[Technology] Windows 10 to be released July 29th

[Happysheep102]

Windows 10 to be released July 29th
From BBC News



Microsoft's next generation of its operating system, Windows 10, is due to be released next month.
The company said PCs and tablets running the software would go on sale on 29 July, at which point the OS would also be offered as a free download to existing users.
The roll-out of the product for smartphones, Xbox games consoles and other kit will follow later.
One expert said the release could prove critical to the Microsoft's fortunes.

Windows 8 - the current iteration - has had a troubled life, with many deciding not to update to its touch-centric user interface.
The company has acknowledged the fact by returning some features dropped from the more popular Windows 7.
"We designed Windows 10 to create a new generation of Windows for the 1.5 billion people using Windows today in 190 countries around the world," wrote Terry Myerson, Microsoft's vice-president of operating systems, on its blog.

The new Edge browser allows users to annotate web pages
"Familiar, yet better than ever, Windows 10 brings back the Start menu you know and love."

Many company watchers had not expected the launch of the product to happen until later in the year.
One analyst said the release was important as it might be "Microsoft's last chance" to crack the tablet market before Android and iOS became too entrenched, but added that it was unlikely to drive demand for new equipment in the same way earlier Windows updates had done.

"Microsoft and Intel are certainly pushing the two-in-one device strategy [in which laptops transform into tablets], which could result in some sales," said Michael Silver from the tech consultancy Gartner.
"But it's not only the fact that the upgrade is free, but Windows 10 for PCs is designed to run on computers that ran Windows 7 and even do better on less powerful hardware, so it will not spur on sales to the same extent as we've seen in the past."

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Additional Information:

Windows 10 is completely FREE for anyone running on the latest edition of Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 (Check lists online to see if your compatible.)

You may notice a little windows icon in the bottom corner of your screen, this most likely means that your computer is compatible, but use its check feature to make sure!

Users using early versions of Windows 7 and under will not be liable to the free upgrade.

For user's who can't upgrade for free, windows 10 is expected to be between 99 and 199 US dollars but is currently not officially known.

You can upgrade for FREE from July 29th 2015 to July 29th 2016. Once you've upgraded, you've got the full version for free.

Your current OS depends on what version of windows 10 you get. E.G. Windows 8.1 PRO gets Windows 10 PRO and so on.

It's highly advised to wait a while before upgrading as many bugs are likely to crop up and reviews will be posted to make you decide whether or not to upgrade!