It is hard to believe, but Windows 10 is nearly 10 years old. On July 29, the operating system will mark its tenth anniversary, only a couple of months ahead of the end of mainstream support. Despite its fair share of failed features and controversies, especially on the privacy side, Windows 10 is considered the best modern Windows, even though a lot of its reputation stems from the misfired Windows 11 launch in 2021. Still, Windows 10 was a big deal for Microsoft and the PC industry overall.
In this article, which is part of Neowin's Windows 10 anniversary series, we take a look at the ten biggest achievements, features, and milestones that the outgoing operating system brought to the ecosystem. The list is subjective and in no particular order, so if you have 10 other changes or features on your mind, welcome to the comment section.
10. Windows Insider Program
The Windows Insider Program was announced in late 2014, and with it, Microsoft changed the way it develops its flagship consumer products (for better or for worse, depending on how you look at it). Now, enthusiasts and regular users have received a chance to shape the future of Windows by actively participating in its development in the form of testing regular preview updates, sharing feedback directly with Microsoft, tuning in to webcasts, and more. The program became a smashing hit, with 1 million testers achieved in two weeks. Later, it spread to other products like Skype (rest in peace), Xbox, Office, and more.
