Microsoft skips Windows 9, announces Windows 10!

Microsoft is having a small event today where only few people were invited, but the happenings are far from small – the company has just announced the next version of their OS – Windows 10!

Windows-9

Microsoft says calling it Windows 9 would be wrong, as it will try to connect the software across several platforms, not only update the desktop. Calling it Windows One would be not appropriate as well as they’ve done it before, so they’re calling it Windows 10 for some reason, actually skipping version 9.

Naming their newest OS Windows 10 could imply reaching a milestone –  a renewed focus on the cloud and creating a cohesive experience across several devices through a one app store.

Windows 10

“One [Ring] to rule them all… and in the darkness bind them.”

Basically, Windows 10 is Windows 8 embedded into the familiarity of Windows 7. For example, the Start menu is finally back again on the corner of your desktop, but with live tiles and new UI elements. This doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten the Start screen however, as it is still there for touch-enabled devices.

Windows will also have Enterprise as expected, and believe it or not, Windows 10 will be the next version of Windows Phone as well.

Microsoft Windows 10 will be available mid-2015 after the build conference. With that said, it’s safe to say there are still a lot of changes on the way before everything is final. For now, all that we can do is wait.

Developing…

{via liveblog}

The post Microsoft skips Windows 9, announces Windows 10! appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Microsoft skips Windows 9, announces Windows 10!

Microsoft is having a small event today where only few people were invited, but the happenings are far from small – the company has just announced the next version of their OS – Windows 10!

Windows-9

Microsoft says calling it Windows 9 would be wrong, as it will try to connect the software across several platforms, not only update the desktop. Calling it Windows One would be not appropriate as well as they’ve done it before, so they’re calling it Windows 10 for some reason, actually skipping version 9.

Naming their newest OS Windows 10 could imply reaching a milestone –  a renewed focus on the cloud and creating a cohesive experience across several devices through a one app store.

Windows 10

“One [Ring] to rule them all… and in the darkness bind them.”

Basically, Windows 10 is Windows 8 embedded into the familiarity of Windows 7. For example, the Start menu is finally back again on the corner of your desktop, but with live tiles and new UI elements. This doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten the Start screen however, as it is still there for touch-enabled devices.

Windows will also have Enterprise as expected, and believe it or not, Windows 10 will be the next version of Windows Phone as well.

Microsoft Windows 10 will be available mid-2015 after the build conference. With that said, it’s safe to say there are still a lot of changes on the way before everything is final. For now, all that we can do is wait.

Developing…

{via liveblog}

The post Microsoft skips Windows 9, announces Windows 10! appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Microsoft roundup: Windows ‘TH’, Hardware Conference, and more

We are a few hours away from what will be the unveiling of Microsoft’s newest operating system, and here’s what to expect tonight.

windows9

A few weeks ago, we discussed what to expect with the new OS. Now that Microsoft’s preparing to roll out the new generation of Windows, we look at the recent developments that occurred a few days leading to date.

Windows ‘TH’? Microsoft prepares for Technical Preview

windowsth.0

On an early leak of its new Technical Preview website, the Redmond Giant accidentally unveiled what would be the name of the newest operating system build: Windows TH. You may remember that Winows 9 is codenamed ‘Threshold’, and this may be where the new OS name comes from. Microsoft may not be ready to name the new software yet, and TH may be a placeholder for it.

Microsoft also launches a new “Windows Insider Preview Program” that aims to provide early testers with fresh and timely updates of the new operating system

The company has now removed the website, and we might see it again later tonight.

New Windows 9 to be free for all Windows 8 users

As for the price of the new OS, it’ll be absolutely free.

Well, that’s what the Microsoft Indonesia President Andreas Diantoro said.  Microsoft plans to update all its current Windows 8 users to the latest operating system free of charge. This is a huge difference with all the major OS upgrades the company has released before, wherein users have to pay to upgrade to the latest OS.

Microsoft revives Hardware PC conference

Microsoft is bringing back its long defunct Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), this time with a slightly tweaked name. WinHEC now stands for Windows Hardware Engineering Community, a series of events aimed at hardware markets. It will be revived on March 18th next year in Schenzen, China. The location may sound unusual, but it’s where most of the technology products are being made and assembled nowadays. This just means that the Redmond giant is serious about working closely with hardware giants despite the strict rules it has given prior to releasing Windows RT-based gizmos, and alienating PC makers by the release of the Surface tablet series.

