Microsoft has disclosed the first details of Windows 10 - its
next operating system (OS).
The name is a surprise, bearing in mind it represents a jump
from the last version - Windows 8.
The software will run on a wide range of devices, from phones
and tablets to PCs and Xbox games consoles, with
applications sold from a single store.
It also marks the return of the Start Menu, which had been
removed from Windows 8.
Microsoft announced details of the new operating system at
an event in San Francisco
In addition to offering a list of the user's favourite
applications, the menu also brings up resizable tiles - similar
to those featured in Windows 8's touch-centric interface on
PCs and tablets.
These provide a quick view of notifications from relevant
applications, such as details of new emails, Facebook
messages and weather forecast updates.
The company said the facility was intended to make the
software seem familiar to both users of Windows 8 and
Windows 7.
The Start Menu now features both a list of apps and live
tiles
The behaviour of the OS will depend on the type of device with
which it is being used. Unlike its predecessor, users will not
need to switch between Desktop Mode and the touch-focused
alternative.
However, they can still spread a number of "live tiles" across
the screens of two-in-one laptop-tablet hybrids to make them
easier to use with both a mouse and finger presses.
'Critical' choice
Windows 8 had been criticised for being too different from the
previous version, which deterred some organisations from
introducing it.
Microsoft's chief executive, Satya Nadella, did not speak at
the event, but had previously discussed a wish to "unify"
Windows
It initially lacked a Start button altogether, and when one was
introduced, it only switched to the touch-centric tiled interface
or - if a long mouse press was used - provided access to the
system's control panel and other functions.
Businesses typically wait about a year after a new operating
system's release before offering it to workers, to give IT staff
a chance to get to grips with the new technologies involved.
But it has been nearly two years since Windows 8 first went on
sale and adoption is still low.
"It's extremely important for Microsoft to get Windows 10
right," said David Johnson, who watches Microsoft for the
consultancy Forrester.
"Windows 8 is only being offered to employees by about one in
five organisations right now. Windows 7 is still the de facto
standard for enterprise in the desktop environment.
"For Microsoft to continue to be able to get the best and
latest technology in the hands of the enterprise workforce all
over the world, it has to have a vehicle to do that - and
Windows 10 is its best shot."
Microsoft said Windows 10 would work on devices with 4in
(10.2cm) screens and 80in screens
Across desktop PCs as a whole, only 13.4% currently run
Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, according to research firm
NetMarketshare .
By contrast, it says 51.2% are powered by Windows 7 and
23.9% by Windows XP, a version that is no longer supported
by Microsoft.
Mr Johnson said the reintroduction of the Start Menu should
help Windows 10 fare better.
"It is critically important," he said.
"The Start Menu is perhaps the most important thing that will
make the desktop experience familiar to business users, and
will help reduce resistance to its installation."
Preview download
Other features include:
The task-view button offers one-click access to all running
apps and files
Snap enhancements - a new "quadrant layout" will allow
four apps to be easily arranged on the same screen
Task view - a new button on the task bar will let the user
see all open apps and files, helping them switch from one
to another
Multiple desktops - users can switch between distinct
desktop screens, allowing them to group related work
together rather than having to deal with a single screen
overloaded with documents and apps. This is similar to a
feature already available on Apple's Mac OS
Microsoft will offer a "technical preview" of Windows 10 to
early adopters later this week , which will run on laptops and
desktops. A release that will work on computer servers will
follow.
Analysis: Richard Taylor, North America technology
correspondent
Microsoft has a delicate balancing act as it attempts to cater
to a diverse audience using a cornucopia of devices, from
traditional keyboard/mouse-based PCs to tablets.
It got that balance wrong with Windows 8 - which many users
felt was skewed towards the touchscreen at the expense of
the familiar PC desktop experience that they had come to
know intimately.
I asked Terry Myerson, the chief of operating systems at
Microsoft, why the leadership had chosen the moniker
Windows 10, rather than the more logical Windows 9.
Microsoft is inviting members of the public to provide
feedback about an early version of Windows 10
He told me somewhat obliquely that it resonated best for what
the company would deliver across the breadth of devices.
Unifying a brand across all devices is key to Microsoft's
vision.
But the Windows 10 name also symbolises that this will not
be an incremental update, but something of a fresh start.
The user interface feels familiar yet modern. The "dual mode"
- which aimed to satisfy tablet and PC users, but alienated
both - has been replaced with a dynamically-adjusting
interface and behaviour, determined by whether you are using
a keyboard/mouse, or touch.
Ultimately Windows 10 success will depend on its execution.
But at least under the new leadership, Microsoft is showing it
is listening. It needs to if it is to stay relevant and stop the
march of Android and Apple.
The company said it would provide details about the
introduction of "universal apps" - individual programs that
tailor their functionality to different types of devices - at its
Build conference in April, and would aim to release the
completed OS before the end of 2015.
There was no mention of offering the firm's voice-controlled
digital assistant Cortana to PCs, or when Windows 10 would
supersede the Windows Phone OS.
The firm's smartphone code is designed for ARM-based
processors, unlike the main Windows 8 and Xbox operating
systems that are built for x86 chips - including those made by
Intel and AMD.
While Microsoft confirmed that Windows 10 would be released
for both types of chip architecture, it did not disclose whether
there would be a staggered release.
One analyst suggested that by using a single OS to power a
wide range of devices, it might increase the amount of
software available to all of them.
"The idea is, longer-term, to encourage developers to release
more apps for Windows," said Annette Jump from the tech
research firm Gartner.
"That's Microsoft's biggest challenge at the moment when it
comes to tablets and phones - there are not as many apps as
there are for iOS and Android."
Windows 10 introduces the ability to switch between two or
more desktop screens
Even so, another expert highlighted that the announcement in
San Francisco had been deliberately tailored to appeal to
business users.
"The event was clearly geared toward Microsoft's bread and
butter enterprise customer, and we believe starting an early
dialogue with these customers as well as learning from
previous mistakes made in Redmond - eg Windows 8 - will be
key to garnering major adoption of this all-important product
cycle in the field," said Daniel Ives from research firm
BlueMatrix.
"Overall, we believe today's event was another step in the
right direction in the [Satya] Nadella era, and that Microsoft
remains well positioned... while it undergoes a major
restructuring effort to make it a 'leaner and meaner'
technology giant over the coming years."
No comments:
Post a Comment