Windows 10 All-in-One For Dummies. Woody Leonhard

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      FIGURE 2-14: Task view (shown here on top with the new Timeline feature below) displays all the multiple desktops you’ve set up.

      Multiple desktops are handy if you tend to multitask. You can set up one desktop to handle your mail, calendar, and day-to-day stuff, and another desktop for your latest project or projects. Got a crunch project? Fire up a new desktop. It’s a great way to put a meta-structure on the work you do every day.

      To start a new desktop, press Win+Ctrl+D. To see all available desktops, plus your Timeline, click the Task View icon to the right of the Windows 10 Search bar. Windows can be moved between desktops by right-clicking and choosing Move To. Alt+Tab still rotates among all running windows. Clicking an icon in the taskbar brings up the associated program, regardless of which desktop it’s on.

      Another nice feature introduced in the May 2020 update is that you can name virtual desktops anyway you want to help you keep track of which is which. It took Microsoft a long time to realize that this tiny improvement makes a world of difference.

      Security improvements

      I’m told that Pliny the Elder once described the alarm system of ancient Rome by saying, “Even when the dogs sleep, the goose watches.”

      With Windows 8, Microsoft somehow found a new backbone — or decided that it can fend off antitrust actions — and baked full antivirus, antispyware, antiscumstuff protection into Windows itself. Windows 10 continues to use exactly the same protection as Windows 8/8.1.

      Although the ’Softies resurrected an old name for the service — Windows Defender — and then changed it to Windows Security, the antivirus protection inside Windows 10 is second to none. In Windows 10, Windows Security gives you the following layers of security: antivirus protection, ransomware protection, firewall protection against network and Internet attacks, reputation-based protection (for apps, files, and websites), exploit protection, and parental controls. All this is free!

      Game mode and Xbox

      Gaming is a big deal in Windows 10, and Microsoft wants its operating system to be the best choice for gamers. To cater to the needs of gamers, Windows 10 has a game mode that starts automatically when it detects that you're playing something. You can also start it manually.

      Game mode prioritizes the processor and graphics card resources to your game. It also stops Windows Update from installing driver updates or showing update notifications during your play. Another useful feature is that it stops all notifications from all apps so that they don’t interfere with your game.

Another feature is the Xbox game bar, which has been improved with each new Windows 10 update. With it, you can take screenshots while you play and record videos of your gameplay. You can also use it to quickly adjust the audio and voice settings — useful when you play online with others and have to coordinate with them. The Xbox game bar also shows you the performance of your computer (processor, RAM, and graphics card resource consumption) and allows you to chat and interact with your friends on Xbox (see Figure 2-15).