Review: Windows 10 20H1
Price: Free update
Our review of Microsoft’s Windows 10 20H1 update – also known as version 2004, or perhaps the Windows 10 April 2020 Update – shows an operating system focused primarily on building out existing features, rather than launching new ones. Some scaffolding is still apparent in tweaks to Your Phone and especially Cortana. Microsoft has further polished Task Manager, Settings and Game Bar, however, and isn’t afraid to serve niche audiences with upgrades to the Windows Subsystem for Linux and the related Terminal app.
As in the past, we’ve based our review on Microsoft’s Windows 10 20H1 Insider builds, beginning with the major features and working through to its minor additions. Though Microsoft essentially signalled that the 20H1 release was finished by January, we waited until the end of February to complete our tests. It’s important to note, however, that Microsoft hasn’t announced when the ‘final’ 20H1 version will ship, and a few more bugs may be fixed before then.
Meet the Windows Subsystem for Linux 2, and Terminal
When Microsoft introduced the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) as part of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in 2016, it was a shock to see Microsoft embrace Linux after opposing it for so many years. But the original Windows Subsystem for Linux was hobbled by the fact that it wasn’t running a real Linux kernel. Certain kernel modules, such as device drivers, were unable to run.
With WSL2, Linux now runs on its own kernel, in what’s essentially a virtual machine. If you use Linux, you’ll also be able to place your Linux files within the Linux root file system, and access them via Windows File Explorer inside the Linux virtual hard disk. Consequently, performance is expected
