Windows 10

What's new ?

With Windows 8 and today Windows 8.1, Microsoft failed to deliver an operating system (OS) that could handle the needs of not only number-crunching workstations and high-end gaming rigs, but touch-controlled systems. To overcome thing they are launching windows 10. it will be compatible with all hardware from all-in-one PCs for the family and thin-and-light notebooks down to slender tablets.

Start menu can be enlarged for touch devices so it's more like the Windows 8 Start screen. It can also be resized to your taste.

Various icons have changed – many of these (such as the Recycle Bin) have gone through several iterations since the first preview version of Windows 10 

Now in Windows 10 we have Alt+Tab (cycle through your apps) and a new thingy called Task View - there's a permanent icon on the task bar for it next to the Cortana search bar. This now does the same as Windows+Tab. It takes you to an app overview where you can use your mouse to select the app you want. It's pretty clever and in any mode of Windows 10 there is always an icon for it on the Taskbar.

But there is something else Task View can do – multiple desktops. Going into Task View and there's an icon in the bottom right that enables you to add another desktop, so you can have one screen for your email perhaps and another for your Photoshop work.

Pop-up notifications now appear in the bottom-right as opposed to the top-right in Windows 8.

Windows 10 makes a big push in terms of apps, both built-in and third-party.

Microsoft is going big on so-called Universal Apps – it's the corporation's great hope that developers will develop their apps once and that they'll work across PC, Windows 10 on mobile and Xbox, too – essentially on every screen size. This is known as the Universal App Platform or UAP.

Like Universal apps, desktop apps installed from the Windows Store will be managed from there so theoretically they will install quickly (without you doing anything more than clicking once to download/install), they can be uninstalled without hassle and – crucially – they will be sandboxed from the rest of the system a la Universal apps. Devs will use an Application Virtualization (App-V) container to package up their desktop apps ready for the Windows Store.

Microsoft Edge is the new browser for Windows 10 (previously it was codenamed Project Spartan)

Versions?

Windows 10 will be available in 7 versions, far more than one would have expected in the first place. While IoT, Mobile, Home, Enterprise and Professional were already confirmed, Mobile Enterprise and Education were unexpected. In comparison, there were only four versions of Windows 8.1 (five if you include Windows Phone 8) and one of them was Windows RT. Windows 10 is no longer just an operating system for 32 and 64-bit PCs. It will also run on the ARM platform for smaller tablets and smartphones.  Yes Windows 10 is going to run on phones also.

Cost?

Microsoft's Executive Vice President of Operating Systems Terry Myerson announced in January that Windows 10 will be free for existing Windows 7 and 8.1 users for its first year.

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