 Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will begin rolling out from the end of July for PC and tablet users, with users able to reserve their upgrade ahead of its release.
“On July 29, you can get Windows 10 for PCs and tablets by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer, or on a new Windows 10 PC from your favourite retailer,” Terry Myerson, Microsoft executive vice president of the operating systems group, wrote via a blog post announcing the upgrade. “If you purchase a new Windows 8.1 device between now and then, the Windows 10 upgrade will be available to you and many retail stores will upgrade your new device for you.” Microsoft has yet to release details of when Windows 10 Mobile will follow. Under the terms of the free upgrade, users will have a year (until July 29, 2016) to take advantage of the offer. For users not eligible for the upgrade, Neowin has reported that Microsoft has issued the following pricing: Windows 10 Home will carry an estimated retail price of US$119, Windows 10 Pro an estimated retail price of US$199, while to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro will carry an estimated retail price of US$99. Among the new features set to appear in Windows 10, which will see Microsoft bring back the Start Menu, will be Microsoft’s Cortana personal digital assistant, and a new browser in the form of Microsoft Edge, which also integrates with Cortana, designed to provide fast and personalised results. Microsoft is looking to create a new generation of Windows for what it says are 1.5 billion people using Windows today in 190 countries around the world, further tying the ecosystem of Windows devices together. Windows 10 is set to incorporate Windows PCs, tablets, smartphones, Windows for the Internet of Things, Microsoft Surface Hub, Xbox One and Microsoft HoloLens across speech, touch, ink and holograms, with Myerson stating it has been designed to run Microsoft’s “broadest device family ever”. |
