Windows 10 is the result of Microsoft listening to its users. The Start button is back. Switching between touch-ready apps and mouse-and-keyboard apps is smoother; less schizophrenic. Edge, the default browser, looks and behaves as Spartan and as fluid as promised. Windows 10 is available starting July 29, 2015 in 190 countries as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 7 and 8.1 devices or with new PCs and tablets.

Windows 10, Mae Rivera Moreno

Mae Rivera-Moreno, Windows Lead at Microsoft Philippines, at the Philippine launch of Windows 10. Attending media were shown key features of Windows 10, starting with the comeback of the iconic Start button.

Windows 10 is both a step back to what clearly worked (Windows 7) and a carry-over from what was demonstrably elegant (Windows 8 Touch-Screen UI) but clashed with desktop usage expectations. I’m reviewing a 2-in-1 tablet, the ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi, where such a schizophrenic behavior is noticeable. So I’m excited to try out Windows 10. Here’s the features highlight reel:

Fast, Familiar, More Secure

Windows is the same, but different. An improved Windows Defender and SmartScreen help safeguard against viruses, malware, and phishing. Windows Hello offers a fast, secure, no-password way to log in. Free updates keep your PC secure. Voice, pen, and gesture inputs allow for a natural way to interact with your PC. Four-corner Snap lets you fill the screen with four apps in an organized way. And here are other features:

  • Cortana is your voice-interactive assistant, to help you find the right info easier.
  • Edge browser lets you browse, read, and doodle on web pages for sharing.
  • Continuum makes app experiences across devices and between touch and keyboard/mouse interface more fluid.
  • Microsoft Phone Companion app lets iPhones, Android, or Windows phones to work seamlessly with Windows 10 devices.
  • Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 offer a consistent, touch-first experience for small tablets. A Microsoft Office 365 subscription is required so you can edit documents on Windows 10 tablets or larger devices.

Karrie Ilagan, Windows 10, Microsoft Philippines

Karrie Ilagan, Microsoft Philippines General Manager

Ready for Business

Windows 10 includes built-in enterprise-grade security. Customers can replace passwords with more secure options, protect corporate data and corporate identities, and run only trusted software. New management and deployment tools simplify device management and help lower costs.

Windows 10

A demo of games that work on Windows 10 devices.

Windows 10 Apps

The new Windows Store and Windows Software Development Kit also becomes available starting Jully 29, 2015. The Windows Store has popular free and paid apps, games, movies, TV shows, and music that can work across all Windows 10 devices.

Windows 10

Gary Chan, Head of Marketing, Microsoft Devices, Pan Asia (middle) joins Mae on the demo floor as he showcases the similar design language of Windows 10 as it behaves on Windows 10 phones, such as the Lumia 930 is holding.

Easy Upgrades

Upgrading to Windows 10 is easy for customers running a genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC or tablet. Starting July 29, 2015, those who reserved their upgrade to Windows 10 will be notified in waves when their upgrade is ready to be installed. For business customers, Windows 10 is available to start deploying within their work environments, and starting August 1, 2015, organizations with volume licensing can upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education.

Windows 10

Here are the Microsoft Windows 10 Ambassadors who want to upgrade the world, each in his or her own unique way: (L-R)  Efren Penaflorida (CNN Hero of the Year) whose efforts pioneered the “pushcart classroom”; Dan Matutina, who led The Design Co. Mission, an event where graphic designers pitch solutions to pressing problems; Myrna Padilla, who heads Mynd Consulting, a software company that developed mobile application OFW Watch, which connects overseas foreign workers together to help prevent them from abuse. Far right is Cian O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft Philippines.

For more info, visit Windows 10 Upgrade.

 

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See also:

In support of Windows 10 launch, Microsoft will partner with 10 global nonprofits that are “upgrading the world”