(approved by conegamer)
Hello, welcome to the official windows thread. We're here to talk about windows. I'll be the leader of this thread, and there'll be a poll of the week, and maybe just maybe contests (it'll do with windows).
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Leader: super6646
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Introduction to Windows 10
Windows 10: Windows 10 is going to be a unified OS between PC's, tablets, phones, xbox, ect. It'll also be a free upgrade for a year for Windows 7 and 8 users. Windows 10 will reintroduce the start menu, and it'll also have an xbox app, where you'll be able to stream Xbox games. They'll be more announcements soon.
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Hololense: Microsoft's first foray into AR technology, hololense will try to be what google glass wanted to be. If executed well, it could help makes strides in medicine research, science, and much more! The hololense will include a Nasa mars exploration app, a Minecraft app, and much more unannounced. We'll just hope it works out well.
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Cortana: Yup, your AI assistant in Halo 5 is back in Windows 10! Recently came out for Windows phone, it'll use Bing to search off the internet. Plus, it'll also please all her fans that miss her from Halo.
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Windows news:
Windows 10 will launch in the summer: Yup, hasn't happened since Windows 95 and 98, but Microsoft will be releasing its flagship OS in the summer, much earlier than the expected November or December release. Here's what CNET had to say: Microsoft plans a global launch this summer of Windows 10, complete with a new biometric authentication process intended to replace traditional passwords.
No specific date was given, but the company is committed to that midyear release for the operating system, Windows chief Terry Myerson said during a speech Tuesday at the Windows Hardware Engineering Community (WinHEC) summit in Shenzhen, China.
"We continue to make great development progress and shared today that Windows 10 will be available this summer in 190 countries and 111 languages," Myerson wrote in a blog post. "Windows has been global with more than 1.5 billion users around the world and here in China hundreds of millions of PCs operate Windows today."
Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment on a more definitive release date.
The company has lofty goals for the new operating system, its first big chance to move beyond the missteps of Windows 8. Microsoft has promised that Windows 10 -- a free upgrade for those usingWindows 7 or Windows 8.1 -- will run across every device, from desktops with large hard drives all the way down to low-cost smartphones with barely a gigabyte to spare.
Microsoft won't be alone in hoping for a warm reception for Windows 10. Sales of PCs to consumers and businesses alike have been anemic for quarter after quarter, and that has taken a toll on the companies that sell PCs or make key ingredients for them. Last week, chipmaker Intel slashed its quarterly revenue outlook by nearly $1 billion, reflecting an enduring reluctance, especially among small and midsize businesses, to upgrade from the 13-year-old Windows XP.
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Microsoft reveals all Windows 10 versions:
Microsoft is going public with its list of planned SKUs, or editions, that it will make available for Windows 10 PCs, tablets, phones and embedded devices ahead of this summer's planned launch of the operating system.
Not counting the three embedded/Internet of Things (IoT) versions, there will be six Windows 10 SKUs: Home, Mobile, Pro, Enterprise, Education and Mobile Enterprise, according to a May 13 blog post from Windows Marketing chief Tony Prophet.
When Microsoft introduced Windows 8 in 2012, there were four main Windows 8 SKUs: The Windows 8 consumer SKU; Windows 8 Pro SKU for tech enthusiasts and business professionals; Windows RT, the version of Windows designed to run on ARM-based hardware; and Windows 8 Enterprise. Microsoft subsequently added a Windows 8.1 for Education SKU.
Microsoft is not yet disclosing the standalone pricing or the detailed feature set and licensing specifics of its Windows 10 SKUs.
As Microsoft said months ago, the company plans to make Windows 10 available as a free upgrade for consumers running Windows 7, Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.1 for the first year following availability of the Windows 10 operating system. Some business users -- those who want Windows 10 Pro -- also will qualify for the first-year-free deal, but enterprise customers will not, Microsoft execs have said.
Here's the Windows 10 SKU line-up:
Windows 10 Home: The consumer-focused desktop edition. This will include the core Windows 10 features, such as the Edge browser, Continuum tablet-mode for touch-capable devices; Cortana integration; free Photos, Maps, Mail, Calendar; Music and Video apps; and Windows Hello face-recognition/iris/fingerprint log-in for devices that support those technologies. On devices with screen sizes of 10.1 inches or less, users also will get Universal Office apps for free, once they are available.
Windows 10 Mobile: This is the SKU for Windows Phones and small Intel- and ARM-based tablets. This SKU will include the core Windows 10 features; free Universal Office apps once they are available; and support for Continuum for Phone, allowing customers to use phones as PCs connected to larger screens (but only on new devices supporting certain screen resolutions).
Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise: This is a version of Windows 10 Mobile for volume licensing customers only. According to the blog post, this SKU incorporates the latest security and feature updates to Windows 10 once they are available. There's no word if users will be able to delay these updates in order to test/stagger their delivery, which is offered under Windows Update for Business.
Windows 10 Pro: A desktop version of Windows 10 for mobile workers, tech enthusiasts and other power users. This version is one of at least two -- the other being Windows 10 Enterprise -- that will allow users to opt for Windows Update for Business. Windows Update for Business will allow admins to opt to not receive all feature and security updates from Microsoft immediately after they are available.
