Windows 10s New Features
Microsoft showed us the final version of Windows 10, and the roll-out will begin later this year. But what�s new in Microsoft�s latest OS? We take a quick look at the biggest and most important features of Windows 10. Free, free, free: For the first time ever, Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 users.
As we noted here, Microsoft has taken a cue out of Apple�s book which has been given OS X and iOS upgrades away for free, to ensure that users don�t have to shell out money for an OS. If your PC or laptop is running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 and your Windows phone has the Windows Phone 8.1 OS, you will get a free upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10 � in the first year.
What is not clear is if users on laptop and desktops will have to pay after the first year. In an age, where free OS and software is the new mantra, Microsoft has taken the right step by making Windows 10 free of cost. Hopefully the free upgrade will continue after year one as well.
Cortana
As had been widely rumoured, Microsoft�s voice assistant/Siri Clone Cortana will be built into Windows 10. Cortana has a permanent spot on the taskbar, and can search your local hard drive . As with the Windows Phone version, you can edit Cortana�s notebook to remove personal information.
Will we see Cortana in Australia when Windows 10 launches? Given that Cortana on Windows Phone was initially a US-only release, this might prove to be the case with desktop Cortana too � though the fact that a beta Australian version of Cortana did eventually surface gives us some hope.
Project Spartan
Microsoft confirmed its plans to develop a new browser, codenamed Project Spartan. (We�d expect Internet Explorer to remain for backwards compatibility). As well as a new rendering engine, Spartan will include the ability to take notes on a given page, using touch, stylus or keyboard; a reading mode to display long articles more attractively; and native support for PDF viewing.
The Start menu returns
After a few years of claiming that the Metro-style Start screen was just as good for mouse-and-keyboard use as touchscreen use, Microsoft has finally backed down. Windows 10 will have a Start menu on the Desktop; the left side will look a lot like the standard Windows 7 Start menu, but the right side will have the option of being populated with Metro-style live tiles. The left side of the menu will adopt a new Metro-like look, too � though you may be able to configure it to look like the good ol� Windows 7 Start menu.
Xbox on the desktop
In a recent leak from winsupersite.com, Build 9901 of Windows 10 shows an Xbox app on the desktop. We dont know exactly what it is yet, although Paul Thurrott suggests it could be a new Xbox SmartGlass.
Microsoft confirmed tonight that all Windows 10 PCs and laptops will include the Xbox App that will make them - in effect - an extension of the Xbox console.
Make local accounts easier to use
If you�re still on Windows 7, you might not know the operating system has heavily suggested the use of a Microsoft account since Windows 8. The installation process makes it seem as though users can�t proceed without one if they�re connected to the Internet during installation.
Microsoft is going the Apple way by finally introducing universal apps. These will have a similar design across devices and will work across PCs, laptop, smartphones and tablets. Outlook will come with an in-built Word engine which provides the Office ribbon, which allows multiple ways of formatting Office documents. The calendar app will also be synced across devices and will sport a consistent design as well. There�s also a new Photo App gallery, which looks inspired by Google+.
All pictures taken on the devices, as well as photos on One Drive will be merged together and the app will automatically delete the duplicate files to reduce the clutter. The Photo app will automatically enhance your photographs by default, much like Google+. It will also create Photo Albums automatically based on date, location and the people in the photographs.
Improvements to Snap
Windows 7s snap function will work with all apps, whether new or old. Again, this is not ready for prime time. But eventually a new layout will mean you can snap four apps on the same screen. A new feature called Snap Assist allows you to grab apps from multiple desktops within Task View.
This is a complex issue that�s referred to in several different feedback topics in several different areas. Put simply, users want to use multiple virtual desktops with their own unique pre-set background images, icons, and settings. Some users would even like to see this feature available for use with multiple monitors. If enabled, this would let a person with three monitors run three different desktops with their own settings and icons simultaneously.
We think this feature would be an awesome addition for power users, but it�s also extremely complex. If it�s added (and that�s a big if) we doubt Microsoft will provide it as part of a �standard� Windows edition. Expect it in Windows 10 Pro.