Microsoft Announces Windows 10 – Everything You Need to Know About It

We were waiting for Windows 9 to be unveiled but Microsoft surprised everyone by unveiling the next OS, Microsoft Windows 10. Yes it is named Windows 10 officially and not Windows 9 as the rumors suggested. The reason behind this is that Microsoft said the it is a big leap from Windows 8 and so calling it Windows 9 won’t do it proper justice.

Windows 8 didn’t perform as expected by the software giant however they did introduce some new features with the operating system. With Windows 10, they have aimed to appease the users who were left disappointed with Windows 8’s touchscreen oriented approach. So with the latest version of OS, which is being dubbed as the best Windows yet, they have tried a keyboard and mouse approach.

There are some major improvements in Windows 10. Take a look at the following video highlighting its features.

The Return of START Menu:

Windows users became quite comfortable with the Start Menu and it was the most important component of the operating system, but Microsoft removed the menu from Windows 8 and replaced it with a Start screen with tiles. Now this was a great thing for touch screen devices but when used with keyboard and mouse, the same thing became a lot irritating.

So the users expected that Start Menu will return with the next version and it has! Windows 10 comes with a brand new Start Menu which features the Live Tiles from the Start screen. So it won’t be wrong to say that its an amalgamation of the Start Menu and the Start screen.

The Start Menu has not only been back to the operating system, but has returned with a bang. With Microsoft Windows 10, Start Menu comes with integrated web-searching, which makes it a lot more powerful.

Have a look at what the Start Menu in Windows 10 looks like:

Credits: Microsoft

Microsoft Windows 10 – Made for Multitaskers

A lot of people stuck to Windows 7 even when Windows 8 was launched with a lot of new and interesting features. The main reason was that the users found Windows 7 as a better OS to work around. No mess like the Live tiles and other touch-based functions.

But with Windows 10, Microsoft has targeted the hardcore-users of the Windows platform. The new “task view” button triggers the virtual desktops and lets you create and set up different desktops for different uses. You can jump between different desktops by using the task view button. You may use different setup at work than what you use at home.

All the open programs in the virtual desktops will run in the background and might create some serious memory management issues, but at the same time it will be able to improve the productivity to a great extent.

Credits: Microsoft

Microsoft Windows 10 – “Continuum” Approach

The most irritating thing in Windows 8 was when you had to switch from touch input to keyboard and mouse input. But it seems that Windows 10 might prove to be a turning point in this situation.

With Windows 10, Microsoft has introduced a new feature which is going to provide better Touch and Keyboard-Mouse integration. They are calling this feature as the “Continuum”, which will be able to switch between different modes based on how the users interact with their devices automatically.

The Continuum feature is still in a beta phase and the work is in progress and you might get the full version by the time Windows 8 is made available for purchase.

Everything Runs in Windows Again!

If you have used Windows 8, you might have noticed that the Windows 8 apps ran in a full screen modes but now with Microsoft Windows 10, those apps will appear in actual windows. This means that you will be able to resize the window and move it around on the desktop. It will also have a title bar with maximize, minimize and close buttons.

Microsoft Windows 10 – Pricing & Availability:

There hasn’t been much talks about the price of the operating system, however it is speculated that Windows 10 might be given away to upgraders for free or for a nominal fee.

However, Microsoft is planning to release a technical preview of Windows 10 later this week for advanced users and developers for testing. The official release of the OS would not follow until later in 2015.

Credits: Microsoft

This time, Microsoft is actually listening to its users. Yes, you will be able to give your feedback and experiences about Windows 10. The preview build will be released as a part of the Windows Insider Program and through it you can share your feedback. Microsoft has said on its official blog that the Insider Program has been designed for PC experts and IT Pros who are comfortable using pre-release software.

We’ll keep you updated as new features and news is being unveiled about Microsoft Windows 10. Till then, let us know what you think about the new operating system from the software giant.