A brief check on my Twitter feed at 6 a.m. Eastern this morning confirmed the news. The free upgrade to Windows 10 is now available in 190 countries around the world.
Something old, something new, something borrowed and most definitely something blue – the latest revision of Windows combines innovation with familiarity. New features such as Microsoft Edge browser and Cortana personal assistant will take the headlines, but for many, the return of the Start menu is a major reason to upgrade. Other wins include:
Cortana, the personal digital assistant, makes it easy to find the right information at the right time
New Microsoft Edge browser lets people quickly browse, read, and mark up and share the Web.
The integrated Xbox app delivers the Xbox experience to Windows 10, bringing together friends, games and accomplishments across Xbox One and Windows 10 devices.
Continuum optimizes apps and experiences beautifully across touch and desktop modes.
Built-in apps including Photos; Maps; Microsoft’s new music app, Groove; and Movies & TV offer entertainment and productivity options. With OneDrive, files can be easily shared and kept up-to-date across all devices.
A Microsoft Phone Companion app enables iPhones, Android or Windows phones to work seamlessly with Windows 10 devices.
The all new Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 tablets are available today in the Windows Store. Built for work on-the-go, the Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps offer a consistent, touch-first experience for small tablets. For digital note-taking needs, the full-featured OneNote app comes pre-installed with Windows 10. The upcoming release of the Office desktop apps (Office 2016) will offer the richest feature set for professional content creation. Designed for the precision of a keyboard and mouse, these apps will be optimized for large-screen PCs, laptops and 2-in-1 devices such as the Surface Pro.
“A new era of Windows starts today. From the beginning, Windows 10 has been unique — built with feedback from over 5 million fans, delivered as a service and offered as a free upgrade,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Windows and Devices Group, at Microsoft. “Windows 10 delivers on our more personal computing vision, with a natural, mobile and trusted experience. Along with our partners, we’re excited to deliver the best Windows ever, which will empower people and organizations around the world to do great things.”
While I’ve been running various forms of Windows 10 in beta form since late 2014 I still have a number of PCs on which to perform “dirty” upgrades today. Like many, I’m looking forward to checking out the final upgrade experience and trying out Windows 10 on a wider range of devices.
While you’re waiting for that download to complete, we’ve already published a swathe of guides to Windows 10 here on the site. Of course, our Building a Windows 10 Home Server guide is also available and already looks like it’ll be ou best selling eBook to date.
How to features include:
What’s New in Windows 10
What are the Windows 10 System Requirements?
What’s Not Included in Your Windows 10 Upgrade?
How to: Upgrade to Windows 10 From Windows 7 or Windows 8.1
Introducing Windows 10: First Run
Introducing Windows 10: Windows 10 Drivers
Windows 10 Now Supports Windows Home Server Client Backup
Introducing Windows 10: The Windows 10 Start Menu
Introducing Windows 10: Cortana
Introducing Windows 10: Windows 10 Taskbar, Task View and Virtual Desktops
Introducing Windows 10: The Notification Area and Action Center
Introducing Windows 10: Windows 10 Settings and Windows Update
Introducing Windows 10: Xbox One Game Streaming
We’ll be continuing our look at Windows 10 over the coming weeks. Until then, don’t forget to check out Building a Windows 10 Home Server!
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