As the clock ticks down on Windows 10's October 14 finale, Microsoft just pushed some updates that got the community fired up.
My PC is carrying on with Windows 10, and I plan to keep it that way until I possibly switch to Linux. Reservations around Windows 11 for folks like me are that the operating system seemingly takes one step forward and two steps back.
For example, Windows 11 only recently added the function to instantly view all apps, a feature that existed before but never got rolled over from Windows 10.
But taking the opposite approach and shoving streamlined Windows 11 features into Windows 10 is a step too far for many. And, while I don't feel it’s a big deal, there are many who do — and they're none-too-happy about it.
Of course, the feature I’m talking about is the clock.
Tsk, tock: Microsoft, return our clock
Back in January, Microsoft stripped the clock that counted seconds out of the Calendar Flyout on the taskbar. Let’s just say people had a… totally normal reaction to this. Exemplified by one user commenting, “Their plan is to make Windows 10 mirror Windows 11 in hopes that people finally downgrade.”
There are definitely worse comments (that I won’t share here), but the point is: people were upset.
While I am not so hung up on the seconds portion of this, the Calendar does look weird without the clock there. Why is this UI element reduced to such a small portion on the screen?
Well, you can’t say yelling never got anyone anywhere because Microsoft pivoted pretty hard, revealing on May 15 that it’s now bringing the Calendar Flyout's real clock, seconds included, back to Windows 10.
The change will be reverted as part of the Windows 10 Build 19045.5912 update, which is available right now in preview, and will be pushed as an optional update in the last week of May, and then finally available for everyone next month on Tuesday, June 10.
However, there is a slight change in the new Calendar Flyout, which includes a little image in the top right corner that represents the holiday for the day.
That is a neat little addition, but of course, not all that glitters is golden. If you click on it, it’ll take you straight to Microsoft's Bing.com search engine.
Listen, I’m all for giving Google some competition, but Bing ain’t it. I mean, it’s already tough to beat a search engine with a name that’s become synonymous with search itself.
Regardless of whether or not you think this is a small thing, Windows 10 folks didn’t mess around. Microsoft hasn’t commented on the removal or return of seconds, but it certainly got the message.
