Windows 10 Preview

While many of us are still trying to get used to Windows 8, Microsoft is moving forward with its release of Windows 10.  Microsoft plans on rolling out Windows 10 as a free upgrade to new or existing customers who have Windows 7, 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1.  You can click the link here to sign up for an email to receive information about Windows 10 and the free upgrade.  So what is new with Windows 10?  We’ll explore some of the things Microsoft plans to include with their latest operating system below.

The next generation of Windows

Windows 10 will be released worldwide this summer.  While Microsoft is still working on making it compatible and ready for PCs, phones, and tablets you can breathe a sigh of relief that it will offer more features and functionality than Windows 8.1.

Security

Windows Hello introduces biometric authentication as a security feature to unlock devices.  This will work by scanning your face, finger, or iris instead of entering a password.  It may take some time for certain hardware to catch up with this technology, however, it is a huge leap forward in the realm of Windows security.  This improvement could mean no more having to remember complex passwords or PINs to unlock your account.  Microsoft is also working on building a robust data loss prevention into the Windows 10 platform itself.  Click here to read more about Windows 10 security.

Mobile

Windows 10 will offer a new mobile experience for tablet and phone users.  Microsoft is working on making Windows 10 a cross platform OS meaning the Windows Phone may become obsolete after this year.  Don’t fret yet though it will work on your current Windows Phone, Microsoft may plan to begin phasing out their phone later after the release of Windows 10.  If you own a Lumina 630, 638, 730, 636, or 830 you can download a technical preview to test it out.  You just have to sign up here and register to receive over the air updates.  The builds will be sent to your phone once Microsoft is ready to release them.  The built in feedback app will enable you to submit issues and suggestions.  Once you are done with the test and wish to return to your previous settings you can restore your phone to its previous OS any time.

Universal Apps

One of the biggest things in this unveil has been universal apps.  You’ll be able to use certain apps with your PC, tablet, phone, and Xbox One.  While not many details have been released about the new universal apps you can rest assured that you will be able to use apps from the Windows Store that will perform better on multiple devices than they previously did.  You can download a universal Windows app sample by clicking here.  This is a 57 MB download sample pack that includes app code examples that Microsoft developed with their templates in Visual Studio.

Spartan

Project Spartan was announced in January which is a new browser specifically designed for Windows 10.  This browser is set to deliver an interoperable, reliable web experience with features that include the ability to annotate web pages.  This browser uses Cortana to find things online quicker and easier.  Spartan was designed to boost security and performance and ensure developers with a consistent platform.  Spartan uses the IE11 engine to provide a compatible experience of current enterprise web sites that were already designed for use with Explorer while using a new rendering engine for more modern sites.

Cortana

Last but not least one of the latest and greatest features in Windows 10 is Cortana.  As mentioned above this will be integrated within Spartan.  Cortana will appear at the top of the taskbar as a search function.  You can type to Cortana and set reminders or search in your local apps or on the Internet.  There are no plans to make Cortana its own application, however, they do plan to replace the current search experience you now see in Windows 8.  Cortana offers a more natural way to interact with your Windows 10 device across your personal and professional Cloud accounts.  As testing continues, Cortana will be released later this year. As more information develops we will offer it to you.  Stay tuned to find out more details as we plan to bring you the most up-to-date Windows 10 coverage.  Windows 10 will prove to be an exciting release this summer with many improvements everyone has been waiting for.