Windows 10

Windows 10 is an upcoming version of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Unveiled on September 30, 2014, it is scheduled to be released in late 2015.

First hinted at in April 2014 at the Build Conference, Windows 10 aims to address shortcomings in the user interface first introduced by Windows 8 by adding additional mechanics designed to improve the user experience for non-touchscreen devices (such as desktop computers and laptops), including a revival of the Start menu seen in Windows 7, a virtual desktop system, and the ability to run Windows Store apps within windows on the desktop rather than a full-screen mode.

Development
In December 2013, Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft was working on an update to Windows 8, codenamed Threshold after a planet in Microsoft's Halo franchise. Similarly to "Blue" (which resulted in Windows 8.1), Foley called Threshold a "wave of operating systems " across multiple Microsoft platforms and services, scheduled for (Northern Hemisphere) "spring 2015." Foley reported that among the goals for Threshold was to create a unified application platform and development toolkit for Windows, Windows Phone, and Xbox One (which all use a similar Windows NT kernel). It was speculated that Threshold would be branded as "Windows 9" upon its public release.

In April 2014, at the Build Conference, Microsoft's Terry Myerson unveiled an updated version of Windows that added the ability to run Windows Store apps inside desktop windows, and a more traditional Start menu in place of the Start screen seen in Windows 8. The new Start menu takes after Windows 7's design by using only a portion of the screen and including a Windows 7-style application listing in the first column. The second column displays Windows 8-style app tiles. Myerson stated that these changes would occur in a future update, but did not elaborate further. Microsoft also unveiled the concept of a "universal Windows app," allowing Windows Runtime apps to be ported to Windows Phone 8.1 and Xbox One while sharing a common codebase, and allowing user data and licenses for an app to be shared between multiple platforms.

In July 2014, Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella explained that the company was planning to "streamline the next version of Windows from three operating systems into one single converged operating system for screens of all sizes," unifying Windows, Windows Phone, and Windows Embedded around a common architecture and a unified application ecosystem. However, Nadella stated that these internal changes would not have any effect on how the operating systems are marketed and sold. Screenshots of a Windows build which purported to be Threshold were leaked in July 2014, showing the previously presented Start menu and windowed apps followed by further screenshot in September 2014 of a build identifying itself as "Windows Technical Preview", numbered 9834, showing a new virtual desktop system, a notification center, and a new File Explorer icon inspired by the Metro design language.

Threshold was officially unveiled during a media event on September 30, 2014 under the name Windows 10; Myerson touted that Windows 10 would be Microsoft's "most comprehensive platform ever," providing a single, unified platform for desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and all-in-one devices. He emphasized that Windows 10 would take steps towards restoring user interface mechanics from Windows 7 in order to improve the experience for users on non-touch devices, noting criticism of the touch-oriented interface of Windows 8 by keyboard and mouse users, and vice-versa. Despite these concessions, Myerson noted that the touch-oriented interface would "evolve" as well on 10. In describing the changes, Joe Belfiore likened the two operating systems to electric cars, comparing Windows 7 to a first-generation Toyota Prius hybrid, and Windows 10 to an all-electric Tesla—considering the latter to be an extension of the technology first introduced in the former.

In regards to the operating system's naming, Myerson refused to elaborate why Microsoft skipped directly to Windows 10 from 8 instead of numbering it 9, only stating that "based on the product that’s coming, and just how different our approach will be overall, it wouldn’t be right". He also joked that they couldn't call it "Windows One" (alluding to several recent Microsoft products with a similar brand, such as OneNote, Xbox One and OneDrive) because they had already made a Windows 1.

Release
Windows 10 is expected to be released in 2015. A technical preview build was released on October 1, 2014, which is primarily oriented towards testing by enterprise and enthusiast users, and the collection of feedback from users. Microsoft also introduced a new "Windows Insider" program; participants will receive updated pre-release builds of Windows 10 in a "rapid release" manner, allowing the company to gather additional feedback on the operating system throughout the development process. Previously, this dogfooding process occurred in private between public beta releases. Further details surrounding Windows 10, including consumer-oriented features, will be unveiled during future events such as Build 2015.

Microsoft has not yet released details on how Windows 10 will be distributed, or whether Windows 10 will be treated as a free update like Windows 8.1, or a paid upgrade. Releasing 10 as a free update would put Microsoft closer in line with the update practices of mobile operating systems, along with OS X, which, beginning on version 10.9, also began to distribute future OS updates for free. Since the release of 8, Microsoft had begun to re-align its consumer business model for Windows around building a user base for its online services and app store, rather than the sale of operating system licenses: earlier in the year, Microsoft began offering free OEM licenses for Windows 8 on devices with screens under 9 inches in size. Prior to its unveiling, Microsoft Indonesia president Andreas Diantoro claimed that the operating system would be a free update for existing Windows 8 users.

User interface and desktop
The user interface of Windows 10 is designed primarily to optimize its experience based on the type of device and available inputs, providing "the right experience on the right device at the right time." For non-touch devices, a variation of the previous Start menu is used as part of the desktop interface, featuring both a traditional listing of applications and search box on the left side, along with Windows 8-style live tiles on the right. Also, some of the icons such as the file explorer icon have been given newer flat icons, to match with the Metro UI. Microsoft will probably change all the icons to match each other. A new virtual desktop system known as "Task View" was also added; similarly to OS X's Exposé function, clicking the Task View button on the taskbar or swiping from the left of the screen displays all the windows currently open on a desktop, allowing users to switch between them, snap them to the side of the screen, or switch between multiple workspaces. Currently, there is no animation when toggling the virtual desktop changer, but Microsoft may add an animation for this action. Windows Store apps, which previously could only be used in a full-screen environment, can now be used within windows on desktops. When used in this manner, an "App Commands" menu on the titlebar of the window is used to activate functions previously seen on the charms.

The Start screen is still used in touch environments, but now contains a column on the left hand side of the screen to display shortcuts and the "All apps" button, similarly to the Start menu. Under the branding "Continuum," Windows 10 also contains mechanics for transitioning between touch-based and non-touch interface behaviors for devices such as convertible laptops and tablets with a keyboard dock (such as Microsoft's own Surface Pro 3); when plugging in a keyboard, users will now be asked if they want to remain in a touch-optimized user interface, or switch to a mode optimized for a mouse and keyboard.

System components
Windows 10 will ship with DirectX 12; unveiled March 2014 at GDC, it aims to provide "console-level efficiency" with "closer to the metal" access to hardware resources, and reduced CPU and graphics driver overhead. Console windows such as Command Prompt now provide a new set of "experimental options" which modernize their functionality; among them include word wrapping of console output and the ability to use traditional Control key keyboard shortcuts in consoles, such as pasting text using.

Windows 10 will be serviced in a significantly different manner to previous releases of Windows. While Microsoft began to distribute a larger number of updates for Windows 8 that added features (such as interface improvements) beyond security patches and bug fixes, Windows 10 will adopt a tiered rapid-release approach. By default, Windows 10 will receive critical updates and security patches as they are released, but users and system administrators will have the ability to delay the automatic deployment of non-critical updates or disable them entirely. The system will allow mainstream computers to frequently receive modifications to the operating system, while enterprise environments will be able to opt-out of them to ensure a stable, controlled environment. Stella Chernyak noted in regards to these changes that "we have businesses [that] may have mission-critical environments where we respect the fact they want to test and stabilize the environment for a long time."