Microsoft outs new wireless display adapter

DSCF1094-500x281

Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc announces a new wireless display adapter. It has a USB port for power, and an HDMI end that you can hook to your TV. The catch? It’s for Miracast-enabled devices only.

This gives all machines powered by Miracast — many of them running on Windows 8.1 — to be able to display content on a larger screen wirelessly.

Later at 1AM Philippine time, we shall all see the evolution that is of the new Windows. Tune in to YugaTech and our official twitter account for updates.

Source: The Verge (1, 2), Microsoft via PCWorld

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Windows 9 to be unveiled on September 30?

Report from The Verge tells that the next version of Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 9, is ready for preview by the end of September. What can we expect from this new release? Read on to find out.

Windows-8-1

On September 30, Microsoft might take off the curtains for Windows 9 or codename Threshold. The upcoming version of Microsoft’s OS will feature some cosmetic changes to the current Windows 8.1. We’re talking about the new mini Start Menu, thus integrating the Start Screen into the desktop. The Charms bar feature will be removed as well and expect a few minor UI changes throughout the system.

Cortana, Microsoft’s personal assistant and Siri-counterpart, has a possibility to be integrated too. Mind you, we should all treat this with a grain of salt since we haven’t heard anything official or even a tease from Microsoft. There are rumors too that Windows RT and Windows Phone is merging. We’ll just have to wait until next month to see how the future of Windows is going to be.

{source}

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Windows Phone 9: What We Think It Should Be

We have been playing around with Windows Phone 8 for quite a while and we had different views on Microsoft’s mobile platform. It turns out that there is a ton of room for improvement. Check out what we think it should improve on after the break.

1. Unification of Windows 8, RT and Phone.

First off, there are rumors going around that Windows Blue might unify the platforms of Microsoft: Windows Phone, Windows RT and Windows 8. It is very likely for this to happen, and we are welcoming this idea as well.

The Next Windows

After all, a single store for all the apps & less compatibility problems will work for their advantage. If Windows RT can run on the HTC HD2, then what stops this idea from coming true?

2. Changing of the Windows Name

However, I think it would be a good idea if Microsoft were to rebrand Windows.

Surface OS logo

The probability of this happening is very low, but what makes me say this is because Windows has lost its hype - especially among the new generation. Only a few would call it ‘in’ or cool’.

Also, Windows Phone isn’t as catchy as Android. Maybe for it to gain traction, they need a new naming scheme.

3. More Personalization

Come on. Almost everyone wants to feel unique and special. Maybe that is why Android has become very successful and why iOS is getting a lot of hate. People want their devices to stand out – which Nokia and HTC tried to capitalize on with all the colorful handsets, but it’s still not enough.

personalized screenshot

Windows Phone might attract several people such as the minimalists, but for it to be successful – there should be at least more personalization options.

4. A More Flexible Start Screen

Remember Grid OS, Fusion Garage’s OS that had Android in its core but never was? Well, we talked about the flexibility of that OS’ homescreen and we found it most suitable for Microsoft’s Live Tiles.

Grid OS

Grid OS makes use of a very wide space where similar tiles can be found, and by pressing the home button, you’ll be redirected to the center. It seems like a more practical UI than simple vertical and horizontal sliding.

UIs

5. A Choice Between Grid and List App Drawers

Everyone uses grids for their app drawers, so why not Windows Phone? iOS is a grid of apps. Android has a grid for its app drawer (some skins even add the option to choose). Even Symbian had this.

6. An Improvement of The Little Things

While Windows Phone does a lot of things well, there are a lot of things that need improvement. For example, to reset the live account – you need to do a full reset of the phone.

bing

They could also improve on their services like Bing, SkyDrive, Live and etc., especially since they are forcing you to use them throughout the experience.

Perhaps we could also capitalize on the existence of the search button, which we barely used on our days with Windows Phone devices.

Surface S

Don’t get us the wrong way. Windows Phone is a wonderful OS; in fact, we all saw potential in it since day one, but it still has a long way to go. Is there anything that we missed? What about you? What would you add to Windows Phone to make it truly competitive with iOS and Android?

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