Windows 10 release date, news & features and how to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview
watchout window's 10 technical preview Full launching event
It’s already been confirmed that Microsoft will launch Windows 10 some time in the middle of 2015. A special event titled “The Next Chapter”, taking place on 21 January, is where Microsoft is expected to announced a more concrete time frame for Windows 10.
Windows 10 releases, news and leaks are breaking through at an impressive rate. To make sense of it all, and to cut through some of the garbage, below is everything you need to know about Windows 10.
Windows 10 latest news
31/12/14: Windows 10 will come with new "Spartan" browser
A report by Mary Jo Foley on zdnet.com shows that Windows 10 will not launch with IE 12 as expected, but come with a new lightweight browser codenamed "Spartan".
The new browser is expected to work on desktop and mobile, keeping it inline with the multi-platform Windows 10 mantra.
Little is known about what new features the browser with launch with, other than it will "look and feel more like Firefox and Chrome”. The Spartan browser will also support extensions and plugins in a similar way to its rival browsers.
18/12/14: Windows 10 now has 1.5m testers
Microsoft is very proud of the fact that it has 1.5m registered users testing Windows 10, 30% of which access the preview every day.
The graph below (produced by Microsoft) details the impressive growth in testers from Windows 7 to Windows 10.
"What does all this mean?" you may ask. Well, Microsoft was happy to highlight that too. The leader of Microsoft's Operating Systems Group's Data and Fundamentals Team, Gabriel Aul, said: "It’s terrific for us to see this, because that hardcore usage will help us fix all the rough edges and bugs".
16/12/14: Windows 10 will run Windows Phone apps
It’s long been the goal for Windows to become a multi-platform OS. So it’s not really surprising that a leaked Windows 10 screenshot reveals Windows will do just that.
A well-known Windows leaker, @AngelWZR, posted a screenshot from the Windows 10 Store. The image shows HTC’s Make More Space phone app being available for download on (what looks like) a PC, indicating that users will be able swap their apps seamlessly between phone, tablet and desktop.
As Windows 10 is still in Preview mode, it’s safe to say there are a few areas things that still need ironing out. This screenshot is an excellent example of such bugs, as it’s debatable as to whether it would be useful in a PC environment. Similarly, phone apps that require a SIM card to function - such as Whatsapp - also raise questions as to how the will work properly on a laptop or desktop computer. It is yet unclear how Microsoft plan to deal with these issues.
15/12/14: Leaked Windows 10 Consumer Preview
A leaked release of the Windows 10 Consumer Preview points towards a more beautiful and integrated OS.
The most notable updates in the release are the integration of Cortana throughout the OS as well as a heavy focus on a new Xbox app.
The Windows 10 Consumer Preview has also undergone significant design work. Notably the Taskbar is now non-transparent and features a Cortana search box. Apps such as Camera, Calculator, Photos, Settings and the Windows Store feel markedly improved; handily they can all be accessed from the redesigned Start Menu, too.
12/12/14: Windows 10 Consumer Preview could be on the way
Microsoft will reveal "the next chapter" of Windows 10 at a special all day event on 21 January 2015, with CEO Satya Nadella, Windows chiefs Terry Myerson and Joe Belfiore, and Xbox head Phil Spencer all delivering keynotes. Speculation is rife about what the big reveal could be, with a Consumer Preview version of the new OS a distinct possibility.
9/12/14: Windows 10 could be a subscription-based OS
Despite rumours Windows 10 could be a free upgrade, much like Apple's operating systems, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner has indicated the new OS will be sold as a rolling subscription, much like its Office 365 cloud productivity
service. This isn't the first time the prospect of a "cloud based Windows OS" has been raised - it was a very strong rumour in the run up to Windows 10's unveiling - but quite how the subscription system would work, and whether it could operate on a "freemium" model, hasn't been revealed.
service. This isn't the first time the prospect of a "cloud based Windows OS" has been raised - it was a very strong rumour in the run up to Windows 10's unveiling - but quite how the subscription system would work, and whether it could operate on a "freemium" model, hasn't been revealed.
