Ten things you must know about the Windows 10 conference

Microsoft launched the consumer preview of Windows 10 at a press conference today. It should be said that its overall operating experience is more similar to Windows 7, but Microsoft obviously still hopes to integrate the experience of mobile phones and tablets into it. In Microsoft's words, it hopes that this version will be a more familiar system for 1.5 billion users, while adding new highlights.

It’s too much trouble to rewatch the two-hour video of the press conference, so we compiled the 10 highlights of the press conference - before the Chinese version is released, you might want to watch this to satisfy your curiosity.

1. It is really free to download

Microsoft announced at the press conference that within one year of the release of Windows 10, all current Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 users will be able to upgrade for free.

2. The Start button is back

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Windows 8 initially removed the "Start" button, which made many people unhappy. However, Windows 10 finally decided to bring the "Start" button back.

In addition to some visual changes, such as changes in icons, the Start menu on Windows 10 can also be full-screen, so that it looks a bit like the home screen of Windows 8.1. The tile interface of Windows 8.1 has been greatly adjusted and began to support vertical scrolling.

In addition to the "Start" menu, Windows 10 also has a notification center similar to Android, which can also realize quick operations of Wifi, Bluetooth and other settings, and can also perform operations such as power on and off.

3. IE is gone

Oops, it seems the browser specifically for downloading other browsers is gone.

Although Microsoft did not announce that IE will be replaced, they demonstrated a browser called Spartan at the press conference, which is also a new service in Windows 10. Compared with IE, it is lighter and looks simpler, which is somewhat reminiscent of Chrome. From the demonstration at the press conference, it also supports tagging, and can directly save parts of web pages to OneNote, and it also integrates the intelligent voice assistant Cortana.

4. Cortana

The intelligent voice assistant Cortana (not Xiaobing) we mentioned earlier has also been integrated into Windows 10, and is in a very eye-catching position, right next to the start button. Users can communicate with her by voice or typing.

An important change of Cortana is that it starts to provide active push notifications like Google Now, which pops up information you may be interested in. In addition, Cortana is also integrated with the new map application, and can even remind you where you parked before.

5. Next-generation hologram technology

Microsoft finally has its own black technology - Holograms. Unlike virtual reality such as Oculus, Microsoft's Holograms is more inclined to augmented reality. With the help of head-mounted devices, it can add virtual information on the basis of the actual environment, that is, present the scene you want to see in the air or on the surrounding objects.

According to Microsoft's demonstration in the video, you can view your message reminders or find contacts on the refrigerator, or play Minecraft or other games in the living room.

6. No more Windows Phone

Windows 8 has been criticized for mixing tablets and PCs together. This time, Microsoft has gone a step further in Windows 10 and added mobile phones as well!

Therefore, the new Windows 10 will support PCs, tablets, and mobile phones, and the original Windows Phone operating system will disappear.

Windows 10 will truly become a "basic service" in the Microsoft ecosystem. The notification system can be cross-platform, Skype on PC will be integrated into the mobile messaging application, and calendars, alarms, etc. will be interconnected across multiple platforms. The same is true for other software levels: Office and Windows 10 are further deeply integrated, and the mobile version has been greatly optimized, allowing users to synchronize unfinished work between different devices.

7. Xbox also comes to PC

In addition to mobile phones, Windows 10 will also be integrated with Xbox.

Microsoft launched the Xbox app in Windows 10, which synchronizes messages, friend lists, etc. to the PC. Players can chat with Xbox Live users on the PC, watch and upload game recordings, etc.

Not only that, Xbox will also adopt Windows 10 system in the future.

8. When can I download it?

Next week, the consumer preview of Windows 10 will come to PCs, but it will still be for users who have registered for the Windows Insider program; while the mobile version of Windows 10 will be available after February. ***The Windows 10 version will include 25 language versions, and it is not clear whether the Chinese version is included.

9. There is also new hardware

In addition to releasing the Holograms technology, Microsoft also launched the HoloLens glasses based on this technology. It is an independent computer device that does not need to be used with a PC or other devices, allowing users to interact with the holographic images around them.

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In addition, Microsoft also launched a hardware product called Surface Hub. It is equipped with Windows 10 system, but looks a bit like a big TV. It has an 84-inch display with a resolution of 4K; at the same time, it has many configurations of a tablet, such as sensors, cameras, Bluetooth, microphones, and WiFi modules.

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10. Windows 10? Actually Windows 9

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This is Microsoft's most major operating system upgrade since it launched Windows 8 in 2012. For unknown reasons, Microsoft chose to skip Windows 9 and release Windows 10 directly. According to NetMarketShare, 91% of the world's computers still run the Windows operating system.