Today Microsoft release Windows 10 so what else can I talk about? I like many technology people are very excited today. This version of window is the first that Microsoft have release for free.

10 You heard that correct Windows 10 is free. If you upgrade your device to windows 10 before 29th July 2016 it is free and will continue working on that device forever.

Upgrade to Windows 10 within the first year and it is yours free, forever. 
No subscriptions, no additional costs.

9 As with any upgrade always backup your computer and any important files before you do anything. Microsoft and any IT expert will tell you this. For a great guide to upgrading see Scott Hansleman’s blog. I have upgraded my laptop without any problems but there will always be exceptions so take extra care.

8 Windows 10 is the LAST version of windows. I don’t know what this means but I can take a guess.

Typically Microsoft has created a new version of windows every few years. With every new version there has come headaches and problems as people try to make software and hardware work with the next version. Microsoft is instead going to try and release updates and patches to the operating system to keep things up to date.

However I can see that only working for so long. Eventually Microsoft will make something new but it is unlikely to be called Windows. Maybe it will be something hosted in the Cloud, as they have a really strong presence with Azure which is only going to grow as time goes on.

7 Windows 10 is available in 7 different flavours.

• Windows 10 Home – equivalent to the Home editions we have had since XP. This version is designed for your typical consumer.
• Windows 10 Mobile – this version is designed to run on phones and tablets. Unlike previous Phone versions, everything you can find on the desktop OS should be available on the phone (but optimised for the smaller screens)
• Windows 10 Pro – this is the version I will be testing with my work PCs. It is designed for small businesses and allows domain joining.
• Windows 10 Enterprise – this version is only available via Volume Licensing so not easily available to the typical user but is aimed at larger businesses.
• Windows 10 Education – another version that is only available via Volume Licensing but targeted at schools and universities.
• Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise – this version is for mobile and tablets in the business world. Standard policies can be applied to all your employees mobile devices.
• Windows 10 IoT Core – this is an interesting version designed to run on hardware and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. I would quite like to play with this version on my Raspberry Pi

6 Windows 10 introduces a brand new web browser called Edge. For years web developers have hated Internet Explorer, for its lack of support for the latest web standards. Internet Explorer 6 caused many users to migrate away to browsers like firefox and later Chrome and despite Microsoft’s best effort with the later versions people have not moved back. Edge is an attempt at a fresh start.

5 In 2011 Apple introduced the personal assistant Siri, well now Microsoft are bringing us Cortana the windows equivalent. With Cortana you can ask your computer to do anything, set reminders, search the internet, answer questions, anything. With advanced voice recognition you can speak as well as type your questions. Cortana is now part of Windows 10.

4 Windows 10 brings back the start menu. The start menu you have always used to access programs works the same but features of the windows 8 start screen have been incorporated into it.

3 Windows 10 is more secure. Security patches are frequently released for all operating systems, but windows 10 has been designed with security in mind. For businesses there are options to completely lock down your users environment only allowing ‘white listed’ programs to run.

2 Continuum is one of the most revolutionary things about Windows 10. Continuum is the notion that one computing experience is continued regardless of the device used or the location. Continuum will automatically adjust your screen to make the best use of its size. Tablets and phones have the tiled view and start screen, if you connect a keyboard and monitor it will behave like a full blown PC. This is mind bending, that a phone running windows 10 can do as much as your laptop.

1 Today I am off to a Windows 10 launch event where I expect many of these features will be discussed and most likely many more.