Important things you should know about Windows 10

Microsoft has taken the wraps off the latest version of its operating system Windows 10. The company showcased more Windows 10 features and shared information related to its pricing at a recently concluded event. The essence of Windows 10 is its Continuum feature, which promises users a unified experience across various devices say PCs, tablets and smartphones. While this device-agnostic approach is key to Windows 10, the update also adds several other features. Here are six important things you should know about Microsoft Windows 10… 

Windows 10 will be free for existing users Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will be free for customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 if they upgrade in the first year after launch. While this comes as good news for Windows loyalists, it also means that Microsoft will shift to a subscription-based model for its flagship operating system. Cortana comes to desktop Microsoft’s personalized virtual assistant and Apple Siri rival Cortana, will now be available on personal computers via Windows 10. Cortana made its debut on Windows Phone-powered mobile devices.

 The Cortana bar will be placed next to the Start menu and will answer voice and text questions, search across the web and desktop, and bring notifications. Microsoft’s new web browser will also have Cortana built-in and ready to help when users who need assistance. Project spartan replaces interner explorer Microsoft also unveiled a new web browser code-named Spartan. It will be the successor to Internet Explorer and feature a new web-rendering engine. The browser will offer distraction-free browsing, built-in note taking, annotating and sharing, and reading list features in addition to built-in support for the Cortana virtual assistant. It will also offer synchronisation across Windows devices. Xbox app for windows 10 Microsoft is also bringing some features of its Xbox gaming console to Windows. It will allow gamers to see their games collection and chat with other gamers making the experience more social and interactive. It will also offer Game DVR through which gamers will be able to share, comment and view gameplay clips. Users will be able to record clips while playing PC games. Users will also be able to stream games from their Xbox One console to their Windows 10 PCs. New interface features The early preview version of Windows 10 featured a Start menu similar to the one seen in Windows 7. 

The next build brings the ability to enlarge the Start menu to full-screen similar to Windows 8 Start screen. The Notifications menu at the right now also features an Action Center that has toggles for settings such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Brightness among others, similar to Windows Phone. Unified platform Windows 10 will run on all devices across form factors, including phones, tablets, 2-in-1s and PCs. The OS will come with a feature called Continuum which will detect when you remove a keyboard from a 2-in-1 and switch to a touch-optimised UI with big tiles. It will also have a universal app marketplace. Microsoft also demonstrated apps such as Calendar and Office featuring common UI elements across different devices.