Yes, that is Billion with a “B”

Microsoft’s ambitious plan to evolve it’s dominant position in computers to the new world of tablets, smartphones, and the cloud, hits a new milestone July 29th with the introduction of Windows 10.
Office 365 is Microsoft’s fastest selling product ever (beating Windows 95, the current record holder for software releases), and with that success now comes the new operating system, Windows 10 which the software superpower undoubtedly hopes will have as great of an impact.
The best news for you – it’s free. Yes if you own a PC, Windows Phone or Tablet, or an Xbox with Windows 7 or 8, you can download the upgrade for free (for about 1 year from launch).
Microsoft’s goal is to have Windows 10 on 1 billion devices in three years. They already have 1.5 billion devices on previous Windows platforms, so one can imagine if this OS lands with consumers, it’s going to be a serious threat to their competitors.

Windows 10
These are the top 3 features that will differentiate Windows 10 for the other players in the market:

1. Unified Experience
Windows 10 is designed to work on any device you throw at it. If you are using a traditional desktop with a keyboard and mouse, it will detect your setup, and optimize the icons and Start Menu to maximize screen real-estate. If you are using it with a touch screen laptop, or Microsoft’s Surface tablet, the icons, and interface will be much larger, for ease of use via touch input. This feature is auto-detecting and self-adjusting.

2. Edge Browser
Microsoft has finally put their famous Internet Explorer browser out to pasture and is refreshing it with the brand new “Edge” browser (formerly called Project Spartan). With this refresh comes speedier performance, greatly improved touch capabilities, and many add-ons to customize it to your personal preferences.

3. Cortana
Cortana is a service much like Apple’s “Siri”, or Google’s “Now”. It is Microsoft’s way to allow you to control your mobile device with the use of voice, and not your hands. Windows 10 is breaking new ground by building this into the desktop Operating System. You will be able to speak nearly any command to your computer without needing the keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen.

The new OS will be free a free upgrade for anyone currently using either Windows 7 or 8. After the first year, pricing is set at $119 for Home and $199 for the more robust Professional. The release date is set for July 29th.

 

Microsoft is stepping out of their comfort zone and building a new place in the market from the ground up. We are eagerly awaiting the release of 10, and all of the improvements they have bundled with it. This is a new chapter for Microsoft, we can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Contact Upward today to create your strategy for migrating to this new platform.