Windows 10:
Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system developed and released by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was officially unveiled in September 2014 following a brief demo at Build 2014. The first version of the operating system entered a public beta testing process in October 2014, leading up to its consumer release on July 29, 2015.[4]
Windows 10 introduces what Microsoft described as "universal apps"; expanding on Metro-style apps, these apps can be designed to run across multiple Microsoft product families with nearly identical code—including PCs, tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, Xbox One, Surface Hub and Windows Holographic. The Windows user interface was revised to handle transitions between a mouse-oriented interface and a touchscreen-optimized interface based on available input devices—particularly on 2-in-1 PCs; both interfaces include an updated Start menu which incorporates elements of Windows 7's traditional Start menu with the tiles of Windows 8. The first release of Windows 10 also introduces a virtual desktop system, a window and desktop management feature called Task View, the Microsoft Edge web browser, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, new security features for enterprise environments, and DirectX 12 and WDDM 2.0 to improve the operating system's graphics capabilities for games.
Microsoft described Windows 10 as an "operating system as a service" that would receive ongoing updates to its features and functionality, augmented with the ability for enterprise environments to receive non-critical updates at a slower pace, or use long-term support milestones that will only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their five-year lifespan of mainstream support. Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group, argued that the goal of this model was to reduce fragmentation across the Windows platform, as Microsoft aimed to have Windows 10 installed on at least one billion devices in the two to three years following its release.[5]
Windows 10 received mostly positive reviews upon its original release in July 2015; critics praised Microsoft's decision to downplay user-interface mechanics introduced by Windows 8 (including the full screen apps and Start screen) in non-touch environments to provide a desktop-oriented interface in line with previous versions of Windows, although Windows 10's touch-oriented user interface mode was panned for containing regressions upon the touch-oriented interface of Windows 8. Critics also praised the improvements to Windows 10's bundled software over 8.1, Xbox Live integration, as well as the functionality and capabilities of Cortana personal assistant and the replacement of Internet Explorer with Microsoft Edge.
Critics characterized the initial release of Windows 10 in July 2015 as being rushed, citing the incomplete state of some of the operating system's bundled software (such as the Edge web browser), as well as the stability of the operating system itself on launch.[6][7][8] Windows 10 was also criticized for limiting how users can control its operation, including limited controls over the installation of updates on the main consumer-oriented edition in comparison to previous versions. Privacy concerns were also voiced by critics and advocates, as the operating system's default settings and certain features require the transmission of user data to Microsoft or its partners. Microsoft has also received criticism for how it has distributed Windows 10 to users of existing versions of Windows, which has included the automatic downloads of installation files to computers, the recurring display of pop-ups advertising the upgrade, and the installation process being scheduled or initiated automatically without expressed user consent.
Development[edit]
At the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in 2011, Andrew Lees, the chief of Microsoft's mobile technologies, stated that the company intended to have a single software ecosystem for PCs, phones, tablets, and other devices. "We won’t have an ecosystem for PCs, and one for phones, and one for tablets—they'll all come together."[13][14]
In December 2013, technology writer Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft was working on an update to Windows 8 codenamed "Threshold", after a planet in Microsoft's Halo video game franchise.[15] Similarly to "Blue" (which became Windows 8.1),[16] Foley called Threshold a "wave of operating systems" across multiple Microsoft platforms and services, scheduled for the second quarter of 2015. Foley reported that among the goals for Threshold was to create a unified application platform and development toolkit for Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One (which all use a similar Windows NT kernel).[15][17]
In April 2014, at the Build Conference, Microsoft's Terry Myerson unveiled an updated version of Windows 8.1 that added the ability to run Windows Store apps inside desktop windows and a more traditional Start menu in place of the Start screen seen in Windows 8. The new Start menu takes after Windows 7's design by using only a portion of the screen and including a Windows 7-style application listing in the first column. The second column displays Windows 8-style app tiles. Myerson stated that these changes would occur in a future update, but did not elaborate.[18][19] Microsoft also unveiled the concept of a "universal Windows app", allowing Windows Store apps created for Windows 8.1 to be ported to Windows Phone 8.1 and Xbox One while sharing a common codebase, with an interface designed for different device form factors, and allowing user data and licenses for an app to be shared between multiple platforms. Windows Phone 8.1 would share nearly 90% of the common Windows Runtime APIs with Windows 8.1 on PCs.[18][20][21][22]
