Microsoft announces July 29 launch date for Windows 10

by admin / 01 June 2015 / No Comments
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Microsoft today announced that it’s next generation cross-platform operating system – Windows 10 – will launch in 190 countries on July 29th, as a free download for both desktop and mobile devices.

If you currently use a Windows 7 or Windows 8 desktop or laptop computer, you may have seen a Windows logo pop up in your tool tray beside the volume icon and the clock. Clicking on the same, will take you to a webpage inviting you to reserve your copy of the upcoming Windows 10.

Taking it’s cue from Apple – who’s last 3 versions of it’s OS-X operating system have been offered to users as a free upgrade – the Microsoft desktop upgrade will only be free for the first year. This aggressive move is a first for Microsoft, which has traditionally made most of its money from Windows sales, but is forecasting to put Windows 10 on a billion devices in three years or less.

The operating system marks a radical departure in other ways, as it will be a unified platform across computers, phones, and tablets, simply iterated according to screen size and processing power. Through a feature called Continuum, users of some phones will even be able to connect to a monitor and work as if they were on a PC.

Windows 10 has finally killed of the Internet Explorer web browser, replacing it with a brand new, built from the ground up browser named Edge, which Microsoft pledges will give the user a much improved web browsing experience, utilizing the latest web browsing technologies.

Rounding out the short list of notable new features, is Cortana – the previously mobile-only voice activated personal assistant, which will now be included in all desktop and mobile flavors of Windows 10.

I have been playing with the Windows 10 Technical Preview since mid-March, and I must say, that if it is a sign of great new things to come, I am so far quite impressed. Microsoft has brought back the desktop environment that we have come to know and love since 1995, while integrating the Modern UI “tiles” into the start menu, which makes much more sense than the radical touchscreen inspired tiled start screen of Windows 8.

If you are a Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 user, you can reserve your copy of Windows 10 now by clicking on the new Windows logo in your tool tray, or alternatively by visiting the Windows 10 Q & A page here .