Windows 10 Release Date Announced: Microsoft Giving Away Free Upgrades

Microsoft has announced that the Windows 10 release will be available on July 29. Customers who already own Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will be offered the opportunity to upgrade for free. Those who are eligible for the upgrade will receive a message on their desktops offering them the free upgrade. They have a choice of whether or not they accept it. The download will be about 3GB in size, reports CNN.

The Windows 10 release offers some new features for both Window 7 and Window 8.1 users although there will also be features available that those who chose not to upgrade to Windows 8.1 are familiar with. These include the start menu, a feature that was removed in Windows 8.1.

As stated in Time Magazine, Microsoft offered the following information from its release about the changes to Windows.

“With Windows 10, we start delivering on our vision of more personal computing, defined by trust in how we protect and respect your personal information, mobility of the experience across your devices, and natural interactions with your Windows devices, including speech, touch, ink, and holograms. We designed Windows 10 to run our broadest device family ever, including Windows PCs, Windows tablets, Windows phones, Windows for the Internet of Things, Microsoft Surface Hub, Xbox One and Microsoft HoloLens—all working together.”

One of the major changes is the release of a new browser. Internet Explorer will be replaced with a new browser called Microsoft Edge. The new browser allows for integrating extensions and applications as well as integration of Cortana, a new feature that offers a voice assistant in the task bar.

The biggest advantage of the Windows 10 release, other than that it is free, is that it will be universal across all devices. Allowing for the use of apps, users will be able to go from one device to the next without problems regardless of whether they are using their mobile phones, tablets or their computers. The only disadvantage is that programs like Candy Crush Saga, considered bloatware, will automatically ship with the software, and users will be forced to download it when they update their operating systems.

Another aspect of the Windows 10 release users need to be aware of is that although the update is free for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, those with older operating systems will still have to pay for the updates. Currently, Windows XP has a larger market share than Windows 8.1, and Microsoft will continue to provide updates for the operating system for several more years. The Windows 10 release will be the last major release for a while for Microsoft, and the focus, at least for awhile, will be on providing updates since there is no longer money in licenses for the operating system, and users stick with their operating systems longer.

[Photo Credit Expert Reviews UK]