Why Upgrade to Windows? Here's Windows 10 Anniversary Update Review and Best New Features

Jul 29, 2016 12:13 PM EDT

It has been a year since Microsoft introduced Windows 10. The operating system is downloadable for free until July 29. After that day, users have to shell out $120 for the Home version, while the Windows 10 Pro costs $200. To help you decide if Windows 10 is worthy for your money, here's our Windows 10 Anniversary Update Review.

Windows 10 is refreshingly familiar for long time users of Windows 7. Microsoft's latest operating system has simple user interface compare to Windows 8.1, which is quite difficult to use. In addition, Windows 10 has very useful features like Cortana, Microsoft Edge and a bunch of small updates that liven up the Windows experience.

According to the Verge, Windows Ink is the best feature of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. The application improves things a lot and helps users to be more productive. Users can take down reminders on the new notes and transform them into true reminders. With Windows Ink, syncing phone notifications to PC is also possible. 

Cortana debuted on Windows 10 last year. In the Anniversary Update, Microsoft greatly improved the digital assistant to make it more functional.  By clicking on the search section of the Taskbar, Cortana will open up, and from there users can make web queries. Not only that, users can ask Cortana to play music, make a note, set a reminder and more. The digital assistant is also more intelligent as she can now schedule appointment in Outlook.

Windows Hello is one the best features installed on Windows 10. This biometric authentication solution makes user's device more secure. It uses a special camera to scan user's face to log into Windows without using a password. With the Anniversary Update, Windows Hello is also integrated into apps and websites, as per report from PC World.

Microsoft Store supports Windows 10. Purchase any item at the store and use Windows Hello to confirm it.  The features give users peace of mind while shopping online.

Of course, Windows 10 has tons of new applications that will really help its users. The things that we mentioned above are only tip of the iceberg.

Overall, the OS is clean, familiar, like it was on Windows 7 and its predecessors. It is easy to use and understand, plus it has tons of new, helpful features.