Windows 10 Creators Update: Microsoft adds fun to its flagship OS
Watch the video at go.pcworld.com/w10cufun
MICROSOFT’S WINDOWS 10 CREATORS UPDATE offers the most significant upgrade to Windows 10 since its launch, splashing a bright, cheery coat of fun over Windows 10’s productivity foundation.
Microsoft started rolling out the free upgrade to existing users as soon as April 11. New users will need to pay $120 for Windows 10 Home (go.pcworld.com/w10home) or $200 for Windows 10 Pro (go.pcworld.com/win10proamz)—remember, Windows 10 itself is no longer free. Insiders already have the Creators Update, as the company recently confirmed, and we used the Insider build to write this review.
It’s worth the upgrade. The Creators Update adds numerous new capabilities (go.pcworld.com/w10up) that Windows previously lacked. Check out Microsoft’s renewed commitment to PC gaming. Try the new, creative twists on Windows Ink (no stylus required—a mouse or touchpad will do), including the ability to write on videos (yes, videos) and maps. Take a second look at Microsoft’s Swiss Army knife, its Edge browser, which now offers 4K Netflix, ebooks, and more. Even Cortana has learned new tricks.
Microsoft’s 3D vision is missing a key portion, and that’s a shame. Still, it doesn’t matter if you can barely draw a stickman, or own an aging PC with a three-button mouse—Microsoft made the Creators Update accessible to everyone, though you’ll certainly enjoy it more with a touchscreen and stylus.
A cool new experience from the get-go
If you’re upgrading to a new PC equipped with the Windows 10 Creators Update, the new Cortana-driven, out-of-the-box experience (OOBE) is a charming introduction. Narrated almost exclusively by the actress Jen Taylor as Cortana, the OOBE is now voice-driven and almost entirely hands-free, orally asking you to agree to using Cortana, Windows’ default privacy settings, and the like. In all, the setup process took me about four minutes. You still