Screenshots of a Windows build which purported to be Threshold were leaked in July 2014, showing the previously presented Start menu and windowed Windows Store apps[23] followed by a further screenshot in September 2014 of a build identifying itself as "Windows Technical Preview", numbered 9834, showing a new virtual desktop system, a notification center, and a new File Explorer icon.[24]
Announcement[edit]
Threshold was officially unveiled during a media event on September 30, 2014, under the name Windows 10; Myerson said that Windows 10 would be Microsoft's "most comprehensive platform ever", providing a single, unified platform for desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and all-in-one devices.[25][26][27] He emphasized that Windows 10 would take steps towards restoring user interface mechanics from Windows 7 to improve the experience for users on non-touch devices, noting criticism of Windows 8's touch-oriented interface by keyboard and mouse users.[28][29] Despite these concessions, Myerson noted that the touch-oriented interface would evolve as well on 10.[30] In describing the changes, Joe Belfiore likened the two operating systems to electric cars, comparing Windows 7 to a first-generation Toyota Prius hybrid, and Windows 10 to an all-electric Tesla—considering the latter to be an extension of the technology first introduced in the former.[31]
In regards to Microsoft naming the new operating system Windows 10 instead of Windows 9, Terry Myerson has stated that "based on the product that's coming, and just how different our approach will be overall, it wouldn't be right to call it Windows 9."[32] He also joked that they could not call it "Windows One" (alluding to several recent Microsoft products with a similar brand, such as OneDrive, OneNote, and Xbox One) because Windows 1.0 already existed.[33] Tony Prophet, Microsoft Vice President of Windows Marketing, stated at a San Francisco conference in October 2014 that Windows 9 "came and went", and that Windows 10 is not "an incremental step from Windows 8.1," but "a material step. We're trying to create one platform, one eco-system that unites as many of the devices from the small embedded Internet of Things, through tablets, through phones, through PCs and, ultimately, into the Xbox."[34]
Further details surrounding Windows 10's consumer-oriented features were presented during another media event held on January 21, 2015, entitled "Windows 10: The Next Chapter". The keynote featured the unveiling of Cortana integration within the operating system, new Xbox-oriented features, Windows 10 Mobile, an updated Office Mobile suite, Surface Hub—a large-screened Windows 10 device for enterprise collaboration based upon Perceptive Pixel technology,[35] along with HoloLens‑augmented reality eyewear and an associated platform for building apps that can render holograms through HoloLens.[36]
Additional developer-oriented details surrounding the "Universal Windows Platform" concept were revealed and discussed during Microsoft's developers' conference Build. Among them were the unveiling of "Islandwood", which provides a middleware toolchain for compiling Objective-C based software (particularly, iOS software) to run as universal apps on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. A port of Candy Crush Saga made using the toolkit, which shared much of its code with the iOS version, was demonstrated, alongside the announcement that the King-developed game would be bundled with Windows 10 at launch.[37][38][39][40]
Release[edit]
On June 1, 2015, Microsoft first announced that Windows 10 would be released on July 29, 2015.[4] Microsoft began an advertising campaign centering on Windows 10, "Upgrade Your World", on July 20, 2015 with the premiere of television commercials in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The commercials focused on the tagline "A more human way to do", emphasizing new features and technologies supported by Windows 10 that sought to provide a more "personal" experience to users.[41][42] The campaign culminated with launch events in thirteen cities on July 29, which celebrated "the unprecedented role our biggest fans played in the development of Windows 10".[43]
Features[edit]
Main article: Features new to Windows 10
Windows 10 harmonizes the user experience and functionality between different classes of device, and addresses shortcomings in the user interface that were introduced in Windows 8.[28][29][44] Windows 10 Mobile, the successor to Windows Phone 8.1, shares some user interface elements and apps with its PC counterpart.[45]
The Windows Runtime app ecosystem was revised into the Universal Windows Platform (UWP).[20][46][47] These universal apps are made to run across multiple platforms and device classes, including smartphones, tablets, Xbox One consoles, and other compatible Windows 10 devices. Windows apps share code across platforms, have responsive designs that adapt to the needs of the device and available inputs, can synchronize data between Windows 10 devices (including notifications, credentials, and allowing cross-platform multiplayer for games), and are distributed through a unified Windows Store. Developers can allow "cross-buys", where purchased licenses for an app apply to all of the user's compatible devices, rather than only the one they purchased on (e.g., a user purchasing an app on PC is also entitled to use the smartphone version at no extra cost).[21][48][49]
On Windows 10, Windows Store serves as a unified storefront for apps, Groove Music (formerly Xbox Music), and Movies & TV (formerly Xbox Video).[50] Windows 10 also allows web apps and desktop software (using either Win32 or .NET Framework) to be packaged for distribution on the Windows Store. Desktop software distributed through Windows Store is packaged using the App-V system to allow sandboxing.
