July 29th this year will be the release of the much awaited
Windows 10. In this version, the much beloved Start Menu will make a return,
while Cortana and many new security enhancements will also be seen in the
update. The update is a free download for the Windows 7 and 8 users, while
Windows 7 users may have to claim it in advance.
Here are 10 things you need to know about the software
giant’s latest OS.
1. Customers running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will be able to
upgrade to the next-generation OS for FREE
2. Operating across all PCs, Tablets and Smartphones, it will feature
the return of the Start
Menu (which was removed in Windows 8), complete with new Live Tile
animation.
3. Windows
Hello provides access to your devices via biometric authentication
with your face, iris, or finger. It greets you by name and with a smile,
letting you log in without a password and providing instant, more secure access
to your Windows 10 devices.
4. Windows 10 will incorporate a new browser called ‘Edge’ – although
the ageing Internet Explorer will also be bundled with Windows 10.
5. It will offer a rival to Apple’s Continuity feature called,
innovatively enough, Continuum.
So you can pick your work from a Windows Phone or tab to a Windows desktop
right where you left off. Your Windows Phone will adjust to the Windows desktop
screen when the two are connected.
6. Personal assistant Cortana –
a rival to Apple’s Siri – is now more deeply integrated with the Start menu.
Cortana will take over once you search in Start Menu and come back with the
results. It will also answer questions while a user is still typing and you can
apparently ask it for a joke!
7. Just as Apple’s OS X comes loaded with iTunes, Movie-maker, the
Photos app, etc. Windows 10 will also come with Music
and Video Preview which are getting an update, including a full
screen for the Music app. The Video Preview app will now be able to re-download
videos any number of times for up to three devices. Microsoft says it plans to
increase the number of devices that users can download on.
8. Office on
Windows gets a makeover with Windows 10 users able to experience new
universal Windows applications for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, all available
separately. One improvement is that you can create or update spreadsheets
in Excel without a keyboard or mouse. You will also be able to enjoy new
versions of OneNote and Outlook, which are included with Windows 10 at no
additional cost.
9. The Xbox App for Windows 10 has new features like Game DVR for PC
games, screenshots, a Live Tile, user profiles, and real-name sharing. Also
users will no longer need to separately download drivers for the Xbox
controller as they will be pre-installed on this build.
10. With Windows 10, Microsoft wants to gain one billion new users. In
order to do that, the company is making it easier for Android and iOS apps to
run on Windows 10 and has released four new Software Developer Kits (SDKs)
supporting apps written in Web, .Net and Win32, Android C++/Java and Apple iOS
Objective C. This will allow developers to bring all their apps to Windows 10
platforms.
