Windows 10 features, release date and requirements
Microsoft Corp is making its biggest push into the heavily pirated Chinese consumer computing market this summer by offering free upgrades to Windows 10 to all Windows users, regardless of whether they are running genuine copies of the software.
The move is an unprecedented attempt by Microsoft to get legitimate versions of its software onto machines of the hundreds of millions of Windows users in China. Recent studies show that three-quarters of all PC software is not properly licensed there.
Terry Myerson, who runs Microsoft's operating systems unit, announced the plan at the WinHEC technology conference in Shenzhen, China.
"We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10," he said in a telephone interview with Reuters. The plan is to "re-engage" with the hundreds of millions of users of Windows in China, he said, without elaboration.
What is Windows 10?
Windows 10 is the next version of Windows. Microsoft first unveiled Windows 10 on 30 September 2014 during an event in San Francisco and has elaborated more in events at the beginning of 2015 and more recently.
Microsoft reportedly wanted to abandon the Windows 8 brand with Windows 10, simply because Windows 8 was not well-received by critics and users. Microsoft also said it didn't use Windows 9 because it "wouldn't be right".
The company also didn't want to go with Windows One, because it already used the "One" brand for other products.
The new OS will undo many messy bits that both critics and users didn't like about Windows 8, while also bringing back some Windows 7 elements and keeping touch alive for two-in-one devices. Microsoft also wants Windows 10 to be a one-application platform.
When will Windows 10 release and for how much?
Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 will be offered as a free download to customers using Windows 8.1, Windows 7 and Windows Phone 8.1.
Announced during its Windows 10 media briefing, the free upgrade will be available to all of those customers - 200 million using Windows 8.1 alone - for an entire year after its official release date.
It will be coming in the "summer" for consumers, it has been confirmed. Many have speculated that it will be available from June, therefore. A preview version of the software is already available for those foolhardy enough to install it.
The revelation that Windows 10 will also be available as a free upgrade for Windows Phone users means that the company has confirmed it is killing off the separate Windows Phone operating system.
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Features
1. Cortana
CORTANA WILL BE A HUGE PART OF WINDOWS 10
After getting started on smartphones, Microsoft’s personal assistant is coming to the desktop. Cortana will bring her powerful search and reminder capabilities to Windows 10. We got a rough, unofficial demonstration of what this would look like back inSeptember, but today the company showed off a much more polished vision. Microsoft says "you’ll see Cortana as never before" in Windows 10, as it will now serve as the primary search tool for a massive audience of Windows users. But it gets way more personal than that; Joe Belfiore essentially carried on a full conversation with Cortana on stage. Cortana gave a Super Bowl prediction — which seemed just a bit biased in favor of Seattle's own Seahawks. Unlike the
sometimes robotic responses you'll hear from Siri and Google Now, Cortana speaks with a
natural, conversational flow.
2.XBOX
Gaming is getting a massive push in Windows 10. A new Xbox app enables Game DVR for sharing clips of most PC games with your friends — and they're sent across Xbox Live, so Xbox One owners can watch as well. You'll see a universal friends list with Xbox gamers on console and Windows, full messaging support, and an activity feed that shows you what everyone's doing.
But the plans get even more ambitious than that. Cross-play between Windows 10 and Xbox One gamers will become a reality. And if PC games aren't your thing, you'll be able to seamlessly stream Xbox One games to Windows 10 PCs and tablets on your Wi-Fi network "later this year." Microsoft showed off Forza Horizon 2 running on a Surface Pro 3.
3.Project Spartan
Microsoft has indeed been working hard on a new web browser, though we didn't get an official name today. It's still being referred to as Project Spartan, and Belfiore's demonstration lined up perfectly with The Verge's earlier report. He showcased the browser's broad support for touch and annotation. Highlighting something on a page is as simple as circling your finger around it — no Surface pen or stylus required. Using a mouse also works fine; you can click on any section of a website to type out a comment for sharing with co-workers or friends.A new Reading Mode puts articles in a layout that's easier on your eyes, and Microsoft is also introducing a Reading List that syncs content across phones, tablets, and PCs for later; Apple has had similar functionality in iOS and OS X for some time now. But what Apple doesn't have in its browser is Cortana. Microsoft's personal assistant is everywhere in Project Spartan.
