With widespread computer maker support for Windows 10 and positive reception of its latest version of the operating system, it’s very likely when Microsoft releases its new OS a wave of system upgrades will ensue, according to the president of chip maker Intel Corp.
A healthy economic environment, a huge number of machines currently running older versions of Windows combined with a new OS is the “perfect storm” for an upgrade, Renee James, of Intel, was quoted as saying in an article on Computerworld.com.
There are about 600 million PC around the world that are four years or older, she said at the Credit Suisse Technology Conference on Tuesday. Many of these machines belong to people or organizations that have resisted upgrading to Windows 8. These PC are now likely candidates for a Windows 10 upgrade when the OS is released next year.
James also lauded Microsoft for being “extraordinarily responsive to customers” regarding the Windows 10 development.
There was much speculation earlier this year about the successor to Microsoft’s much criticized touch-focused Windows 8 and in September the company announced that it was skipping a notch on its numerical nomenclature and going straight to naming the OS to be release in 2015, Windows 10.
Technical previous of the new OS have resulted in many positive reviews.
Some of the new features of Windows 10 are:
Some of the new features in Windows 10 include:
- Expanded Start menu.The familiar Start menu is back, providing quick one-click access to the functions and files that people use most, and it includes a new space to personalize with favorite apps, programs, people and Web site
- Apps that run in a window.Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop programs do. They can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing users to maximize, minimize and close with a click
- Snap enhancements.Working in multiple apps at once is easier and more intuitive with snap improvements. A new quadrant layout allows up to four apps to be snapped on the same screen. Windows will also show other apps and programs running for additional snapping, and it will even make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with other open apps
- New Task view button.The new Task view button on the task bar enables one view for all open apps and files, allowing for quick switching and one-touch access to any desktop created
- Multiple desktops.Instead of too many apps and files overlapping on a single desktop, it’s easy to create and switch between distinct desktops for different purposes and projects — whether for work or personal use
Windows 8 was designed as an OS that could both be used on touchscreen and on devices using mice and keyboards, but Microsoft couldn’t seem to get the UI right. Even the upgrades in Windows 8.1 never caught on.
Windows 10 will come with the “familiarity of Windows 7” and some benefits found in Windows 8, said Joe Belfore, a Microsoft executive, in an earlier report from the Associated Press.
The new OS will be a step back from the design changes introduced two years ago in Windows 8 but will still endeavour to bridge the gap between PCs and mobile devices.
Windows 10 will still have touch screen functions and will work across a variety of devices like desktops, laptops, tablets, computers and even game consoles.