Windows 10 is launched
Microsoft is launching Windows 10 and bringing back a range of familiar features that disappeared in the last version of the product.
The new Windows operating system will be designed to work on a range of different devices, rather than just PCs and laptops, and will offer a new web browser. All devices with a Windows operating system will be able to make use of Windows 10, including smartphones and the Xbox One.
The new web browser, which will be known as Edge, replaces the familiar Internet Explorer. Users of PCs and laptops will also be able to make use of the smartphone app Cortana, which is a voice assistant. Windows 8 saw the removal of the Start menu, which caused a lot of problems for many users; however, Microsoft has seen the error of its ways and is bringing this feature back in Windows 10.
The new operating system will be available free of charge for many people who currently use Windows 7 or 8 and is a simple upgrade. The chief executive of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, said that it is time that the company moved away from Windows being a necessity to a situation where people are actively choosing to install it.
The roll-out has already begun and Windows users will be notified when they can download the new version. Anyone not eligible for the free version of the software will have to pay £99 to upgrade to the home version.
There are currently hundreds of millions of people using Windows; however, Microsoft is facing very strong competition from Apple’s operating system.