4.New universal apps for PC
Microsoft has been working on all-new, universal apps for Windows 10. First is Outlook, and the company has built in Word's engine, which provides comprehensive styling and extra formatting capabilities no matter what device you're checking email from. On PC, it looks similar, but more polished than what's there today. Desktop users can also personalize Outlook with a background image of their choice.
Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage has gotten much smarter about displaying a "simple view of all your photos," Belfiore said. Like Google+, the new Photos app will automatically enhance and touch up photos, removing blemishes like red eye and making sure you end up with the right exposure. Windows 10 users can expect new apps for People, Maps, and Music, as well.
5.Design and interface improvements
Microsoft is paying attention to the details in Windows 10. During today's demonstrations, refreshed and more modern icons could be seen at every turn. The chrome around apps has been flattened, and everything feels more cohesive and consistent compared to the early Windows 10 software that beta testers have been using over the last few months.
6.New Task View
Now the Windows 8 task switcher has been unceremoniously dumped, there's a new Task View in Windows 10, too, so users can switch between virtual desktops.That's because Microsoft now recognises that novice users use the taskbar rather than switching in other, cleverer, ways such as Alt+Tab (which also now switches between desktops).
7.Snap Windows
A new Snap Assist feature also helps users work out which way is best to snap apps to. You can snap windows into new screens and tile Windows - just as you've been able to since Windows 2.0 or maybe 3.0.
8.The Command Prompt enters the 21st Century
Another quite amazing feature for those of us that use it is that the command prompt is now getting keyboard shortcuts! So you will be able to paste in your commands! Hardly groundbreaking, but actually pretty exciting.
9.Continum
Continum is an on-the-fly mode for 2 in 1 devices that can automatically change mode if it detects there is suddenly no keyboard attached. So, for example, a back button appears to help you navigate the Desktop with touch if the keyboard is removed. We reckon the charms will also disappear in non-touch mode, although we've heard conflicting news about that.
10.Windows 10 has lots for Business and Enterprise
To be honest, it needs to - Windows XP is now ancient and unsupported, while precious other businesses want to make the leap away from Windows 7. But part of the reason why Microsoft is demonstrating the OS without all the consumer features is to show enterprises what the OS is capable of at this stage.
This version of Windows will have plenty of other features for enterprise, including a customised store and protection for corporate data. Mobile Device Management will be able to be used for all devices.
See also:
Everything seems to be very similar to what we’ve seen in Windows Phone releases. Apparently a phone with a screen less than 3 inches just won’t cut it.
The optional components for both desktop and mobile are also worth highlighting (phones have stricter guidelines than PCs):
By and large, Microsoft is keeping the same requirements as previous Windows releases. The phone details are arguably more interesting given that the preview is currently limited to just six devices.
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Hardware requirements
The presentation “Minimum System HW Requirements & Compatibility for Windows Platforms” details what is needed to run Windows 10 on both desktop and mobile. It doesn’t disclose everything you need to know, but screen size, memory, storage, graphics, and firmware are all mentioned.
Here are the desktop requirements:
This is clearly aimed at computer makers. It’s thus worth adding that the Windows 10 technical preview has these requirements:
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
- RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
- Free hard disk space: 16 GB
- Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
- A Microsoft account and Internet access
Here are the mobile requirements:
Everything seems to be very similar to what we’ve seen in Windows Phone releases. Apparently a phone with a screen less than 3 inches just won’t cut it.
The optional components for both desktop and mobile are also worth highlighting (phones have stricter guidelines than PCs):
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