC’s ability to play DVDs using Windows Media Player , and it removes Windows Media Center from PCs running Windows 8 Pro with Media Center.

Advantages and disadvantages of Windows 8

by Heba Soffar · Published June 6, 2015 · Updated May 8, 2020

Windows 8 is the latest version of the Windows operating system after Windows 7 which comes with the improved file system, security components, network stacks, drivers, media, and graphic support, and it supports high-resolution graphics and multi-core CPUs.

Advantages of Windows 8

Windows 8 has Internet Explorer 10 as a built-in web browser for improved web accessibility, the main features of Window 8 is the app platform with touch screen input, Apps can be downloaded from the Windows Store.

Windows 8 improved the internet explorer by adding the new features and making the browser work faster, and In Windows 8 there are two available browsers where one works in desktop screen and other as a metro app, and the latest version of Windows Internet Explorer is Internet Explorer 10.

The load and boot up speed have improved considerably over Windows’ predecessors, This is moderately due to the enhanced resource allocations to the applications and the system, When compared to Windows 7 desktop CPU, Windows 8 has an even speedier boot time.

Windows 8

There is one feature that offers the most handiness to the users, Windows to go allows the users to make a copy of their OS whole with their settings, wallpapers, files, and even apps, into a USB thumb drive, plugged it into another computer with Windows 8 already installed, and you can boot up the PC and make it look accurately alike the OS you normally use, with all the settings intact.

The safety is the main concern for any operating system, Windows 8 makes the best of security, The authentication method of the windows is provided by two ways by PIN and the picture passwords, Windows 8 is the most secure version of Windows yet.

Windows defender and also the smart screen filtering makes Windows 8 operating system to run without antivirus from the third vendors and booting is also secured.

Windows 8 operating system provides apps in windows store, Various apps can be downloaded from the windows app store from the music player to the games, the application can able to run in both touch and mouse input, The application can run in full-screen mode but if you want to minimize, It can be docked into the side of the screen.

Windows 8 has the innovative and energetic desktop, the tiles-based interface, or the Metro UI will be the first thing you see upon logging in to Windows 8, the UI seems to go by instinct with the touchscreen devices like the tablets and the smartphones, you tap on those apps to open them, The grid layout seems to ease such interactions, You can customize your grid by adding and arranging the applications.

It supports the low-power ARM architecture, It has advanced security features such as antivirus capabilities and supports secure boot, It has short boot time, Windows 8 boot time takes less than 8 seconds which is much shorter than its earlier version.

One of the main features of Window 8 is the app platform, Windows Store has a number of apps that are built for Windows 8, and Windows 8 also supports Near Field Communications (NFC) printing. A technology that can aid in the financial transactions digitally.

The new Windows 8 will supply Windows Live syncing, So, the users can log in on any Windows 8 PC with Live ID and get back their own personalized settings on it, The desktop will look the same every time the user log in on a PC with their Windows Live account, Migrating to a new PC is most likely made easier when the user has all the important settings synced.

Windows 8 is very cheap as the cost of Windows 8 is cheap compared to few earlier versions, You still have the desktop there, and all the programs you used to do can be still performed with some improvements.

Disadvantages of Windows 8

There is no antivirus for Windows 8, only windows firewall and internet security (but available for win 8 pro), and Apps works only in the full monitor by occupying the full face of the monitor, No side apps can be run while we are using the apps.

It is very difficult to move between the screens, there is no option to turn the tiles into the icons, the tiles causes a crash, The tiles interface looks nice when you have only limited apps, as you start adding more and more apps, the interface starts looking like a jumbled puzzle.

The modern interface of Windows 8 looks pretty but it takes some time to get used to this interface, the absence of a start button really rankles, Also switching between the two interfaces – Metro and Aero become tedious after some time, Metro is able to work well on the tablet but the UI is not very compatible when used on the desktop, Metro multitasking is limited to 2 application only.

Searching for something is very difficult because there is no search button, It is very difficult to swap between different screens, the absence of Alt-Tab function makes it difficult when working with many applications as there is no easy way to switch between the programs.

Another disadvantage of Windows 8 which is the Metro multitasking, In Windows 8, in the Metro interface for tablets, the screen display two applications are lined.

Metro interface works well on the tablets but the User Interface is not very compatible on the desktop, there is a need for some kill-switch which can turn the Metro UI off.

Windows 8 doesn’t support any flash content on Tablet PC, It has been done in order to save the battery of the Tablet, It also protects our privacy and enhances the security of the Tablet.