Microsoft disclosed that Windows 10 is showcasing many new features in the latest version of the operating system. Windows 10 will be free, for the first years, for existing users running versions of the Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and Windows Phone. Microsoft will support the upgrade for the “lifetime of the device.”
One of the most important statements was a new web browser for Windows 10, which will be available on PCs, tablets and phones. It will bring back the “Start Menu”, but it will also have a full-screen mode that includes more of the Windows 8 Start screen.
Microsoft is also bringing Cortana, a digital voice assistant, from Windows Phone 8.1 to PCs running Windows 10. Users will be able to access it via a search bar next to the Windows logo in the taskbar.
The Office suite for Windows 10 will include a new Outlook mail client, and the Office apps will work together across devices; for example, when you want to project a PowerPoint presentation from a phone to a PC.
Project Spartan, the new web browser, offers a cleaner user experience, a more streamlined appearance and is designed for mobile, tablets and the desktop. It will allow users to “draw” directly on a web page for quick sharing of notes.
The three main goals for Windows 10 are: letting users transfer seamlessly from device to device, instilling trust in users, and providing the most natural ways to interact with devices.
The new OS is also intended to address complaints about Windows 8, and later 8.1. Windows 10 reasserts many traditional Windows design elements, but also provides a platform that Microsoft can build on for the future. Microsoft hasn’t yet set a date for the general release of Windows 10, but it’s expected to launch in the fall.