-- Windows 10 to be offered as free upgrade; group computing
and holographic Windows 10 devices unveiled.
REDMOND, Washington,
Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday unveiled a new generation of Windows,
with a wide range of experiences designed to usher in a new era of
more personal computing, as well as two new devices designed to
extend the Windows experience from large screens to no screens.
Windows 10 will be delivered as a service to offer a safer,
innovative and updated experience for the supported lifetime of the
device. A free upgrade[1] for Windows 10 will be made
available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows
Phone 8.1, who upgrade in the first year.
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"Windows 10 marks the beginning of
the more personal computing era in the mobile-first, cloud-first
world," said Satya Nadella, CEO of
Microsoft. "Our ambition is for the 1.5 billion people who are
using Windows today to fall in love with Windows 10 and for
billions more to decide to make Windows home."
Windows 10: Making computing more personal
Windows
10 marks the beginning of the more
personal computing era, where technology disappears and people are
at the center. In this era, the mobility of the experience matters,
not the mobility of the device, and experiences should work in a
seamless, familiar way across devices. People should be able to
naturally interact with technology as they interact with other
people — with voice, gestures and gaze. Protecting privacy plays a
pivotal role in delivering trustworthy experiences that put people
in control of their experience.
On Wednesday, Microsoft showcased a variety of new experiences
coming to Windows 10, including the following:
Cortana comes to PC and tablet. The Cortana personal
digital assistant, which debuted on Windows Phone last year, will
now also be available on Windows 10 PCs and tablets to help people
get things done.[2] Cortana is a personal helper who
learns an individual's preferences to provide relevant
recommendations, fast access to information and important
reminders, bringing what matters most to their attention.
Interaction is natural and easy via talking or typing, with
advanced features to control Cortana for more trustworthiness and
transparency.
New browser "Project Spartan" puts the Web to work, for
you. Windows 10 will feature the new Microsoft browser,
code-named "Project Spartan," which was built with interoperability
in mind. With key features built-in natively to the browser, it
will enable greater reliability and better discoverability. Some of
the most advanced features in the browser include the ability to
annotate whether by keyboard or pen directly on the webpage and
easily share with friends; a reading view that is distraction-free,
displaying the article in a simplified layout for a great reading
experience for Web articles online and offline; and the integration
of Cortana for finding and doing things online faster. All of this
is offered with a new look and feel built just for Windows 10.
Xbox Live and the new Xbox app bring new gaming experiences
to Windows 10. Xbox on Windows 10 lets gamers and developers
access the best of the expansive Xbox Live gaming network on both
Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One. Players can capture, edit and share
their greatest gaming moments with Game DVR, and play new games
with friends across devices, connecting millions of gamers around
the world. Games developed for the new DirectX 12 application
programming interface in Windows 10 will see improvements in speed,
efficiency and graphics capability. Players will also be able to
play games on their PC, streamed directly from their Xbox One
consoles to their Windows 10 tablets or PCs, within their
home.[3]
Office for Windows 10. Office universal apps on Windows
10 deliver a touch-first experience across devices. New versions of
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook are designed from the
ground up to run on Windows, built for touch, and offer the
unmistakable Office experience customers know and love. With the
familiar features for Office, people can create and edit Word
documents with ease. New inking features in PowerPoint let people
annotate slides in real time, and the new touch-first controls in
Excel make it easy to create and update spreadsheets without a
keyboard or mouse. The next version of the Office desktop suite is
also currently in development and Microsoft will have more to share
in the coming months.
Additional Windows 10 features and innovations shared today
include the following:
- Continuum mode. On 2-in-1 devices, Windows 10 will move
easily between keyboard and mouse and touch and tablet as it
detects the transition and conveniently switches to the new
mode.
- New universal apps. Windows 10 will offer new experience
applications, consistent across the device continuum, for Photos,
Videos, Music, Maps, People & Messaging and Mail &
Calendar. These built-in apps have an updated design that looks and
feels the same from app to app and device to device. Content is
stored and synced through OneDrive, enabling people to start
something on one device and continue it on another.
