Microsoft has unveiled Windows 10 which will offer users a unified look and feel across all Windows devices. It will also feature multiple desktops and re-introduce the familiar Start menu that was absent in previous Windows versions.
Microsoft has unveiled its next Windows operating system, Windows 10. It also gave a first look at an early Technical Preview for the PC, highlighting advancements designed for business, including an updated user experience, enhanced security and management capabilities.
The company also introduced the Windows Insider Program (WIP), kicking off their largest ever open collaborative development effort to change the way Windows is built and delivered to meet the needs of customers. Program participants will receive the technical preview of Windows XX and a steady stream of builds through the development cycle to use and give feedback on.
“Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows, unlocking new experiences to allow customers new ways to work, play and connect,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Operating Systems group at Microsoft. “This will be our most comprehensive OS and the best release Microsoft has ever done for our business customers, and we look forward to working together with our broader Windows community to bring Windows 10 to life in the months ahead.”
Microsoft provided the following information on Windows 10:
Windows 10: Familiarity and Consistency Across Devices
Windows 10 adapts to the devices customers are using—from Xbox to PCs, phones to tablets and tiny gadgets—and what they’re doing with a consistent, familiar and compatible experience, enabling even greater productivity. Windows xx will run across the broadest range of devices ever from the Internet of Things to enterprise data centers worldwide. Microsoft is also delivering a converged application platform for developers on all of these devices with a unified app store. Developers will be able to write an application once and deploy it easily across multiple device types, making discovery, purchase and updating easier than ever for customers.
Windows 10: Designed for the Challenges of Modern Business
Windows 10 builds nearly everything that businesses need, right into the core of the product – including enterprise-grade security, identity and information protection features – in ways that can reduce complexities and provide better experiences than other solutions. One area of advancement is in the work we’ve done with user identities that improve resistance to breach, theft or phishing. Windows 10 will also help advance data loss prevention by using containers and data separation at the application and file level, enabling protection that follows the data wherever it goes.
Management and deployment has been simplified to help lower costs, including in-place upgrades from Windows 7 or 8 that are focused on making device wipe-and-reload scenarios obsolete. Businesses will also have the flexibility now to choose how quickly they adopt the latest innovations, as well as influence continued improvements based on their feedback. Additionally, organizations will be able to customize a store specific to their needs and environment. The app store will allow for volume app licensing, flexible distribution and the ability for organizations to reclaim or re-use licenses when they need.
Technical Preview PC Productivity
The early Technical Preview of Windows 10 demonstrates new levels of flexibility, navigation and familiarity through the Windows experience, such as:
· Expanded Start Menu: The familiar Start menu is back providing quick one-click access to the functions and files that people use most, and includes a new space to personalize with favorite apps, programs, people, and websites.
· Apps run in a window: Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop programs do. They can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing for maximize, minimize, and close with a click.
· Snap enhancements: Working in multiple apps at once is easier and more intuitive with snap improvements. Have up to four apps snapped on the same screen with a new quadrant layout. Windows will also show other apps and programs running for additional snapping and even make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with other open apps.
· New Task View button: The new task view button on the task bar enables one view for all open apps and files allowing for quick-switching, and one-touch access to any desktops created.
· Multiple desktops: Instead of too many apps and files overlapping on a single desktop, it’s easy to create and switch between distinct desktops for different purposes and projects—whether for work or personal use, or both.
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