System security[edit]
Windows 10 incorporates multi-factor authentication technology based upon standards developed by the FIDO Alliance.[59] The operating system includes improved support for biometric authentication through the Windows Hello and Passport platforms; devices with supported cameras (requiring infrared illumination, such as Intel RealSense) allow users to log in with face- or iris-recognition, similarly to Kinect. Devices with supported readers support fingerprint-recognition login. Credentials are stored locally and protected using asymmetric encryption. The Passport platform allows networks, software and websites to authenticate users using either a PIN or biometric login to verify their identity, without sending a password.[60]
The enterprise version of Windows 10 offers additional security features; administrators can set up policies for the automatic encryption of sensitive data, selectively block applications from accessing encrypted data, and enable Device Guard—a system which allows administrators to enforce a high security environment by blocking the execution of software that is not digitally signed by a trusted vendor or Microsoft. Device Guard is designed to protect against zero-day exploits, and runs inside a hypervisor so that its operation remains separated from the operating system itself.[59][61]
Command line[edit]
Windows 10 brings improvements to the system's command-line interface. Unlike in previous versions of Windows NT, the Win32 console windows can now be resized without any restrictions. It can be made to cover the full screen by pressing the Alt+↵ Enter combination on keyboard. Microsoft also enabled the use of standard keyboard shortcuts, such as those for cut, copy, and paste, within the console. Other features such as word wrap and transparency were also included. The user has the option to disable the new features and return to the legacy console if they wish.[62]
The anniversary update for Windows 10 adds Windows Subsystem for Linux. This allows the Ubuntu user space to run natively on Windows. The subsystem translates Linux system calls that Ubuntu uses to those of the Windows NT kernel. This allows the Bash and other 64-bit Ubuntu command line apps to run within the Windows console; however, Bash cannot run Windows software and Windows cannot run Linux software.[63][64][65][66][67]
Storage requirements[edit]
To reduce the storage footprint of the operating system, Windows 10 automatically compresses system files. The system can reduce the storage footprint of Windows by approximately 1.5 GB for 32-bit systems and 2.6 GB for 64-bit systems. The level of compression used is dependent on a performance assessment performed during installations or by OEMs, which tests how much compression can be used without harming operating system performance. Furthermore, the Refresh and Reset functions use runtime system files instead, making a separate recovery partition redundant, allowing patches and updates to remain installed following the operation, and further reducing the amount of space required for Windows 10 by up to 12 GB. These functions replace the WIMBoot mode introduced on Windows 8.1 Update, which allowed OEMs to configure low-capacity devices with flash-based storage to use Windows system files out of the compressed WIM image typically used for installation and recovery.[68][69][70] Windows 10 also includes a function in its Settings app that allows users to view a breakdown of how their device's storage capacity is being used by different types of files, and determine whether certain types of files are saved to internal storage or an SD card by default.[71]
Online services and functionality[edit]
Windows 10 introduces a new default web browser, Microsoft Edge.[72] It features a new standards-compliant rendering engine forked from Trident, annotation tools, and offers integration with other Microsoft platforms present within Windows 10.[73][74] Internet Explorer 11 is maintained on Windows 10 for compatibility purposes, but is deprecated in favor of Edge and will no longer be actively developed.[75][76]
Windows 10 incorporates Microsoft's intelligent personal assistant, Cortana, which was first introduced with Windows Phone 8.1 in 2014. Cortana replaced Windows' embedded search feature, supporting both text and voice input. Many of its features are a direct carryover from Windows Phone, including integration with Bing, setting reminders, a Notebook feature for managing personal information, as well as searching for files, playing music, launching applications and setting reminders or sending emails.[77][78] Cortana is implemented as a universal search box located alongside the Start and Task View buttons, which can be hidden or condensed to a single button.[53]
Microsoft Family Safety is replaced by Microsoft Family, a parental controls system that applies across Windows platforms and Microsoft online services. Users can create a designated family, and monitor and restrict the actions of users designated as children, such as access to websites, enforcing age ratings on Windows Store purchases, and other restrictions. The service can also send weekly e-mail reports to parents detailing a child's computer usage. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Child accounts in a family must be associated with a Microsoft account—which allows these settings to apply across all Windows 10 devices that a particular child is using.[79][80]
Windows 10 also offers the Wi-Fi Sense feature originating from Windows Phone 8.1; users can optionally have their device automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, and share their home network's password with contacts (either via Skype, People, or Facebook) so they may automatically connect to the network on a Windows 10 device without needing to manually enter its password. Credentials are stored in an encrypted form on Microsoft servers, and sent to the devices of the selected contacts. Passwords are not viewable by the guest user, and the guest user is not allowed to access other computers or devices on the network. Wi-Fi Sense is not usable on 802.1X-encrypted networks, nor networks with "_optout" at the end of their SSID.[81]
