Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 this week, ushering in a new operating system which does away with some longstanding features. Their most recent OS, Windows 8, was something of a blip for Microsoft, with much criticism of the sweeping changes the company introduced. An update in the form of Windows 8.1 was quickly drafted in, addressing some of the criticisms, but it appears 2015 will be a year of radical change for the technology giant.
On January 21 the company held a high profile press conference announcing Windows 10, skipping 9 entirely in favour of a reimagining of the Windows experience. It will be a free download for Windows 7 and 8.1 users, and the software is packed with intriguing new features, with the aim of making it as personalised an experience for users as possible. Here are all the key announcements from the event.
The End of Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer will be phased out as a browser and replaced with what has been dubbed "Project Spartan". It is unclear if this name will last, but Microsoft stated, "The next generation browser was built with greater interoperability, reliability and discoverability, with a new look and feel built just for Windows 10." Reports suggest it will be similar to Google’s hugely popular browser Chrome, as well as acting as a logical improvement to IE of old.
Features included with Project Spartan will be the ability to annotate by keyboard or stylus on a webpage, share favourite sites with friends or colleagues, apply a distraction-free reading view, and the integration of Cortana (explained below) for ease of use.
Cortana
Anyone familiar with older Windows Operating Systems will remember Clippy, a paper clip who would spew forth advice (often when you didn't want it) until being discontinued around a decade ago. Microsoft subsequently developed Cortana for Windows Phones, an artificial intelligence (AI) personal assistant analogous to Siri on iOS (whose television adverts are difficult to avoid).
Cortana has now made the jump to Windows 10, and “she” can be accessed via the desktop or in the Project Spartan browser. Users will be able to perform many requests, such as asking her to read aloud information on websites, getting her to draft emails, read the weather forecast, or enquire about the latest news.
For Businesses: Surface Hub
Windows 8 proved something of a failure as a business tool. This has led Microsoft to attempt to endear themselves to the business community again, with Windows 10 addressing this predicament with Surface Hub. It is a giant tablet of some 84 inches which has inbuilt motion sensors and can run all Windows apps, making it ideal for brainstorming sessions.
Designed for boardroom use, it will allow a CEO, if they so wish, to observe their employees from the device. Although some CEOs may wish to fulfil George Orwell’s vision of Big Brother, the likelihood is Surface Hub will be used for increasing productivity and business meetings. The 4K screen can take conference calls, access apps from Windows, and is equipped with a pressure sensitive pen with which users can draw on the screen and rearrange icons.
Windows 10 will, however, cater more widely to business needs. Microsoft stated on their official blog, “For our enterprise customers, we’ll continue to support the way many of them work today, with long-term servicing for their mission critical environments. With Windows 10, a best practice we recommend for many enterprise devices is to connect to Windows Update and be kept up-to-date with the latest security and productivity improvements.” You can read about Microsoft’s commitment to Windows 10’s business compatibility here.
The Start Button
One of the longstanding criticisms of Windows 8 is the scarceness of the legendary Start button; early users had to search Google for advice on how to log off their systems. Start is now back in its proper location, although users will be able to optimise it to their preference based on the now familiar Windows tile format.
Skype
Skype, the popular telecommunications software, will be integrated directly to Windows 10. With the Windows 8.1 update Microsoft ended the inbuilt Messaging app, but this will make its return in the new software. Merged with the familiar features of Skype, where you can initiate video and audio calls across the world, it will be easier to find friends or colleagues on the service via linked usernames and mobile numbers. This means you do not have to remember user IDs in order to find people you know.
Augmented Reality
Finally, there was also the announcement of HoloLens, which could usher in a new "era of holographic computing", as Microsoft claim. "For the first time ever, Microsoft HoloLens brings high-definition holograms to life in your world, where they integrate with your physical places, spaces, and things." The device, a headset, blends the real world with holograms for an immersive "augmented reality" experience.
HoloLens maps any room a user is in, blends holograms to this environment, and pins holograms to physical locations the user chooses. Transparent images are displayed before a user, who is able to interact with these icons, allowing the user to design and shape their environment. Microsoft describes this a user defining their “canvas” for any projects or games they are indulging in. “Your digital content and creations will be more relevant when they come to life in the world around you”, they state. For further information you can see the official video explanation here.
Release Date
There isn’t a release date for Windows 10 as of yet, but 2015 seems a certainty. There will be a preview version available for testing in the next few months, and this will offer users the chance to adapt to the impending changes and experience. In the meantime, you can watch Microsoft's Joe Belfiore explain the "A New Generation Of Windows" over on the company's official YouTube channel.
To reiterate, Windows 10 will be a free for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 users for a year after its launch. This is, undoubtedly, Microsoft’s plan to get as many adopters to the new OS as possible.
