On January 21, 2015, Microsoft is going to do its level best to convince us that Windows 8 never really happened. The company’s official Windows 10 unveil is set for that date, and the rumor mill suggests Microsoft will do far more than simply take the veil off a modest update to its primary operating system. While the first Windows 10 event focused solely on the name and a few new features, the January 21 event will focus on the overall “Windows 10 consumer experience.” We should also hear about pricing (and whether a subscription model will be used), and a release date.
According to ZDNet, the upcoming event will also feature the new Windows 10 mobile SKU. This is the unified OS that will shrink Microsoft’s overall product footprint by unifying the Intel, ARM, and Windows Phone ecosystems. In theory, developers will simply be able to target one product rather than producing multiple variants of a program. Unlike current versions of Windows 8, this upcoming Windows 10 product won’t have a desktop at all — hopefully eliminating one of the major sources of confusion that pushed consumers away from Windows RT.
Windows 10 search functions
Also on the menu is the next Technical Preview of Windows 10. It’s not clear precisely what the company will feature; the current preview build is a fairly modest update to the Windows 10 ecosystem. Then again, I’ve previously argued that what really wrecks Windows 8.1 isn’t any single glaring flaw, but a multitude of smaller issues. The early Technical Previews have taken significant steps towards reincorporating Windows 7 features that users wanted while adjusting the overall icon and color schemes.The January preview is expected to introduce Continuum, a feature that will seamlessly switch between Tablet and Desktop modes when an attached keyboard is disconnected or reconnected. The gulf between Windows 8 use on a tablet vs. a non-touch laptop was one of the most persistent complaints users had about the OS; Continuum is designed to bridge that gap more smoothly.
Other features, like DirectX 12, don’t appear to have roll-out dates yet, and we’ve yet to see any performance information or other general data. The final release date of Windows 10 was recently pushed back, from spring/summer 2015 to “later in 2015″ — which means we’re probably looking at an October’ish release date.
Will fixing Windows 8 be sufficient?
Among other changes, Windows 10 features a bunch of new, flatter icons
I’m of two minds on Windows 10. Within the classic Windows market, including gaming and enthusiasts, I think it’s shaping up quite well. If DirectX 12 lives up to expectations, this will be the first Windows release in a long time to meaningfully move the 2D and 3D performance bar upwards. The improvements we’ve seen to-date suggest that Microsoft has kept the best parts of Windows 8 — and there were good parts — while bringing back the Windows 7 features that people wanted most. Again, that’s a smart move. I’m a bit more optimistic than Sebastian on the whole “death of the PC” issue.
Whether it’s sufficient to ignite the larger market for Windows devices is an entirely different story. With a new, Metro-only interface and unified app structure, Microsoft is betting that consumers want a Windows-centric experience, on everything from PCs to smartphones to TVs — but without some of the Windows features that users customarily depend on. Windows RT confused customers by looking like Windows without offering the features they expected; Windows 10 could still slam into this problem if Microsoft doesn’t do a better job with product differentiation.
A few years ago, the joint Intel-Microsoft plan was to split the market, with cheap tablets using ARM and Android, and more expensive x86 tablets owning the Windows market. Thatplan is dead now, thanks to vast tablet subsidies and marketing necessity — but with Microsoft, Android, and iOS all collectively attacking the same budget space, it’s not at clear that there’s room for three players. There’s also talk that Windows 10 could mark the unveiling of a Microsoft subscription model — though whether anyone would be interested is another story altogether.
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