Windows 10 Review Roundup: What do others think about Microsoft's next OS?

"Windows 10 is hugely exciting. I rarely touch my MacBook Air anymore as I find the combination of some good hardware (like the Dell XPS 13) and Windows 10 is a joy to use. I like the direction Microsoft is taking with Windows 10, accepting feedback and ideas from its customers along the way. It feels like the best way to shape Windows into something people enjoy using, rather than something they have to use."

"It's nice, for once, to be able to recommend a new version of Windows without any hesitation. If you've got a Windows 7 or 8 machine, there's no reason not to take advantage of Microsoft's free upgrade offer. And if, for some reason, you have a machine that's older than Windows 7, Windows 10 is good enough to justify getting a new computer."

"So what's our verdict? Download it, definitely. Not only is it free to the vast majority of customers, it's a sizeable improvement over both of Microsoft's prior operating systems. Microsoft, to its very great credit, has assumed a corporate persona of humility and responsiveness that it's previously lacked. If there are problems—and there are—we have every confidence they'll be fixed."

"Windows 10 will finally give the great majority of PC users, who still use Windows 7, a familiar but improved upgrade. However, by making that upgrade free, Microsoft may be dampening, not boosting, the market for new PCs, at least in the short run. I regard Windows 10 as a solid, evolutionary operating system that's likely to be a good bet for people who like Windows. But don't upgrade until more of the bugs have been worked out."

"I like Windows 10 a lot more than I liked Windows 8 or 8.1. But I'm still not entirely sold on putting it on my main desktop PC -- a 22-inch Dell Optiplex that doesn't support touch."

"It's worth the upgrade from Windows 8 for these repairs alone. You should also get Windows 10 if, like me, you still use Windows 7 on your primary computer. You'll love its new search. It can do some things other operating systems can't, like identify your face instead of making you type passwords. It will talk back when you call out, 'Hey, Cortana,' to summon Microsoft's fledgling virtual assistant."

"Windows 10 is well worth a download. It's free, and it's much better than what you're using now. And if you don't love it, Microsoft wants to know so it can make Windows 10 better for you soon."

"Combine the early bugs with the spottiness of Cortana and the fact that third-party app developers are still updating their Windows apps for Windows 10, and the operating system still has a little ways to go before it becomes a solid all-around upgrade. But the improvements to security, along with the familiar user interface, should be reasons to grab this upgrade sooner than later (especially if you're on Windows 7 and lacking up-to-date security tools)."

"Windows 10 offers a number of key improvements over both Windows 7 and 8. With faster boot and wake times, Cortana's helpful cards, better snapping, and the ability to switch between touch and mouse-friendly UIs at will, the new operating system provides plenty of reasons to upgrade. As happens with any major OS update, there's a small risk of problems, particularly at launch time. Mainstream and novice users may want to wait until a week or two after launch for the dust to settle and driver problems to be resolved. Whether you plan to upgrade right away or not, we highly recommend that you switch to Windows 10 in the near future, because you will be rewarded with the best Windows experience ever."

"What we have, at present, is a fast, functional OS that that is equally at home on a beefy gaming rig as it is on a Surface tablet. It does everything you expect it to, and bakes in all of the improvements Windows 8 brought to bear. Both Cortana and Edge have a long road ahead of them before they'll supplant Google's vicelike grip on my digital life, but the novelty of dictating emails and requests to my PC is not lost on me. And then there's the price: free, for those upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8."

"Windows 10 is an OS with a bright future and even if it's not absolutely perfect today, it's new features make a compelling argument for you to upgrade. Microsoft has rectified most of the issues of the past and brought the desktop back to the future with Live Tiles, Cortana, Action Center, a new browser and a theme that the user can easily customize. And it's only going to get better."

"My experiences with Windows 10 have been nothing but positive, minus a few bugs which is to be expected with all software these days. The desktop experience is everything I've been hoping for since the debut of Windows 8.1, and the tablet experience, whilst a little tricky to get used to, is a great addition for tablet users."