In the face of mounting criticism and falling PC sales, Microsoft has launched its new operating system (OS) at a press event in San Francisco, on September 30.
The successor to the current Windows 8 operating system (OS) will be known as Windows 10, not Windows 9. That's because the new Windows 10 OS is significantly improved over Windows 8 operating system (OS), claims Microsoft.
Windows 10 will be released sometime in fall 2015. Starting tomorrow, Microsoft will open up the OS to dedicated beta testers under its Windows 10 "Insider Program."
The new Windows 10 operating system (OS) does away with the dependency on the tiled "Metro" User interface (UI). The biggest news is that Windows 10 OS is being designed to run across all devices, regardless of any specific form factor (desktops, laptops, 2-in-1, phablets and smartphones).
"Windows 10 will run across an incredibly broad set of devices - from the Internet of Things, to servers in enterprise datacenters worldwide."
Basically, Windows 10 OS brings the core familiarity of Windows 7 and combine it with the functionality of Windows 8. Another highlighted feature of Windows 10 is the start menu. Yes, you heard it right. Microsoft has confirmed the start menu will return. It will combine both aspects of the Windows 7 start menu, coupled with Metro UI of the Windows 8.
Microsoft neither touched upon specific system requirements to run Windows 10 nor shared how much does the new OS will cost to end users.
Meanwhile, here is a quick look at the top features of Microsoft's Windows 10 operating System (OS)
Start Menu
The Start menu is back, finally. Now, when you click on the start button on the bottom left side of the screen, you'll get to see two panels side-by-side, with the left panel showing pinned and most frequent used applications. You also get to see power/shutdown/restart/standby/hibernate buttons, while the right column houses a selection of tiled applications that you can resize or customize.
Universal Search in Start Menu
At the bottom of the start menu, you get to see the search menu. Not only you can search programs and files, but also search relevant topics on the web.
Snap enhancements
Now with improved Snap View multitasking feature, you can view four windows screens at a go. While you could split your screen to adjust four apps, but it's not clear yet whether this very feature is dependent on your screen resolution.
Multiple Desktops
This feature seem to be similar to Apple's Spaces feature on OS X. Basically, now you can set up a virtual desktop like environment, instead of having open many apps on top of each other on one desktop.
New Task View Button
With Windows 10 OS, you can either hit the Task View button on the task bar or swipe in from the left edge of the screen to pull up a one-page view of all your open apps and files. This feature should be handy for those who would be using touch-enabled PCs.
