Print to PDF

As PDFs have become ubiquitous over the years, native support for PDF files is a welcome addition in Windows 10, meaning you will no longer have to resort to third-party programs. Simply select “Microsoft Print to PDF” as your printer in order to export a PDF file.

Background scrolling

I’m not sure why, but I always found that moment when you try to scroll up or down in a window, but failed miserably because you hadn’t clicked on it beforehand, unbelievably annoying. If you’re tired of scrolling in vain, you can enable background scrolling, where the scroll wheel will affect whatever window your mouse is hovering over. You can find this in Settings > Devices > Mouse and Touchpad.

Keyboard shortcuts for Command Prompt

If you regularly use Command Prompt, you’ll be pleased to hear the new iteration in Windows 10 comes with some fancy new keyboard shortcuts, including - praise the lord - Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, so you can copy and paste to your heart’s content. To make sure these are enabled, just right click on the title bar of a Command Prompt window, open Properties, and tick the “Enable Ctrl key shortcuts” box.

You can use Game DVR for non-gaming applications

Windows 10 is closely integrated with the Xbox One, and has the ability to stream live games from the console to allow remote gaming via a PC. With this comes the Game DVR function, which allows players to record gaming moments and share them with the world. Perhaps not aimed squarely at the enterprise market, IT pros will be pleased to learn that they can also use it to capture videos of any open app or desktop software.

To take advantage of this feature, users will need to have an Xbox gamertag, which can be set up for free if you don’t have one already. You can do this in Xbox One App, which you can find in the Start Menu. Once you’re all set up, just press Windows Key + G, which will bring up a prompt asking you if you want to open the Game bar.

Once you’re in, click “Yes, this is a game box,” after which you’ll get a new floating bar with which you can record an application and adjust options. When you’re done recording, you can find your saved videos inside your user folder under Video > Captures or in the Game DVR section of the Xbox app. If you often find yourself having to give demonstrations or software training, this could be a very useful utility.

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Battery Saver

Although there have been power-saving features in Windows since XP, it’s never really been very good. This led to some manufacturers creating third-party power-saving software for their laptops in order to do the job. Now that Windows 10 boasts an improved power-saving mode, which saves energy by cutting down on background processes that are unnecessary, you will no longer have to remove this software. Furthermore, with in-built power-saving settings, you are less likely to run into driver conflicts.

Universal Apps

First introduced in Windows 8.1, Universal Apps allow users to stop working on one device and pick up where they left off on another. This offers real benefit to mobile workers and those with multiple devices. Some apps that are compatible with this function include Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop Express and Dropbox.

There’ll be more to come

Supposedly, Windows 10 is the last operating system Microsoft are going to make, and by splitting up various elements of the operating system, such as the Start Menu, they will be able to provide regular improvements and updates which you can reap the benefits of without having to upgrade to a new version.

The answer to whether or not IT departments should upgrade to Windows 10 now isn’t clear cut. However good the reviews, Windows 10 is still a very young operating system. Combine this with concerns about privacy and new features such as built-in automatic updates means an already big decision becomes even more complex. Of course, the mainstream support period for Windows 7 has already ended, so the clock is ticking - enterprises will need to investigate an upgrade sooner or later. For all it’s teething problems, Windows 10 does offer a few new perks and it’s certainly the path of least resistance.