Microsoft Skips 9, Announces Windows 10

Apparently Microsoft isn’t down with the number nine. According to the Verge, which is live-blogging Microsoft’s Windows event in San Francisco today, Windows Boss Terry Myerson has announced that the newest version of the operating system is called Windows 10.

When asked about why Microsoft went from Windows 8 to Windows 10, Myerson had this to say:

“This product, when you see the product in your fullness I think you’ll agree with us that it’s a more appropriate name.”

Despite the head-scratcher of a name, Microsoft says that “Windows 10 will run on the broadest types of devices ever,” which would seem to include PCs, phones and tablets, and even – based on an image in one of the presentation’s slides – the Xbox One.

All devices running Windows 10 will have access to “one store, one way for applications to be discovered, purchased, and updated across all of these devices,” reports the Verge. Moreover, users will get different UIs based on what device they’re using, even though it’ll still be Windows 10.

For now, it seems that Microsoft is pitching Windows 10 at enterprise customers first. For them, businesses will have broad control over “separating corporate and personal data across all devices,” and will even featur a customized, enterprise-focused store.

As far as the other features we’re seeing in Windows 10, there’s a lot of what we’ve been hearing about for the last few months of leaks and previews. Users will be able to customize the Start Menu from the desktop, pinning whatever tiles and apps they like. The search bar will be tied into the returned Start Menu, and give users the ability to search the computer and the Internet at once, just like they can do in Windows 8 currently. Windows 10 will also feature a new button on the taskbar called “Task View,” that will open a window that shows all of the currently open apps or programs.

Windows 10 will also feature virtual desktops, as well as “Snap Assist,” which will let users pull apps from one desktop and move them to others to get the most out of their multitasking. “Modern” apps will also be able to be resized, moved, and snapped in different windows without messing with the Desktop – essentially returning to the Windows 7 style of app management.

Microsoft also demonstrated a new feature called “Continuum,” specifically designed for users on touch-devices. Via Continuum, it seems that when touch-users hit the Start Button, they’ll get a similar interface to the current Windows 8 Start Menu, only with the addition of the taskbar and a sidebar full of commonly used applications and utilities. It looks optimized for touch, but with the convenience of letting users still switch between apps via the taskbar. Meanwhile, it seems that the Charms bar may stick around in some form – perhaps only for touch-users.

Finally, Microsoft also announced the Windows Insider Program, which will provide a technical preview build of Windows 10 for laptop and tablet users. After that, the technical preview build for servers will be released. It seems that the preview will be available via preview.windows.com, so we’ll be sure to check that out when it launches tomorrow. Myerson also said that Microsoft will demonstrate more details about Universal Apps at its Build conference this April, and that Windows 10 will ship “later in the year” in 2015. All that means that we likely won’t have the final version of Windows 10 until at least May, if not later than that.

Windows 9, we hardly knew ye.

[Source and Image: The Verge]