Universal calling and messaging app for Windows 10 are built in as of the November 2015 update. The apps are called Messaging, Skype Video, and Phone. These offer built-in alternatives to the Skype download and sync with Windows 10 Mobile.[82][83]
Multimedia and gaming[edit]
See also: List of Xbox Live Games on Windows 10
Windows 10 provides heavier integration with the Xbox ecosystem: an updated Xbox app allows users to browse their game library (including both PC and Xbox console games), and Game DVR is also available using a keyboard shortcut, allowing users to save the last 30 seconds of gameplay as a video that can be shared to Xbox Live, OneDrive, or elsewhere.[84][85] Windows 10 also allows users to control and play games from an Xbox One console over a local network.[86] The Xbox Live SDK allows application developers to incorporate Xbox Live functionality into their apps, and future wireless Xbox One accessories, such as controllers, are supported on Windows with an adapter.[87] Microsoft also intends to allow cross-buys and save synchronization between Xbox One and Windows 10 versions of games; Microsoft Studios games such as ReCore and Quantum Break are intended as being exclusive to Windows 10 and Xbox One.[88]
Candy Crush Saga and Microsoft Solitaire Collection are also automatically installed upon installation of Windows 10.[89][90]
Windows 10 adds native game recording and screenshot capture ability using the newly introduced game bar. Users can also have the OS continuously record gameplay in the background, which, then, allows the user to save the last few, user configurable, moments of gameplay to the hard disk.[91]
Windows 10 adds FLAC and HEVC codecs and support for the Matroska media container, allowing these formats to be opened in Windows Media Player and other applications.[92][93][94]
DirectX 12[edit]
Windows 10 includes DirectX 12, alongside WDDM 2.0.[95][96] Unveiled March 2014 at GDC, DirectX 12 aims to provide "console-level efficiency" with "closer to the metal" access to hardware resources, and reduced CPU and graphics driver overhead.[97][98] Most of the performance improvements are achieved through low-level programming, which allow developers to use resources more efficiently and reduce single-threaded CPU bottlenecking caused by abstraction through higher level APIs.[99][100] DirectX 12 will also feature support for vendor agnostic multi-GPU setups.[101] WDDM 2.0 introduces a new virtual memory management and allocation system to reduce workload on the kernel-mode driver.
| Update branch | Windows Insider Preview Branch (WIPB) Beta software | Current Branch (CB) "Consumer grade" | Current Branch for Business (CBB) "Business ready" | Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) "Mission critical" |
| Edition | Home | |||
| Pro | ||||
| Education | ||||
| Enterprise | Enterprise LTSB | |||
| Critical updates Security patches and stability updates | Continuous as made available (choice of slow, fast, orrelease preview ring) | Automatic and mandatory[185] | Automatic | User can defer updates indefinitely |
| Feature upgrades Non-critical functionality and feature updates | Automatic or defer | Only through LTSB in-place upgrades | ||
| Feature upgrades cadence | Continuous as released | Progressively after WIPB evaluation | ~4 months after CB evaluation or defer for an additional ~8 months | LTSB releases are stable 'snapshots' of CBB |
| Upgrade support | Continuous updating, features silently come and sometimes go with new builds | Continuous updating or in-place upgrade to supported LTSB builds | In-place upgrade support for the three most recent LTSB builds | |
| Update support | 10 years (or until future builds require hardware support the old device doesn't have or ~4 months after a missed cumulative update made into CBB.) | 10 years (or ~8 months from deferring build upgrade or until future builds require hardware support the old device doesn't have.) | 5 years mainstream + 5 years extended | |
| Update methods | Windows Update | Windows Update Windows Update for Business Windows Server Update Services | Windows Update for Business Windows Server Update Services | |
System requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 1 GHz clock rate IA-32 or x86-64 architecture Support for PAE, NX andSSE2[201][202] | x86-64 architecture with support forCMPXCHG16B, PrefetchW and LAHF/SAHF CPU instructions |
| Memory (RAM) | IA-32 edition: 1 GB x86-64 edition: 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Graphics card | DirectX 9 graphics device WDDM 1.0 or higher driver | WDDM 1.3 or higher driver |
| Display | 800×600 pixels | N/A |
| Input device | Keyboard and mouse | Multi-touch display |
| Storage space | IA-32 edition: 16 GB x86-64 edition: 20 GB | N/A |
| Feature | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Client Hyper-V | Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) and a 64-bit edition of Windows |
| Secure Boot | UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B with Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in its database |
| BitLocker, device encryption | Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 |
| Windows Hello | Illuminated infrared camera |
| Speech recognition | Microphone |
| Biometric authentication | Fingerprint reader |
| Device encryption | InstantGo |
| Miracast | Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct |
| Secure attention | Hardware equivalent of Ctrl+Alt+Delete or ⊞ Win+Power key sequence |
The basic
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