"Everything about Windows 10 — the experiences, delivering it as
a service and the free upgrade — means that Windows 10 isn't just
another product, it's an ongoing relationship — one that will give
ongoing value to all our customers," said Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the
Operating Systems group at Microsoft. "The new generation of
Windows is a commitment — a commitment to liberate people from
complex technology and enable them to do great things."
Windows 10: Powering innovation, inspiring new computing
platforms
Windows 10 adapts to the devices customers are
using — from Xbox to PCs and phones to tablets and tiny gadgets —
and what they're doing with a consistent, familiar and compatible
experience. Windows 10 will run across an incredibly broad set of
devices — from the tiniest of sensors as part of the Internet of
Things, to servers in enterprise datacenters worldwide. Some
devices have 4-inch screens, some have 80-inch screens and some
don't have screens at all. On Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled two
devices that will empower customers to experience Windows in
incredible new ways.
Windows 10 unlocks holographic future with Microsoft
HoloLens
Microsoft shared a revolutionary example of how
Windows 10 enables a shift from the traditional machine-centric
view of computing to an interaction that is much more personal and
humanistic. As the world's first holographic computing platform,
Windows 10 includes a set of APIs that enable developers to create
holographic experiences in the real world. With Windows 10,
holograms are Windows universal apps, and all Windows universal
apps can also work as holograms — making it possible to place
three-dimensional holograms in the physical world and enabling new
ways to communicate, create and explore that are more personal and
human.
To showcase the possibilities of holograms in Windows 10,
Microsoft unveiled the most advanced holographic computer in the
world. Microsoft HoloLens is the first untethered holographic
computer — no wires, phones or connection to a PC needed. Microsoft
HoloLens features see-through holographic high-definition lenses
and spatial sound so you can view and hear holograms in the world
around you. Complete with advanced sensors, a next-generation
system on a chip and the addition of a completely new Holographic
Processing Unit (HPU) that understands what you are doing and the
world around you, Microsoft HoloLens is able to run without any
wires while processing terabytes of data from the sensors in real
time.
By placing three-dimensional holograms in the world around you,
Microsoft HoloLens provides a new view into your reality that can
tell what you are looking at and understand what you are saying
with your hands and voice. By putting you at the center of the
computing experience, Microsoft HoloLens allows you to create,
access information, enjoy entertainment and communicate in new and
exciting ways.
New Microsoft Surface Hub optimizes Windows 10 experience for
groups
Windows 10 is powering a new large-screen device to
help teams in the workplace share, ideate and create together.
Hardware innovations in multi-touch and digital inking, along with
built-in cameras, sensors and microphones, allow the Surface Hub to
take advantage of Windows 10, Skype for Business and Office 365 to
deliver a new experience designed to make every person — whether
remote or onsite — feel as if they're in the same collaborative
space. Specifically, the Surface Hub features state-of-the-art
digital white boarding; instant remote conferencing; the ability
for multiple people to share and edit content on the screen from a
laptop, tablet or phone; and a trusted platform for large-screen
apps. Available in two sizes — 55-inch and 84-inch — the Surface
Hub removes the current limitations of traditional conference room
scenarios to empower teams to create their best work together.
The next Technical Preview for Windows 10 on the PC will be
available for free to Windows Insiders in the next week and for the
first time on phones later in February. More information on the
Windows Insider Program and the Technical Previews can be found at
http://preview.windows.com.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide
leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help
people and businesses realize their full potential.
[1] Hardware and software requirements apply. Feature
availability may vary by device. Some editions excluded. More
details at http://www.windows.microsoft.com.
[2] Cortana available in select global markets at
launch.
[3] Xbox Live features, including game recording,
only available with supported games in Xbox Live-supported
countries. See http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/countries. DirectX 12
only available with supported games and graphics chips. Limited
number of games available in 2015 that support cross-device play;
additional games to follow. Multiplayer streaming from Xbox One
requires home network connection and Xbox Live Gold membership
(sold separately); Gold also required for multiplayer play on Xbox
One.
For more information on Windows 10:
http://news.microsoft.com/windows10story