Details about the new Windows 10 have been revealed by Microsoft in a recent event. Here are the most important things.
You may tell yourself “ok, but there is a 9 missing…” and Microsoft might have completely ignored Windows 9 but the replacement for Windows 8.1 is still a pretty exciting thing. The new operating system comes as a landmark for the company and is a new generation software which the company hopes to unify all the platforms it is available on – tablets, smartphones and PCs.
Terry Myerson from Microsoft told the media during the unveiling that the new Windows 10 will be their most thorough platform ever. He claims that Microsoft will offer a single store which means users will be able to update applications across all platforms using Windows 10.
Even though the company shared a lot of details about the new features in the operating system, a lot of elements still remain a mystery. Probably the biggest mystery about the new Windows 10 is its release date.
Windows 10 Release Date
Windows 10 was revealed by Microsoft on September 30 and the tech giant said that they will make available for laptops and desktops a Technical Preview of the OS as an element in the Windows Insider Program. Unfortunately, details regarding the release date are still very few. However, the consumer preview will be revealed on January 21 in an event named “The Next Chapter”.
Brandon LeBlanc from Microsoft wrote on the blog for Windows that the event will be held January 21 on Wednesday in the Microsoft Redmond campus where the company will reveal a lot more about the new OS.
The Microsoft Build 2015 conference is scheduled between April 29 and May 1. The conference is held in San Francisco at the Moscone Centre and it is Microsoft’s developer conference held each year. The conference is mostly about the upcoming software from the company and therefore, we expect to see a lot more regarding Windows 10.
The first edition of the Build conference took place back in 2011 in September and there was a lot of focus on the old Windows 8, which was also present in the 2012 edition. In 2013 there was much focus on Windows 8.1 and last year’s conference was mostly about how Cortana made her way onto the Windows Phone 8.1.
We expect that this year’s Build conference will be about Windows 10 and its release date in particular. Myerson confirmed that the software will see the light of day somewhere later in 2015. Analyzing previous release dates from the company it’s very difficult to know exactly what this means.
Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 all launched in October and Windows 7 arrived in 2009 in July. Based on this, a release date in October for Windows 10 is the most plausible, even though anytime from 2015 Q2 onwards is a possibility.
Windows 10 Features
Windows 10 is an important upgrade compared to other releases. Microsoft is looking to unify platforms with their newest release and this is not a very easy task. This also means that there will be a lot of new features, including universal applications, desktop-level Cortana personal assistant and the return of the Start menu in Windows (which we still have no idea why it was removed in the first place).
One of the more intriguing features is Microsoft’s new mysterious browser called “Spartan”. Reports claim that it’ll be stylus friendly and will feature a ‘dark’ theme across Windows.
Many have complained about Microsoft’s decision to abandon the very useful and well-known Start menu in Windows 8. This made the company add in Windows 8.1 a Start menu, but it still wasn’t the version we all loved and many people still wish for the full menu to return in the future.
Thankfully, Microsoft updated the Start menu, even though it’s in style with Windows 8. The Start menu is back on the bottom left side of the screen but features some Metro live tiles. The new menu is also a lot wider but thankfully the user can resize it. The company also focused more on the touch integration and it promised it will update the touch user interface, promising more features while keeping some of the old ones that worked well in the past.
Cortana
A lot of people were thrilled to find Cortana in the Technical Preview build of Windows 10. Cortana is an AI that is controlled with your voice and was initially built for Windows phones, but it looks like the personal assistant will also come to PCs.
The desktop version of Cortana was revealed this month in WinBeta. Videos from an unreleased build showed the personal assistant performing different tasks such as establishing alerts and using mapping features. Cortana is a serious competition for Google Now and Siri and is pretty good at tasks like searching the web, scheduling events and making small talk. However, fans of the popular “Her” movie will likely be disappointed of her limitations.
Other functions
Another new feature in Windows 10 is the Task View. This new function allows users to snap through various virtual desktops. Task View can be launched from the task bar and allows the user to rearrange launched apps. Touch users can also open Task View by swiping from the left side of the screen.
An important part of Task View is the function called Snap Assist. Snap Assist improves on the functionality in Windows 8 regarding side-snap. The new feature offers vertical snapping, cross-monitor snapping and 2 x 2 snapping. This is great for people that rely on multitasking.
The command prompt is also revamped with keyboard shortcuts. Users will no longer have to type very long command lines – the new command prompt will allow clipboard pasting.
Microsoft also introduced Continuum. And even though it sounds like Apple’s Continuity, it is not the same thing. As a matter of fact, Continuum analyzes the way you use your device and then adapts to your style. If you plug in a mouse and keyboard into the Surface Pro 3 you will be offered a click friendly user interface. Unplugging those peripherals will switch back to the more touch friendly Metro user interface. This is a pretty nifty feature if you think about it.
