Today, I’m excited to share the availability date for Windows 10. In fact, I thought I’d let Cortana, the world’s most personal digital assistant, share the news. You can ask Cortana for the answer, or if you don’t have a Windows phone or a PC running the Windows 10 Insider Preview handy – you can hear it for yourself here:

http://soundcloud.com/windows-blogs/upgrade-to-windows-10-july-29th​

Through the feedback and testing of over four million Windows Insiders, we’ve made great progress on Windows 10 and we’re nearly ready to deliver this free upgrade to all of our Windows customers*.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ngnzY5xtI8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AsoSnOmhvU​

Do Great Things with Windows 10

We designed Windows 10 to create a new generation of Windows for the 1.5 billion people using Windows today in 190 countries around the world. With Windows 10, we start delivering on our vision of more personal computing, defined by trust in how we protect and respect your personal information, mobility of the experience across your devices, and natural interactions with your Windows devices, including speech, touch, ink, and holograms. We designed Windows 10 to run our broadest device family ever, including Windows PCs, Windows tablets, Windows phones, Windows for the Internet of Things, Microsoft Surface Hub, Xbox One and Microsoft HoloLens—all working together to empower you to do great things.

Familiar, yet better than ever, Windows 10 brings back the Start menu you know and love. Windows 10 is faster than ever before, with quick startup and resume. And Windows 10 provides the most secure platform ever, including Windows Defender for free anti-malware protection, and being the only platform with a commitment to deliver free ongoing security updates for the supported lifetime of the device.

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We’ve designed Windows 10 to help you be more productive and have more fun, with a range of innovations**:

• Cortana, the world’s first truly personal digital assistant helps you get things done. Cortana learns your preferences to provide relevant recommendations, fast access to information, and important reminders. Interaction is natural and easy via talking or typing. And the Cortana experience works not just on your PC, but can notify and help you on your smartphone too.
  
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• Microsoft Edge, is an all-new browser designed to get things done online in new ways, with built-in commenting on the web – via typing or inking — sharing comments, and a reading view that makes reading web sites much faster and easier. With Cortana integrated, Microsoft Edge offers quick results and content based on your interests and preferences. Fast, streamlined and personal, you can focus on just the content that matters to you and actively engage with the web.
  
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• Office on Windows: In addition to the Office 2016 full featured desktop suite, Windows 10 users will be able to experience new universal Windows applications for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, all available separately. These offer a consistent, touch-first experience across a range of devices to increase you productivity. Designed from the ground up to run on Windows 10, you can easily create and edit Word documents, and deliver PowerPoint presentations while annotating on the fly. With new touch-first controls in Excel you can create or update spreadsheets without a keyboard or mouse. You will also be able to enjoy new versions of OneNote and Outlook, which are included with Windows 10 at no additional cost.
  
• Xbox Live and the integrated Xbox App bring new game experiences to Windows 10. Xbox on Windows 10 brings the expansive Xbox Live gaming network to both Windows 10 PCs and tablets. Communicate with your friends on Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One – while playing any PC game. You can capture, edit and share your greatest gaming moments with Game DVR, and play new games with friends across devices. You can play games on your PC, streamed directly from your Xbox One console to your Windows 10 tablets or PCs, within your home. Games developed for DirectX 12 in Windows 10 will see improvements in speed, efficiency and graphics capability.
  
• New Photos, Videos, Music, Maps, People, Mail & Calendar apps have updated designs that look and feel familiar from app to app and device to device. You can start something on one device and continue it on another since your content is stored on and synced through OneDrive.
  
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• Windows Continuum enables today’s best laptops and 2-in-1 devices to elegantly transform from one form factor to the other, enabling smooth transitions of your tablet into a PC, and back. And new Windows phones with Continuum can be connected to a monitor, mouse and physical keyboard to make your phone work like a PC.
  
• Windows Hello, greets you by name and with a smile, letting you log in without a password and providing instant, more secure access to your Windows 10 devices. With Windows Hello, biometric authentication is easy with your face, iris, or finger, providing instant recognition.
  
• Windows Store, with easy install and uninstall of trusted applications, supported by the broadest range of global payment methods.

In addition to these innovations, we will continue to update Windows 10 over time with new innovations to help you be more productive and have more fun. Like Windows 10 itself, these updates will be free for the supported lifetime of your device.

You can see these features in action in this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwc5jKc-EgE​

Get Ready for Windows 10

On July 29, you can get Windows 10 for PCs and tablets by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer, or on a new Windows 10 PC from your favorite retailer. If you purchase a new Windows 8.1 device between now and then, the Windows 10 upgrade will be available to you and many retail stores will upgrade your new device for you.

