Microsoft’s January announcement of the HoloLens overshadowed the announcement of the company’s next operating system: Windows 10.
However, now that the fervor over the hologram-in-a-room has died down, we ought to take a look at 10 and what it has to offer — especially since the company just announced a summer release date for the OS.
Surprisingly, Microsoft is throwing a bone to users of Windows 7 and above by offering a download of the new operating system for free during its first year.
The freebie goes for the pirates too: those that illegally torrented, downloaded or otherwise cracked past versions of Windows will also have access to the free download. So even if you’re running a version that’s not exactly legitimate, the free upgrade is still yours.
However, there’s a catch as those upgrading an unauthorized PC will receive an unauthorized version of the new software, so you’ll still get those messages and pop-ups asking you to buy a license.
You may be wondering what comes with this free software download. Here’s a brief summary of the features that we can expect from Windows 10.
Cortana
The Windows Phone digital assistant will make her first PC appearance on Windows 10. For the most part, you will be able to control your computer via voice. Cortana will be able to handle voice-commanded Internet searches akin to the phone, but the desktop version will offer speech-created email and searches within the software itself. For example, you can ask Cortana to search for photos saved on your computer on a certain month. For the more security-minded, her searches can be limited.
Brand New Start Menu
The much-maligned Start menu will now satisfy the best of both worlds: Touchscreen users that don’t mind being taken to a different screen (Windows 8) and those classic users that simply wanted the Start menu to pop up from the bottom Taskbar (Windows XP, Vista, 7, ’98 and so on) will get what they want. When you bring up the new menu, you’ll have the usual selection of software to your left, and a collection of apps gathered into LiveTiles on the right, adding a bit of aesthetic flair. According to technology blog TechRadar, you’ll also be able to perform Internet and system searches via the Start menu, though those will probably be through Bing (of course).
Spartan
Assuming this is another nod to the “Halo” game series (as in Cortana), “Spartan” is a new web browser being developed in-house by Microsoft for 10. Earlier reports suggested that this would mean the death of Internet Explorer, but that is no longer the case as the two will co-exist on the OS. Microsoft says that users will be able to annotate websites via either keyboard or pen and share them with others. They are also going for a “distraction-free” reading layout.
Xbox
The Xbox application will be appearing on all devices that ship with Windows 10, and will contain games played across said devices, friend lists and an activity feed. Additionally, DVR game recording and sharing will be available for PC’s, similar to the feature on Xbox One.
One of the bigger features coming to the OS however, is the ability to play games simultaneously with a friend through cross-platform. Long story short, Xbox One owners can play the same title with those playing on a PC. Streaming to a Windows 10-enabled device is also coming to the OS as well.
There are more features coming in addition to the above, such as a notification center and a HoloLens integration feature for that aforementioned hologram-in-a-room. There’s a bit more fervor over the new OS now, so hopefully it can deliver. We’ll see how it goes down this summer when Windows 10 is officially rolled out.
Reach the reporter at djulienrohman@asu.edu or follow @legendpenguin on Twitter.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