There will also be universal apps available on Windows 10. Since basically the same Windows 10 will be on different Microsoft devices, the company opted to offer a single store across all platforms. This means that if you download Skype on the PC it should be the same for all other platforms, smartphone and mobiles alike.
Microsoft will also discuss gaming at the event scheduled for January 21st. Phil Spencer also said in a tweet that it is about time for the company to talk about gaming and that he will reveal details in January.
What this actually means, we’re not completely certain but what we know is that the most recent Windows 10 build has an Xbox app that opens up the Xbox environment on the PC. This app shows the friends list, the Xbox store, activity feeds, achievements and a whole lot more goodies.
Windows 10 Preview
On October 1st the Insider Program was officially launched. Developers and other tinkerers were given the chance to mess with Windows 10 before its official launch and Microsoft has released several other build since that date.
Microsoft made the preview build for developers available on October 7 for users of Windows 7. At this time there is no preview for consumers available but it is planned to be revealed in January.
Microsoft said on October 13 that nearly one million people used the Technical Preview for Windows 10. There were also 200,000 feedbacks and 68% of the people testing it were doing so with more than seven apps a day.
On April 15 Microsoft will shut down the Technical Preview and will not let anyone test the product again until it is going to be released. However, it’s not too late if you want to see what Windows 10 feels and looks like.
For the people who are anxious and can’t wait for the release, there are rumors that Microsoft will offer a Consumer Preview of the new OS in late January. It is claimed that the new preview will focus more on a side of Windows 10 intended for consumers.
Windows 10 Download
You can’t download the full operating system as of now and Microsoft only made a Technical Preview available to the public.
The Technical Preview, however, is not the final software and has frequent updates which add new features, respond to feedbacks and fix bugs.
Anyone can sign for the company’s Insider Program and download the Technical Preview but we recommend that only people who intend to give feedback to do so as it is not exactly intended for users who aren’t tech-savvy.
Windows 10 Price
Microsoft hasn’t revealed details about the price as of now and we aren’t sure how the company will approach it.
Some rumors claim that Microsoft will opt for a subscription-based kind of deal. There are also some rumors that say the company will offer the new OS for free. This isn’t entirely farfetched as the company’s main competition, Apple, have already started doing so since the OS X Mavericks release.
Windows 10 Details
Microsoft did confirm that users of the Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 Phone operating systems will receive a free upgrade to the new OS. Microsoft said that in the first year of the release, anyone using Windows 7 will get a free upgrade to Windows 10 and also anyone who users Windows 8.1 Phone will get the same treatment. Now you can buy Microsoft smartphones without having to worry about it too much.
Cortana was also confirmed for the desktop version of Windows 10. The personal assistant offered by Microsoft is going to be a main feature across all platforms. This means that Cortana will also be available on the desktop version of the new operating system.
Microsoft showed its new universal applications with the new versions of PowerPoint, Excel and Word for tablets and smartphones. The company also confirmed that all tablets and smartphones will come with these apps installed on them. There will also be a new Outlook universal app that will run across all Microsoft devices.
Microsoft also showed a new web browser that is currently in development. The new “Spartan” web browser is a universal app that has a new rendering engine for speed improvement, a reading mode and supports annotations. You can also leave comments on the web and share them with people on OneDrive. It is now confirmed that the “Spartan” web browser will come with Windows 10.
The company talked about the new DirectX 12 which is supposed to increase performance by up to 50 percent on the same hardware because developers will have more control over the GPU and CPU. It’s trying to make PCs work a lot more like consoles. Microsoft also announced that Unity, the popular game engine is going to use DirectX 12.
Just like Sony did with its Remote Play function, Windows 10 will allow users to play Xbox One games remotely on their tablets or PCs. However, the feature will most likely be unavailable on mobile phones.
The enormous 84 inch 4K PC entitled Surface Hub will also use Windows 10. The PC is a giant Surface Pro and can be used as a big digital whiteboard .
A new function Microsoft focuses on is the redesigned and improved Action Centre that comes up when you swipe from the right part of tablet’s screen.
A very common complaint about Windows 8 was that the Settings and Control Panel were two different things. These two sections are merged into one in Windows 10 and there will only be a Settings menu available which is likely to make life a whole lot easier.
So there you have it. These were all the details we could find about the new Windows 10 operating system from Microsoft.
Images source: arstechnica.com
Latest posts by Nancy Young (see all)
- Missouri Man Robbed by Date and Accomplice in Park - June 22, 2018
- Bose Poised to Launch Sleepbuds, In-Ear Headphones That Help You Sleep - June 21, 2018
- Russia Is Developing a Space Debris Laser to Keep Space Clean - June 15, 2018
