Windows 10: Microsoft prepares to show off new operating system

Microsoft hopes the new operating system will revive Internet Explorer and its mobile business, as well as being the future of Windows

Andrew Griffin
Tuesday 20 January 2015 07:07 EST
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Microsoft exec Terry Myerson launches Windows 10
Microsoft exec Terry Myerson launches Windows 10 (Microsoft)

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Microsoft is set to launch Windows 10 tomorrow, with hopes that the new operating system could revive the company.

The event will begin at 5pm GMT on Wednesday, and will be livestreamed online.

The new operating system — built for screens tiny and huge and for mobile and desktop — is a simplified version of Windows. It mostly brings the look and feel of the operating system together and gets rid of some of the unnecessary trimmings, rather than adding new features.

(Microsoft)

It’s also an attempt by Microsoft to escape some of the bad reaction to Windows 8. While the most recent version of the operating system has had good reviews, and was liked much more than Windows 7, companies and users have still been slow to switch to the new software.

The start menu is very much back. It was taken away with Windows 8 (and then added back in after protests), but has been returned for the new operating system.

The new Windows 10 Start Menu
The new Windows 10 Start Menu (YouTube/Microsoft)

Microsoft is also set to add new multi-desktop views, to help with multi-tasking, and add in a host of new tools and software for businesses.

The company is also setting up forums so that reactions to the new operating system can be gathered.

Windows 10 is actually the successor to Windows 8, for reasons that still remain slightly unclear.

The version for phones, currently known as Windows Phone, is thought to be also known as Windows 10. That comes from a small accident with a search engine — typing “Lumia 532” into Microsoft’s Bing or Google shows an apparently pre-written description of the phone as “Windows 10 ready”.

The company is also likely to launch “Spartan”, its slimmed-down revamp of Internet Explorer. It’s unclear whether the company will launch the new browser with the new operating system, but it’s expected to at least be unveiled. The browser will be available for both desktop and mobile versions of the operating system, according to reports.

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