Windows 10 Enterprise: This is the Enterprise version of Windows 10 that is available to volume-licensing customers. This version is not part of Microsoft's first-year-free upgrade offer, but those with volume-licensing Software Assurance customers will be able to move to this version as part of their licensing terms. The Enterprise version customers get access to the Long Term Servicing Branch of Windows 10 -- which allows them to opt to receive security fixes only and no new features as Microsoft rolls them out.
Windows 10 Education: This is the version for staff, administrators, students and teachers, and will be available through academic Volume Licensing. Microsoft officials say there will be paths for schools and students to upgrade from Windows 10 Home and Pro, but don't yet provide details on that front.
On the Windows 10 embedded device front, Microsoft also is planning to deliver Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise versions of the operating system for handheld terminals, ATMs, point of sale and other similar devices, as well as a Windows 10 IoT Core for small footprint, low-cost devices.
Microsoft execs still aren't providing granular details about upgrades, such as whether those who go for the first-year-free deal with SKUs like Windows 10 Pro will have the option of delaying/staggering their feature and security updates, the way enterprise users will be able to. Another unanswered question: Will Windows Phone users who are running the Windows 10 Mobile (and not Mobile Enterprise) version still be able to use Intune and Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility Suite to lock down their devices? Microsoft isn't yet saying.
"The Long Term Servicing branch being an enterprise level feature is the most interesting news here because that's the gateway for businesses who want to continue doing business as usual," said Wes Miller, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft.
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Windows 10 may release in July:
Windows 10 will hit the market in late July, according to a comment from the CEO of Advanced Micro Devices.
During a conference call on Friday to discuss AMD's first-quarter earnings, CEO Lisa Su was asked about guidance for the second quarter. After answering that question, Su injected this comment, asposted in a transcript by Seeking Alpha:
What we also are factoring in is, you know, with the Windows 10 launch at the end of July, we are watching sort of the impact of that on the back-to-school season, and expect that it might have a bit of a delay to the normal back-to-school season inventory build-up.
Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, expects the launch of Windows 10 in late July to affect back-to-school sales.AMD
Based on the transcript, no one followed up on Su's mention of Windows 10, and the conversation simply moved onto other topics. Su's comment didn't sound like any attempt to steer the audience with false information since she was responding to a question from an analyst. And as one of Microsoft's hardware partners, AMD would be abreast of the specific time frame for launching Windows 10.
Microsoft has previously stated that Windows 10 would roll out in the summer, so a late July date sounds feasible. The company has been working to produce a new version of Windows designed to avoid the mistakes of Windows 8. That version was criticized by PC users for its tablet-focused approach and its dual personality Start screen and desktop environment. As such, Microsoft is attempting to fashion a more user-friendly OS with a more cohesive environment for PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
The company has also been eager to seek the feedback of users as it tweaks Windows 10. In October, Microsoft released the Windows 10 Technical Preview, a work-in-progress of the new OS that gave people a chance to sample it and offer opinions. Since then, Microsoft has rolled out new builds of the OS on a regular basis as it incorporates suggestions from testers and tries to fine-tune the new version to win over users soured by Windows 8.
Windows 10 brings back the Start menu that was jettisoned in Windows 8, this time providing quick access to both Windows apps and traditional desktop programs. The new version takes a cue from Windows Phone by incorporating Cortana, Microsoft's voice assistant. A new browser code-namedSpartan promises a different approach to Web browsing beyond that of Internet Explorer. Further, the OS sports a host of tweaks and enhancements to its menus, screens and other features.
Microsoft will host its annual Build developers conference later this month. That's when the company is expected to reveal more details about Windows 10 and possibly announce an official launch date.
At least one question remains regarding Windows 10: does Microsoft have enough time to get it right? As a participant in the Windows Insider program, which lets people download and install Windows 10 and then give feedback on the new OS, I've seen improvement and finesse in the OS since the Windows 10 Technical Preview launched in October. But in certain ways, the OS still feels like a work in progress. Assuming the late July date is accurate, Microsoft has just three more months to wrap it up.
A Microsoft spokesperson told CNET: "Microsoft has said Windows 10 will launch this summer. We have nothing additional to share."
AMD did not respond to a request for comment.
Update: Windows 10 is confirmed for July 29. You can watch the new trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ngnzY5xtI8
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Windows 10 minimum specs have been revealed, you'll need 1 GB or 2 GB for the 32 and 64 bit versions. You'll also require a 1 GHz processor for the 32 bit version, and 2 GHz for the 64 bit. This means that specs have stayed the same since Windows 7. Windows 10 will be preloaded on all devices over 8 inches. For devices below 8 inches, you can still have Windows 10, but it'll require the proffesional version. As for windows phone, you'll require 512 MB of ram, the same as Windows Phone 8, meaning every Windows Phone can be upgraded. Are you excited for Windows 10?
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Contest: Ok, contest is going to be a place where we predict things on Windows 10. Our first one will be the following: "What is the release date for Windows 10". I predict it'll be August 24, 2015. Now why, because I think it'll be to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Windows 95, the first OS that really pushed consumers into the PC market. Note once a date is chosen, no one else can. My vote won't count, but anyone else will. Just simply post what you think the date will be, and I'll put it here!
Edit: I was wrong!
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Poll of the week: Windows 10 is launching July 29.... what are your reactions.