17 /11/14: Windows 10 Tech Preview users revolt over OneDrive Sync
Windows 10 Technical Preview testers have hit out at the way selective sync for OneDrive, introduced just days ago, effectively renders the service useless. The issue stems from the fact that, with selective sync, the user has to choose at installation which files to sync to the cloud and which to store locally. This has caused irritation because it forces users to pre-empt what files they will want to use offline and which they are happy to access online only, rather than the current dynamic system of recently used documents being temporarily available on a device without an internet connection.
Windows 10 release date
At the launch of Windows 10 on 30 September, Microsoft said only that the release date of its new operating system will be in mid 2015, but has given a deadline of 15 April for the end of the Technical Preview - just two weeks before its annual Build conference.
A firm release date is expected to be given at Build 2015, however history suggests a consumer version will be available in the Autumn.
Previous Windows release dates:
| Released to manufacturing | General release | |
| Windows 8.1 | 27 August 2013 | 17 October 2013 |
| Windows 8 | 1 August 2012 | 26 October 2012 |
| Window 7 | 22 July 2009 | 22 October 2009 |
| Windows Vista | 8 November 2006 | 20 January 2007 |
| Windows XP | 24 August 2001 | 25 October 2001 |
Windows 10 Technical Preview
Windows Technical Preview is a work-in-progress version of Windows 10 intended for use by PC experts andIT professionals.
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People who fall into these categories can join the Insider Programme, which gives early access to not just Windows 10 but all future versions of Windows.
There are two versions of the Insider Programme - the fast ring and the slow ring. Those who are signed up to the fast ring get access to releases as they happen, with the understanding that they may be more buggy. The slow ring, meanwhile, still gives subscribers early access to the various builds of Windows 10, but waits until some of the more serious bugs have been ironed out.
The first update for Windows 10 Technical Preview, Build 9860,was released on 22 October and included a notification centre, which has been brought over from Windows Phone, a keyboard shortcut for moving apps between screens, a new animation for switching desktops, battery saving option, and data use monitor.
The most recent release, Build 9879, introduced three-finger gestures, as demoed by Microsoft OS group, Joe Belfiore,revealed at TechEd Europe, as well as selective syncing in OneDrive, a new charms icon, and the option to hide certain task bar buttons.
Windows 10 features
Continuum
Belfiore admitted that the "different environment" for Modern apps in Windows 8 was a problem for desktop and PC users, saying those on a mouse and keyboard should have their "familiar UI".
To address that, using a new system dubbed Continuum, Windows 10 will automatically adjust itself depending on the type of device, offering a touch environment similar to the Start screen in Windows 8 for tablets and the standard desktop when a keyboard and mouse are present.
Phones running Windows 10 won't have the traditional desktop, however.
Showing off an early build, Belfiore said the aim was for Windows 7 users to have a "familiar experience", while still bringing in Windows 8 features and apps.
Start Menu
Apps that can be pinned include standard programs as well as "universal" apps, those that are downloaded via the Windows Store and can be used across any Windows device.
Apps from the Windows Store will run on the desktop in their own window, and can be resized and adjusted as though they were classic apps.
New multitasking features
Belfiore also demoed multitasking tools, including Snap Assist, which makes it easier to choose apps to snap together and suggests apps you may want to have open. You'll be able to snap up to four apps in a single window.
A new task-view button will make it easier to switch between open files and desktops.
Windows 10 will also let you create multiple desktops - for example, if you want a "work" desktop and a "personal" one, or desktops for different projects - which you can flip through to see what apps and files are open.
Windows 10 also has a change for Command Prompt: you can now copy and paste into it, and select words and lines using the Shift key.
For touch devices, the Charm bar will be staying, though Belfiore admitted it may "evolve" before Windows 10 is finished.
Windows 10: how to get Windows 10 Technical Preview
To get windows 10 Technical Preview, you'll need to join the Windows Insider Programme.
Microsoft launched the Windows Insider Program on 1 October, which offers access to the Technical Preview of Windows 10 for laptops and desktops. A preview for servers will follow later, though Microsoft didn't say when it would arrive.
Terry Myerson, vice-president of OS group, asked for feedback, calling for "enthusiastic fans to evaluate it with us" via the Insider Program. He added that Microsoft would reveal more details for consumers "early next year", and explain more about universal apps at Build in April, while Windows 10 itself will ship in the middle of next year, he said.
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