Microsoft reveals Windows 10 system with Start Menu

Windows 10: - ‘The first step of a whole new generation of Windows’.

Microsoft has revealed the next version of its Operating System will be called Windows 10 and will be released the middle of next year.  It also marks the return of the Start Menu, which had been removed from Windows 8.

In addition to offering a list of the user's favorite 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 behavior 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.

Microsoft launched a new version of Windows on Tuesday two years after the troubled release of its last operating system, Windows 8. But instead of introducing the expected name, "Windows 9," Microsoft announced it will jump to "Windows 10."

Microsoft said Windows 10 would stretch across all Windows devices, including phones. It can recognize what type of device it is, and show a Windows 8-style Start Screen for touch inputs or a more standard desktop for machines with a keyboard and mouse.

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.

 The early technical preview of Windows 10 demonstrates new levels of flexibility, navigation and familiarity through the Windows experience. Features include these:

·         Expanded Start menu. The familiar Start menu is back, providing quick one-click access to the functions and files that people use most, and it includes a new space to personalize with favorite apps, programs, people and websites.

·         Apps that run in a window. Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop programs do. They can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing users to maximize, minimize and close with a click.

·         Snap enhancements. Working in multiple apps at once is easier and more intuitive with snap improvements. A new quadrant layout allows up to four apps to be snapped on the same screen. Windows will also show other apps and programs running for additional snapping, and it will even make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with other open apps.

·         New Task view button. The new Task view button on the task bar enables one view for all open apps and files, allowing for quick switching and one-touch access to any desktop created.

·         Multiple desktops. Instead of too many apps and files overlapping on a single desktop, it’s easy to create and switch between distinct desktops for different purposes and projects — whether for work or personal use.

 From Microsoft official Blog :-

Windows 10 “represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows,” writes Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Operating Systems, in a blog post. “Windows 10 unlocks new experiences for customers to work, play and connect. Windows 10 embodies what our customers (both consumers and enterprises) demand and what we will deliver.”

Windows 10 will “deliver the right experience on the right device at the right time. It will be our most comprehensive platform ever.”

Windows 10 will be “built from the ground-up for a mobile-first, cloud-first world. This new Windows must help our customers be productive in both their digital work and their digital life. This new Windows must empower people and organizations to do great things.”

Windows 10 will run across an incredibly broad set of devices – from the Internet of Things, to servers in enterprise datacenters worldwide. “Some of these devices have 4-inch screens – some have 80-inch screens – and some don’t have screens at all,” he writes. “Some of these devices you hold in your hand, others are 10 feet away. Some of these devices you primarily use touch/pen, others mouse/keyboard, others controller/gesture – and some devices can switch between input types.”

We’re not talking about one user interface to rule them all, he writes. “We’re talking about one product family, with a tailored experience for each device.”

Source - Microsoft official blog