If you are a Windows 10 user...check out these 7 useful tips

Windows 10  is unequivocally Microsoft's best operating system release in years. 

That's not saying much since Windows 8 was a huge mess, and Windows 10 is basically an open admission that jettisoning the Start menu and de-emphasizing the desktop was a huge mistake.

But that's OK, because in the tech world, no company is perfect. With Windows 10, we've forgiven all of the sins accrued under ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Windows 10 is a solid modern operating system and anyone who preaches "OS X FTW, Windows sUx0Rz, lololol, Linux 4lyfe" without having used it is simply ignorant.

It takes time to master a new OS, to learn the sage shortcuts to school your friends and colleagues — here are seven tips to help you become a Windows 10 power user.

1. Using virtual desktops

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Virtual desktops give you more space than a single screen, letting you span your apps and windows across multiple "virtual" desktops. OS X did virtual desktops first (called Spaces), but you know what they say: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

To create a virtual desktop, click the "Task View" icon (it's directly to the right of the Cortana bar) on the taskbar, then click "+ New desktop" in the lower right corner and add as many new desktops as you want. To move an app to a new desktop, simply drag it into the virtual desktop on the bottom.

2. Advanced screenshotting

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There are many different ways to take a screenshot on Windows. Two easy ways is to use keyboard shortcuts: Windows + Prt Scn captures the entire screen and saves it into the Screenshots folder inside of the Pictures folder and Alt + Prt Scn captures the screen and copies it your clipboard; you can then paste it into an image editor like Photoshop or Paint.

Using the built-in Snipping Tool gives you more functions. In addition to capturing a fullscreen screenshot, there are options to capture: a free-form rectangle, a specific aspect ratio or an entire window. Additionally, you can set the capture to delay a screenshot by a set interval — that's useful for when you want to screenshot a YouTube video but not until the playback controls disappear.

3. Minimize windows with a shake

Power users will know this old Windows trick. I didn't even know it until Mashable chief correspondent Lance Ulanoff told me about it. 

If you grab a window by its title bar and shake your mouse (yes, really!) all of the other windows will minimize themselves.

4. Snap Windows like a pro

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Snapping windows to a specific part of the screen is a great way to organize, monitor different apps and multitask. But how do you make sure you're getting the most out of your screen space? Easy, follow along with me:

• Dragging a window to the left or right side of the screen will split it in half.
• Dragging a window to a corner will split it into a fourth and resize the window to fit each corner.
• Dragging a window to the top of the screen will make it full screen.

5. Record your screen with the Xbox app

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On a Mac, you can use QuickTime to easily record your screen. On Windows 10, it's a little trickier, but you can do it. Launch the Xbox app and once that's open, hop into the app you want to start recording and press Windows + G. A window will prompt you with "Do you want to open Game bar?" — Check the "Yes, this is a game" box and then hit the record button.

6. Talk to Cortana... like a person

Cortana, the personal voice assistant, in Windows 10 is pretty powerful. You can ask her all kinds of questions using voice or text.

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But the coolest thing about Cortana is you can use natural language to get results. For example, you can type "find photos from last August" and she'll search for all all photos from last year; there's no need to specific an exact date period or type in specific words.

Another good example: Do I have any appointments next week? Cortana will check your calendar for events happening next week.

7. Switch 'Battery saver' on

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This tip is only for portable devices like laptops and 2-in-1s like the Surface. Similar to the battery saver mode on Android phones and the iPhone, with battery saver switched on in Windows 10, background activity and push notifications are limited to extend battery life.

Battery saver mode automatically kicks in when your battery is lower than 20%, but you can also set your own power threshold and add which apps you want to allow to run in the background to send and receive notifications.

To activate Battery saver, go to Settings > System > Battery saver.