The Windows 10 April 2019 Update is the next big download for Windows and is expected sometime in that month. Given how the October Update went, you would be forgiven for not waiting for this next one with baited breath. However, as computers are our thing, the guys here at Dave’s Computers in New Jersey are always up to date.
The Windows 10 April 2019 Update, version 1903 is the biannual big update that is part of the new vision of a single operating system that evolves over time. Hopefully it will avoid the pitfalls of the last update and all should be well.
Here’s what we expect with the Windows 10 April 2019 Update.
New light theme
A new light theme is counterpoint to the Windows dark theme introduced last time. It has been confirmed for this update and will deliver a light taskbar, start menu, folder border and new icons that work with this new look. You should be able to mix elements of light and dark too to create a personal look.
Window Sets
Window Sets were supposed to be with us in October but were deemed not ready. This is a new way to group apps so they work more like browser tabs. For someone like me who has lots of Word or Excel documents open at once, I will be able to group them together to manage my desktop easier.
New login screen
A new login screen is supposed to be cleaner, easier to understand and use and provide the ability to log in using Hello Face, Hello Fingerprint and Hello PIN.
Improved Start menu
The Windows Start Menu is also supposed to see the love. It has been decluttered and tidied up so it is clearer and offers a much more streamlined way to work with apps. It will still come with the bloatware inherent in Windows now but general use should be better.
Separation of search and Cortana
The separation of search and Cortana is long overdue. I don’t know anyone who uses Cortana on their desktop once the initial experimentation is done. From April, Cortana will be separate from search and will work individually. Searching on your computer will then more closely resemble web search and should work much better.
Pause Windows Update
You will also be able to pause Windows Update, which is great news. If you’re not ready or don’t want to run it at that time, you can pause the system until fixes have been released or a repaired update package is ready for download.
Reserved Space
A more controversial change is the introduction of Reserved Space. Windows 10 will reserve 7GB of disk space for its own use and you have no control over it. That’s a lot of disk space to take even if Windows won’t use it and is not going down well with reviewers.
Windows Sandbox
Windows Sandbox is a neat feature that we at Dave’s Computers are likely to use a lot. It allows you to run a virtualized instance of Windows where you can experiment with settings, new programs and other customizations. It offers a lot of scope for testing before committing to installs or configurations and should be quite useful.
There are other features apparently coming in the Windows 10 April 2019 Update but these are what I think are the notable ones. I am cautiously looking forward to this one!