The Windows 10 upgrade is designed to be compatible with your current Windows device and applications*. We are hard at work to make this upgrade process a great experience. You can reserve your free Windows 10 upgrade now through a simple reservation process. Look for this icon in your system tray at the bottom of your screen, simply click on the icon, and then complete the reservation process. You can find more details on how this works at Windows.com.

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Thank you for choosing Windows. We are designing it for you, so you can be more secure, more productive, have more fun.

Terry

* Initial release will be for PC and tablets. See Windows.com/windows10upgrade for availability and other details.

** Specific features may not be available in certain markets, some features require specified hardware, and Continuum for phone available on select premium models at launch. More details at Windows.com/windows10specs and xbox.com/windows-10.

 

oooohhh....
soon we will see in all changelogs of software:
- Fixed Windows 10 Compatibility
- Added Windows 10 Compatibility Support
- Added Windows 10 Compatibility 64 bit Support
etc. etc. etc.

 

There are so many amazing features in Windows 10 that's not a problem for me. That's not a Windows problem anyway, it's a development problem particularly in such a fundamental area of computing as designing an operating system.

 

Why upgrade?

Better Organized Start Screen, Biomentric Log-in, Continnuum, Cortana, Direct X 12, Faster Performance, Microsoft Edge, Multiple Desktops, Passport, Security, Start Menu, Windows UI (Metro) Apps Now Run On Desktop, Play Your XBox Games On PC, etc., etc.

You can customize it to how you like it and if you can't get it exact then I'm sure Stardock will be there to fill in any gaps.

 

Figure: Infection rate by client and server operating system in the third and fourth quarters of 2014 (3Q14/4Q14)
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Noticing a pattern here...

The point of Windows is so you don't have to run OSX.

So you don't need multiple desktops, performance and security?

 

This OS scares me ...
in fact, I think it is not right to call it an "OS" any more... don`t know what it is, but I guess we will need some very capable hackers to keep this "thing" in check

 

I'll stick with 7 for now.. does everything i need, and everything works on it regarding my music software. I shudder to think of what all will stop working on W10.

I work with Stardock, and even they cant make 10 the same as 7.. 100%

 

Rhodes
I can completely understand where you're coming from but do you really think Apple is any different? *no*

As we push forward technologically and our systems can do more than ever before we will also be fighting against the fact that they're also becoming more intrusive than ever before and in the age of surveillance that certainly will leave us cold. Remember the NSAs goal has always been Total Information Awareness and their ideal scenario is spying on you through the products that you use every day.

That being said part of me is excited about this release of Windows.

One Reason
Well though 10 has a lot of new features I don't see it as that fundamentally different than 8 under the hood though there can be small changes that are enough to cause issues in this or that. It seems that they refined a lot of the things that weren't working or weren't well thought out in 8 and made it more of a unified experience. There are certainly many benefits even between 7 and 8 that I've highlighted somewhere around here and with 10 the OS becomes even more compelling. That being said I won't be jumping on this right away either. I will be chronicling the real world issues that will crop up as people transition via my posts here as I read a lot of IT publications and I'm on top of that kind of stuff so I'll keep you guys updated and you can make an informed decision as to what's best for you. I actually would like to make a follow-up post soon to explain what changes to expect for those that upgrade from 7 or 8 because there are some considerations to be aware of. However it will have to wait because it's crunch time here at AudioLabs where we're designing an experience of our own.

 

I, personally, am excited about W10. I have W8.1 on my tablet and I am not fond of it. I run W7 on my main desktop and drumkit laptop and I love it. I remember thinking "W8 is ok, but I wish it had this, this and that that W7 has". It seems they did just that with W10. W8 has this annoying thing that although it is "designed for tablets" (note the quotation marks), it is blody hard to use and navigate due to its shitty little buttons.

One think I do like about W8, though, is how fast it boots and how it uses less resources, while other resources only kick in just when they are required. I forgot its name, but it has a sort of "process queue" that lists processes commonly used and has them ready to go if you need them.

I once upgraded a friend's computer to W8.1 from W7, but prior to doing so I did a speed test and a stress test. Once I installed W8.1 (and removed the "windows.old" folder) I did the same test. The result were twice as fast and efficient, while booting super fast. So yeah, if W10 has this same characteristic I am definitely upgrading.

Once thing to consider, though: Make an system image backup and a recovery disc, just in case. Just like every version of windows, some people will love it, and some people will hate it.

Just like One Reason, I am very happy with W7 (and I actually use some of his skins with Stardock!), but I am open to what W10 has to offer. If I hate it, I'll just go back to W7 with my system image.

Aaaanyway... my two cents!!

 

@Catalyst:
Great quote!

...but, don`t get me wrong, Microsoft or Apple is the same for me; they are both chasing the same rabbit, in the arena that is owned by the same master...

