Microsoft unveiled the latest version of Windows at its launch event earlier this week.
The much-anticipated Windows 10 is set to be released in late 2015, but there is no specific date as of yet.
The good news for Windows 7 and 8 users is that Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to Windows 10 during the first year after its release. This is a great move by Microsoft - it will certainly help motivate companies to upgrade and take advantage of the benefits.
And the benefits are certainly exciting. Here’s what you can look forward to in Windows 10:
Continuum
Continuum is a new feature that will help the Windows operating system work better with devices that support both a mouse and keyboard and a touch screen.
Before Continuum, switching back and forth between touchscreen and mouse and keyboard has not been seamless, to say the least.
Microsoft hopes Continuum will improve the experience for users on hybrid devices like the Lenovo Yoga laptops and Microsoft Surface Tablets.
I certainly think it will. Take a look at the new Start Menu screen:
It’s a mix between the classic Windows start menu and the full-screen menu we first saw with Windows 8. Let’s hope this pleases everyone in the office!
Cortana
Cortana is Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri and Google Now. It is a personal assistant coming to all Windows PCs, but currently only available on Windows phones.
Use Cortana to quickly search the web, search your photos, schedule appointments, set reminders, check calendars, launch apps, send emails and more!
I can see this saving you plenty of time. With one search from the task bar, you can cut down on unnecessary steps. For example, sending an email to Jim will be as simple as typing send email to Jim, rather than opening Outlook, then clicking new email, then adding Jim.
Take a look:
Universal Apps
Universal Apps is another addition that’s going to make your life a lot easier. Microsoft has focused on creating the perfect design for apps to work across all devices: PC, tablet and smartphones. Microsoft’s new Office 365 is a great example of this. A user-friendly touchscreen version of Office 365 for phones and tablets is going to really help create a great experience across Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
If you’re like me, you probably think the existing tablet and phone versions of Office are a bit cumbersome. Windows 10 will hopefully change this perception. I’m very excited to see how it can make document collaboration more efficient on mobile devices.
Read more about Office for Windows 10
Spartan
Microsoft is ditching its highly-criticised Internet Explorer for a new browser, codenamed Project Spartan.
Spartan will arrive on PCs first before being released on smartphone devices.
Although Microsoft has significantly improved Internet Explorer in the latest releases, they still can’t shake off those not-so-good years when IE8 was clunky and slow.
Spartan is a super lightweight and modern browser that comes with Cortana built right in. This may be exactly what Microsoft needs to win back some internet browser loyalty.
Lots to look forward to with Windows 10
These are exciting times for businesses that have been unhappy with Windows 8 or are due for an upgrade from Windows 7. This new version will hopefully be a good mix in the workplace, keeping the mouse clickers and touchscreeners happy.
There is one thing for certain: these new features will help you work more productively. By cutting down the number of steps to do simple tasks and creating a more seamless experience across mobile devices, you will be able to realise the benefits of real mobility - complete important work anywhere, anytime.