Despite the numerous leaks that had been circulating on the internet for days about the unveiling of the next Windows at the event that Microsoft had planned for today in San Francisco, it finally turned out that the American company had managed to keep certain details secret, surprising the journalists who attended.
The first surprise was the name of the new operating system, since it will be released as "Windows 10", thus bypassing the name "Windows 9" which would be the most normal title for a version that will succeed the current Windows 8. However, according to Joe Belfiore, vice president of the operating systems development department of the American giant, this particular choice was made because this way it better expresses the fact that the new version is a milestone in the history of Windows.
One of the main reasons is that for the first time Windows 10 will run on every type of device – computers, tablets, smartphones and “hybrid” machines. This means that the applications that developers develop will be compatible with all of the above machines, as well as that their owners will refer to a single online store to search for programs.
Despite the wide variety of devices, Microsoft executive Terry Myerson promised at the press conference that the operating system will understand what type of device it is installed on, so that “the experience it offers is tailored to its specific characteristics.” So, in the case of PCs, the new version will bring changes that will make them easier to use with keyboards and mice – something, as he indirectly admitted, was not the case with Windows 8 and was one of the main reasons why many users remained on Windows 7.
To this end, Windows 10 will bring back the "Start" menu, which will include both desktop programs and "live" icons from "modern" applications. The menu will also feature a search bar, while the user will be able to customize its appearance.
Again, for those who use machines with a keyboard and mouse, the new version has been designed so that "modern" applications do not necessarily occupy the entire screen, but appear in windows, the size of which can be increased or decreased, as is the case with other programs.
These changes do not mean that Microsoft is abandoning the adaptation of the operating system to touch screens, which it began with Windows 8. Thus, although improved, the graphical interface that one will see when using a tablet is no different from the approach that the American giant adopted when developing the current operating system.
Interestingly, Microsoft wants to take full advantage of the flexibility offered by "hybrid" devices - devices with detachable keyboards or designs that allow them to function as either a PC or a tablet. For these, Windows 10 will have the new "Continuum" feature, which will allow them to change their graphical environment depending on how they are used.
The new version will be available in 2015 and will be compatible with all software developed for Windows to date. However, the press conference did not provide further details on how it will work on smartphones, nor the pricing policy that Microsoft will follow when the software is commercially available.
Nevertheless, within the next 24 hours, a pilot version will be posted online for those who want to try it out.
Source: kathimerini.gr
