Instead of announcing the next version of its iconic
operating system in front of a massive crowd of
thousands, Microsoft chose an intimate venue with 50 or
so reporters to launch the new Windows, which it's calling
Windows 10.
The company looks at the new number (yes, it skipped a
number) as an indication of the direction it's taking with
the OS; Microsoft says it'll be "the most comprehensive
platform ever," featuring a full range of products that'll be
placed under the Windows 10 umbrella as part of "one
tailored experience." Microsoft's Joe Belfiore showed off
an early beta version of the new Windows on stage, which
looks very much like the leaked screenshots we saw not
too long ago; Belfiore says that they wanted to bring the
familiarity of Windows 7 and combine it with the
functionality of Windows 8.
The new Windows will look very familiar if you're used to
either of the the last two versions, though Win8 users will
notice that the Modern UI is nowhere to be seen at first.
Instead, the series of Live Tiles can be found in the Start
Menu off to the right side, with the usual Win7-style set
of pinned and frequent apps on the left side, along with
web and app search underneath. It also comes with a
refreshed taskbar that comes with a new "task view,"
which essentially lays out all of your running apps. You
can also tile up to four apps on the same screen.
Additionally, Windows 10 also gets a nice improvement to
the command prompt: Now you can use keyboard
shortcuts, as well as copy and paste.
The Charms Bar is still there, though it may not look
exactly the same when the final build comes out --
Microsoft says that the UI is still not final and it expects
to change it between now and then -- and there are
plenty of touch elements and gestures carried over from
Windows 8.
With Windows 10, Microsoft also plans to adjust the user
interface depending on the mode you're using it in; for
instance, it'll look different if you're using it for touch
versus if a mouse and keyboard are detected.
The Modern UI shows up as a "large Start Menu" in
addition to a back button on the taskbar when you're in
touch mode, whereas you'll get the traditional desktop
look and feel if you're using a keyboard and mouse.
The team only showed a few bits of Windows 10 today,
but they'll continue to add more pieces to the puzzle over
the course of the next year as Microsoft prepares for a
late 2015 launch. For instance, we'll see more of the
system at the company's Build conference next Spring.
That said, Microsoft will be launching an Insider Program
tomorrow, which is designed to give the initial Win10
experience (also known as the Technical Preview) to folks
who have a deeper knowledge of the OS.
Belfiore insists that the new Windows will give full
functionality for everyone from beginners and novices to
advanced users once it launches, however.
When it comes to Windows Phone, Microsoft is keeping
pretty quiet about its plans, only mentioning that "it'll be
a natural step forward in the evolution of the phone."
Belfiore stated that the company wants to strike a blend
between phones, tablets and larger devices.
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