About 24 hours ago, Microsoft dropped the bomb called Windows 10 and it mostly turned out to be a big hit. This is the Windows the consumers had been waiting for a long long time, be it Windows on Phone, PC , Tablet or Xbox.
Let’s have a look at what Windows 10 has to offer
- Cortana comes to PC and Tablet for the first time with Windows 10
- Windows 10 for Phones and small Tablets will be the same
- The large tablets will feature the version of Windows 10 as on PC
- Windows 10 also brings a completely new browser with a code name ‘Project Spartan‘. This new browser will act & work the same on Phones, PCs and Tablets.
- Spartan comes with strong Cortana integration
- On Spartan, you can annotate any webpage by keyboard or pen and share with friends
- There is also a reading view with simplified layout for both online & offline reading
- Spartan for Phones is still under development and we will get a look at it in coming months
- Windows 10 brings for the first time touch optimized Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook) for Phones & Tablets (also PC). They are built from ground-up, are fully featured and offer rich experience for touch based devices. The next version of Office suite for desktop (Office 2016) is also under development.
- Windows 10 is all about Universal apps and they are truly universal in nature for the first time so that your experience across devices remains the same and the best. We will see brand new Photos, Videos, Music, Maps, People & Messaging, and Mail & Calendar apps – all universal in nature. At the back of Windows 10, OneDrive plays a big role of syncing your stuff seamlessly across devices so you can start one one device & continue it across on another without any hassles.
- All new gaming experience with brand new Xbox app & with Xbox Live on Windows 10. Xbox gets more social in Windows 10, also players can now capture the video of their gaming with Game DVR. Windows 10 also brings the ability to play games across devices so as I understand a person with Windows 10 on PC can now play games with another person with Windows 10 on Xbox. Windows 10 also bring DirectX 12 with improvements in speed, efficiency and graphics. One can now directly stream games from their Xbox One consoles to Windows 10 tablets or PCs too which is one great addition.
- We will also be seeing the much awaited Continuum mode where your 2 in 1 device easily switches between Touch/Tablet & Mouse/Keyboard/PC mode.
- Also got unveiled was new hardware in the form of Microsoft Surface Hub, a 84″ large screened device with built in cameras, sensors & mics for your workplace. The screen supports ink and touch.
- The Surface Hub features state of the art digital white boarding, instant remote conferencing, the ability for multiple people to share and edit content on the screen from any device, and a trusted platform for large-screen apps. Available in two sizes – 55” and 84” – the Surface Hub removes the current limitations of traditional conference room scenarios to empower teams to create their best work together.
- Last but not the least came the biggest innovation of the day ‘Microsoft HoloLens‘ which made the so far called Science Fiction a Science Fact. Microsoft HoleLens is the world’s first holographic platform powered by Windows 10 and universal apps acting as Holograms. So just like those movies, you can place three dimensional holograms in the world around you to communicate, create and explore in a manner that is far more personal and human.
Some take-aways
- Windows 10 will be available as free upgrade to Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices. The upgrade can be had for free once Windows 10 launches & this option of free upgrade will stay open for a period of 1 year. Details thereafter are yet to be decided.
- Once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, Microsoft will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device – at no cost.
- Universal Windows apps that work across the entire device family, developers can build one app that targets the broadest range of devices – including the PC, tablet, phone, Xbox, the Internet of Things, and more.
Have a look at Windows 10 in brief in this 7 minute video from Microsoft, presented by Joe Belfiore