After weeks of apparent deliberation over the name and months of
screenshots, Microsoft has just taken the wraps off Windows 10, and
below, we’ve all the key details as revealed by the software company.
Given that the two versions preceding Windows 10 were Windows 7 and
Windows 8 – Windows 8.1 scarcely constitutes a major release, it was
strongly suspected that the build codenamed Threshold would evolve into
Windows 9. However, with suggestions floating around including “Windows X” and “Windows One,” the software maker has settled on Windows 10.
But aside from the name, what does Windows 10 include in terms of
features? Here, we dissect the announcement, and check out what’s in
store.
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Screenshots
Features
A Truly Unified Store For Apps
With Windows 10 and beyond, Microsoft will allow consumers to source
content for all devices running its software from one central point. No
longer will there be a different store for Xbox, Windows Phone and
Windows, but looking ahead, apps, music, video and other such effects
will be plucked from the same portal.
Enterprise
Microsoft has long since sought to cater to business and enterprise
markets with Windows, and as you’d expect, there’s big emphasis once
again with Windows 10. With features including corporate data
protection, and what the company refers to as “modern management,” business users will continue to thrive on what Microsoft is already dubbing as “the best enterprise platform ever.”
Start Menu
Hauled with very little remorse with the introduction of Windows 8,
the removal of the long-standing Start menu left many users with a
feeling of bemusement, but as promised, the traditional Start menu is
back.
It mixes elements of old and new, animating like it did on Windows 7
but sporting remnants of that Metro / Modern interface, and not only
does this seem like a happy median, but Start menu tiles can also be
resized.
Continuum Mode
If you boast a two-in-one PC then you’ll be presented with a brand
new Start Screen. And under-the-hood, Windows 10 will detect which sort
of hardware you’re running and it will adjust the user-interface to fit
your needs.
Enhanced Search
Continuing on the topic of the Start menu, search has also been
enhanced with Windows 10. Users will be able to key in their search
queries directly from Start, and can perform both local and Web searches
using this particular facility.
Desktop Optimizations
Microsoft was panned by critics for going on head-first with its big
Metro / Modern ideas for Windows 8 without considering that the vast
majority of its user base used – and still do use – traditional rigs
bereft of the touch-screen.
Windows 8.1 pandered to desktop users considerably with many of the
changes that it brought, and with Windows 10, this trend continues.
Windowed Metro / Modern apps should play nicer with the keyboard and
mouse arrangement, and for the most part, PC and notebook users should
feel a great deal more comfortable with Windows 10 than they did back in
2012 with Windows 8.
Multitasking
Multitasking continues to be an integral aspect as we seek to perform
numerous tasks concurrently, and with Windows 10, Microsoft has added a
couple of new features to make multitasking even simpler and more
fluid.
The new ‘Task View’ button, for example, which is located on the task
bar, throws up an Exposé-like view of all of your apps, and even though
Windows 10 is still very much in development, productive users will
certainly enjoy some of the tweaks that have been made here.
Enhanced Snap View
The all-new Snap Assist UI allows “up to four apps to be snapped on the same screen,”
as per Microsoft’s official press release, and with a neat, smart
suggestions feature that’ll indicate which open apps you should fill up
empty desk space with, it’s a very intuitive all-round feature.
Multiple Desktops
Windows users have long since bombarded themselves with an overloaded
desktop, with files and apps accumulating into one big hullabaloo. With
Windows 10, users will be able to create multiple / virtual desktops,
allowing productive, organized folk to arrange separate desktops for
different tasks, while those messy folk can make a real mess over
several plains rather than just the one.
Windows For All Devices
The next version of Windows is tailor-made to work on all devices, be
it a 4-inch phone, all the way up to a mighty 80-inch display.
See How Microsoft Windows Has Evolved Over 30 Years
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WINDOWS
1.0
The seminal version of Windows released on November 20, 1985. Users could run programs in multiple windows simultaneously, sparing them the nuisance of quitting one application before launching another one
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WINDOWS 95
Released on August 24, 1995, equipping users with their first Start menu, as well as minimize and maximize buttons. Roughly 8 in 10 of the world's PC's were running Windows at the time of its release.
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MICROSOFT WINDOWS 2000
Launched on February 17, 2000. Rocker Carlos Santana performed his song "Smooth" at the launch party, but the rollout proved bumpy due to several hack attacks that made headline news. Microsoft was forced into defense, releasing security patches throughout the product's lifecycle.
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WINDOWS VISTA
Released on January 30, 2007, on the heels of the massive success of Windows XP. Vista proved to be a harder sell. Despite security improvements and graphical flourishes, such as transparent window panes and smoother animations, corporate users blanched at the initial price tag and the onerous licensing requirements. Adoption rates flagged as users stuck to their older versions of Windows
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WINDOWS 7
Released on October 22, 2009 to rave reviews and a palpable sense of relief that Microsoft had recovered from the missteps of Windows Vista. The system introduced a new "Snap" feature that enabled users to easily snap windows into place, side-by-side, for easy multitasking. It also debuted touch gestures in response to the burgeoning market for touchscreen devices.
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WINDOWS 8
Released on October 26, 2012, attempted to radically redesign the start screen with "Live Tiles," a grid of commonly used apps designed for easy touching. The vast majority of Windows users continued to use the desktop PC's, however, and found the redesign, particularly the loss of the Start button, disorienting.
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WINDOWS 8.1
Released on 17, 2013, attempts to bridge the chasm gap between touch and PC interfaces, offering users their choice of Start screens. By now, tech pundits have a theory: every release of Windows alternates between hits and misses, setting expectations high for the next version, Windows 10.
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WINDOWS 10
Which released on July 29, 2015, blends the familiar layout of Windows 7 with touch features from Windows 8. The Start menu makes a grand reentrance, with Live Tiles discreetly tucked inside. Cortana, Microsoft's speech-activated assistant for smartphones, will also debut across all devices.
Technical Preview Download
The Technical Preview of Windows 10, which has been referenced ad
nauseam over the last couple of months, will be available for users to
test starting October 1st, 2014. The all-new Windows Insider Program
will, a bit like Apple’s new OS X Beta Seed program, allow regular users
to test drive unfinished software should they so wish, although as
exciting as it sounds, interested parties should remember that the
experience is likely to be buggier and more erratic than usual.
More details can be found at: preview.windows.com
Release Date
Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 will roll out in the middle of
next year, and although naturally vague at this stage, did also add that
it would be releasing after the annual BUILD dev gathering.
Pricing
There’s no word on the price as yet, which makes sense given that
we’re barely over the line for the announcement, but as soon as this
information is made public, we’ll have the details right here
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