Microsoft’s Windows platform is 30 years old as of November 20, 2015. Windows 10 is the newest version of the venerable operating system. It implements Microsoft’s attempt to unify the user interface (UI) on the three important hardware families that have gone mainstream in the past few years. The families are desktop PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Although Microsoft has had products in each family, until now they presented the end user with different operating procedures and sets of applications, in contemporary jargon, “apps.” Among the goals of Windows 10 are to provide a UI that is flexible but consistent across the three types of devices and to provide so-called “universal apps” that run on all three platforms and operating procedures that work consistently across the platforms. The problem, of course, is that the older desktop systems use mouse and keyboard, whereas the two newer systems use touchscreens that usually substitute for the mouse-keyboard combination. The challenge for the software designer is accommodating both methods of user interaction with each type of device while keeping application use consistent across platforms.

The common wisdom 20 years ago was “wait for version 3” of a Microsoft product, because that would be the one it got right. In the modern era, we have Windows 7 that supports touchscreens, but is much better with mouse and keyboard; Windows 8, which supports mouse and keyboard but is much better at touchscreen use; and now Windows 10 that does both fairly well by combining and improving on the previous two operating systems’ UIs.

Windows 10 revealed is a short 96-page book that provides an overview of the major new features in the Windows 10 UI. Think of this book as a “getting started” set of instructions for people unfamiliar with this new Microsoft environment. It covers how the interface works on the three device families and describes new usability features. For phones, it demonstrates how to use some of the features such as the dialer, voicemail, maps, and so on. In the tablet and desktop environments, it covers topics such as customizing the start menu, various swipe gestures, editing tiles, and so on.

Following the introduction to the updated UI, two major new features are presented: the Cortana interactive assistant, and Microsoft’s new browser, Edge, that will complement, and eventually replace, the technologically obsolete Internet Explorer. These two features are examples of universal apps, programs that operate consistently on all three platforms. Included in a subsequent chapter are overviews of other universal apps, including Outlook for email, and calendar, photo, music, video, and other office apps.

One is struck by the number of pages that contain a few lines of text and a picture, plus a lot of white space. There is less content than one might expect given the number of pages. True novices would get the most out of this material because the instructions are detailed and clearly written; experienced users will learn a few things. One thing I learned is that Microsoft is just now catching up with mobile device features that have been in competing products for some time.

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