Today in Free Things: Windows 10 Upgrade for all Windows 7 and 8.1 Users

Microsoft revealed a whole bunch of stuff during it’s scheduled Windows 10 event today. A good portion of it, like the massive, 84 inch Surface Hub, or the augmented/virtual reality glasses dubbed Microsoft HoloLens, likely won’t effect you within the next decade at least. Consider that balanced out by the impending free upgrade to Windows 10 for every Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 (and 8) user.

The program will last for a year following the official release date, after which an upgrade will indeed cost some money. Microsoft did not give Windows 10 a release date, however, but likely will during the next scheduled event in April. They did mention Windows 10 should launch by the end of 2015.

Of the many minor and major upgrades prevalent in Windows 10, you might want to know about the following:

• The user-interface is an attempt to mash the touch-screen friendliness of Windows 8 and the pragmatic usage of Windows 7, eschewing the “Start Screen” for a more traditional desktop look while also allowing tablet users to access the tiles through the start button.
• Cortana, Microsoft’s Siri, is making the jump from mobile to desktop assisstant, taking in voice and typed requests and popping out intuitive answers.
• There’s a general push for intercommunication and compatibility between all of Microsoft’s hardware and software products. Windows Phone will run something closer to a true Windows OS, Windows 10 will allow users to stream video games directly from their Xbox Ones to the desktop, and applications will be built from the ground up to work on all kinds of devices from now on.
• Microsoft has built an entirely new web browser, called Project Spartan, featuring a much cleaner interface, some nifty stylus overlay note-taking functionality and a brand new rendering engine. It’s unclear what’s happing to Internet Explorer, though you’d be challenged to find a mourner.

For a far more detailed rundown of the event, including more info about that aforementioned hardware, head on over to The Verge.

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  Want Windows 10 for free? Upgrade now. It’s $120 in July
  Want Windows 10 for free? Upgrade now. It’s $120 in July