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Microsoft Announces Windows 10

Posted by Soulskill on from the because-7-8-9 dept.

Today at a press conference in San Francisco, Microsoft announced the new version of their flagship operating system, called Windows 10. (Yes, t-e-n. I don't know.) With the new version of the operating system, they'll be unifying the application platform for all devices: desktops, laptops, consoles, tablets, and phones. As early leaks showed, the Start Menu is back — it's a hybrid of old and new, combining a list of applications with a small group of resizable tiles that can include widgets. Metro-style apps can now each operate inside their own window (video). There's a new, multiple-desktop feature, which power users have been demanding for years, and also a feature that lets users easily grab objects from one desktop and transfer it to another. The command line is even getting some love. The Technical Preview builds for desktops and laptops will be available tomorrow through the Windows Insider Program. They're requesting feedback from customers. Windows 10 will launch in late 2015.

10 of 644 comments (clear)

  1. Unified Experience Across Devices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Isn't that what Windows 8 was supposed to do? I am confused.

    1. Re:Unified Experience Across Devices by jd2112 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You're not the only one, obviously, and that's intentional. By calling it Windows 10, they're trying to put as much distance as possible between it and Windows 8. And make 7 look even more "old".

      And the OS version will probably report something linke 'Version 6.5.xxxx'

      --
      Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
    2. Re:Unified Experience Across Devices by tompaulco · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't care for consistency in UI between my smart phone and my desktop. On my smartphone, I am stuck with a tiny screen, with not input method other than my fingers and a couple of buttons. On my desktop, I have a mouse and keyboard, which are dozens of times more efficient. I only use my smart phone for apps if I don't have a more efficient method readily available at the moment. I have no desire to be stuck with that input method on my desktop.

      --
      If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
  2. Better call it Windows 11 by jkrise · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Everyone knows the even number versions suck.

    --
    If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
  3. Windows OS X by glennrrr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sounds familiar.

  4. Re:we are DOOOMED!!! by nine-times · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Nah, it's fine. Every other release is garbage, not every odd number. How would you possibly try to figure out Microsoft's numbering, anyway? Their version numbers go from 3 to 95, jumps to 98, 2000, then goes to the lettering, ME and XP (are those roman numerals?). Then in goes to Vista. Now, lets be fair. 95 and 98 are the years, so let's just count. So 95 is version 4, 98 is version 5, 2000 is version 6, ME is version 8, XP is version 9, and Vista is version 10. So next comes 11, right? Nope, version 7.

    Ok, but some of those were professional builds, right? So let's just start from NT v4 and count major NT releases. 2000 is version 5, XP is version 6, Vista is version 7, and... wait.

    Wait, wait, I know, let's look at Microsoft's internal versioning numbers. NTv4 is version 4, 2000 is version 5, XP is version 5.1, Vista is version 6. Ok this is making sense, because next version after vista (v6) should be 7, right? Nope, Windows 7's internal version number is v6.1. Windows 8 is version 6.2. WTF?

  5. Re:we are DOOOMED!!! by chuckugly · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Engineering, meet marketing.

    The internal version numbers are completely sensible, the marketing names are dreamed up by marketing people, what did you expect, logic?

  6. Re:Catching up with Fedora by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    oi excuse me? PowerShell is actually pretty damn awesome. It's very powerful.

  7. About god damn time.. by william.meaney1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That i can use CTRL-C and CTRL-V on the command line. Jesus christ...

  8. Re:Catching up with Fedora by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Except it's not *sh, all my sh* is in *sh, and all my sh* runs on Linux's *sh and OS X's *sh. I'm not interested in being tied to anyone's platform, not in my shell, not in my language (No C#, .NET Obj-C, Swift, other bullshit).

    Without *sh the OS is useless to me.