Of course, I am excited about the new toy, and I will try it... I am human too
But, I just want an OS on which Cubase will run smooth that will use the best it can my hardware... I don`t want even to see it! (the OS)... I want to look at the applications I use, not at some freaky features like aero, revolving windows, dancing cursors, and things.

Windows 7 was (is) OK... it efficiently used my CPU, memory and things; and if you disable all the nonsense services and startup apps, You could do what You have to do...

For networking and Internet shit I will always use Linux anyway... I just don`t trust Microsoft or Apple
I watched a few recent interviews with Gates and I see where he is heading to... that path doesn`t fit my concept of privacy and freedom.

Now, with that Windows 10, all that bullshit of iris scan, biometrics, fingerprints, vocal recognition, anal probing and shit, is I think really crossing the line.
I don` want (don`t need) all of that!
At this point, Microsoft is getting more information about me than the state that owns me... ain’t that wicked ?!?
call it privacy... *no*

Of course, I like all that technology, but keep it in form of some software which I can choose if I want to use it or not... leave the OS alone! put all of these integrations in an additional bundle, to be installed by people that need it!

What follows is that in a few years, Cubase (and the others) will conform and run only on Windows 10, so, if You choose not to use Windows 10 with all his "probing", You will not be able to use the new software...

I just hope that some good hackers will dismantle that freaking OS and make a good Hot Rod out of him, stripping all the bullshit they integrated inside.

*sorry for my bad English; I am doing the best I can

 

I probably wont use any of these new features.

The only thing I really care about is performance and efficiency.

I feel like Windows 8 was really an improvement compared to the previous versions, not regarding usability, but performance. It stays "fresh" for longer periods, while older versions need a re-format once in a while.

So, if Windows 10 follows the same path as Windows 8, it will be awesome. I just want a system which stays stable, fast and responsive for as long as possible.

 

What's missing in both 8.1 and 10 is Windows Classic theme and the aero-like effects cannot be effectively disabled.
Also missing sense of control, XP and 7 are easy to understand and 7 in particular provides very advanced level of diagnostics and it's fail-safe to optimize (unlike XP). As for W8+, you insert DVD, click Repair and hope for the best.
I had a lot of issues, performance and stability-wise with W8.1, glad I'm back with W7.

But whatever works for everyone I guess, not forcing anyone to join me.
I also don't care about security, as all my W7 are permanently offline.
Only XP and Lubuntu are permitted on inet.

 

So, one question I'm interested in...

How Windows 10 will help me with music? what does it add?
I'm on Win7 x64 now.

Maybe faster performance will be, less memory leak/RAM/CPU eating?
As for me, Win 7 x64 is 99.99% what you need for your minimum at studio (plug-ins compatibility, x64bitness, performance, speed maybe, ...), but what will 10 give me?

Maybe Multiple Desktops is usefull, but other stuff...

 

I've been using 10 (technical review) for a while now and I don't see a big difference day to day compared with 7.
It's what 8 should have been, still familiar to 7 users with new features.

I'll upgrade mainly to keep current.

 

If Windows 10 is a good release then Greifi Grishnackh will release a modded version as for Windows Ice Xp and Windows 7 Ice. He skipped Vista 8 and 8.1 . I trust this guy. We will see.

 

Hi Audiopervs,

No worries about trying out Windows 10. I've been testing it on my daughters computer for the last week and besides a few expected hiccups. It runs smooth. Of course I am just like you guys and really don't give a shit about all the new features they included. I'll leave that for my daughter to contend with, I just care about how it handles Audio.. drumroll.... We did not even notice a difference from what She and I are used to. That however does not mean it's not better that 7 or 8.1 ,just We did not notice anything to be worried about at all. Everything was exactly how my daughter had it to begin with. No driver issues at all. All her music projects opened up just fine, latency etc. etc. Bottom line as far as I am concerned It's going to be great O.S. once it's stripped down. However.. if you are interested in the new features I would hold off until the final build or longer

 

My recommendation is also waiting for a while even though it's a compelling upgrade and some of the new features are actually really useful such as multiple desktops particularly for those that enjoy multitasking the shit out of their system. Also the performance should be better than even 8.1 which already was good in that area. Performance, stability and security in particular are already compelling reasons to upgrade in my opinion. A better workflow with a built in start menu for users coming from 8/8.1, a more fluid experience with Windows UI (rebranded Metro UI, Modern UI) programs such as having the capability to run them on the desktop. Holding off shouldn't be a problem for those looking to upgrade since you have a year to do it for free. However I don't know if you have to reserve your copy though (is there a limit on non-physical media? ) or if you can do that later. I would actually like to purchase a copy so I don't have to deal with upgrading but rather perform a full install and I would like to have the pro version. I don't know if that will be possible otherwise.

 

Still more excited for Windows Phone 10 than the desktop version.