2015 will mark the 30th anniversary of Windows, Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) iconic operating system first launched in November 1985. 2015 will also mark the year that Windows 10 will be released, the follow-up to the critically panned Windows 8.

Over the last decade customer’s computing needs have shifted. The computing landscape is dramatically different in 2015 than in 2001, when Microsoft launched Windows XP its most popular operating system and considered to be the company’s best. People compute in different ways, and Microsoft now has to compete with new operating systems that have appeared in the last decade like Android in addition to longtime rival Mac OS from Apple (NASDAQ: APPL).

Microsoft now is at a critical juncture.The success or failure of Windows 10 will be turning point for Microsoft. The exact nature of Windows 11 will depend on whether the market embraces or rejects Windows 10. If the market embraces Windows 10, it’s very likely that the follow-up will be more of the same. A failure of Windows 10 — a repeat of Windows 8 — will force Microsoft back to the drawing board with the OS, re-imagining it from the ground up.

Back to the beginning: DOS

A history of Windows needs to begin with what preceded it: DOS. DOS, later known as MS-DOS, was Microsoft’s first operating system and until Windows ME the foundation of what Windows ran on.

The birth of MS-DOS began in 1981 when Microsoft met with IBM (NYSE: IBM) to discuss making an operating system for its upcoming personal computer.

Microsoft already had a relationship with IBM, as it was licensing the BASIC language to IBM. The scope and complexity of creating an entire operating system was beyond Microsoft’s resources available at the time, but that didn’t stop Bill Gates: he bought the full rights to DOS from a small firm based in Washington called Seattle Computer Products for $50,000.

The meeting that started this deal is dramatized in the film Pirates of the Silicon Valley:

Seattle Computer Products’ owner Rod Brock was unaware of the exact nature of the deal between Microsoft and IBM. However, when he discovered the profits Microsoft was making selling DOS to IBM he tried to sell the company and all of its intellectual property to one of IBM’s rivals. This led to a lawsuit between Brock and Microsoft and the two parties settled out of court for $925,000, and Microsoft confirmed its rights and license to DOS.

The first Windows

Microsoft announced Windows, first called Windows for DOS and known by its code name of, in 1983. It was finally released in 1985. However, it was not the first operating system with a graphical user interface. That honor goes to Apple’s Macintosh.

Windows shipped with several simple programs, such as MS‑DOS file management, Paint, Windows Writer, Notepad, Calculator, and a calendar, card file, and clock.

While Windows was praised for helping change the paradigm of how people interact with computers, this first version of the world’s most important operating system largely stood in the shadow of Macintosh. Apple, however felt threatened and sued Microsoft in 1988 for copyright infringement, claiming that Microsoft copied the “look and feel” of its operating system.

However Apple itself did not invent the GUI. That honor goes to Xerox, which effectively gave it away to Apple.

Support for Windows 1.0 ended in December 2001.

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Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) latest plan to get Windows 10 for phones on more devices involves collaborating with Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi in offering a custom Android ROM that effectively allows devices like the Mi 4 to run Windows 10.

From what has been revealed thus far, the deal seems less like a partnership and more like Microsoft trying to gain feedback from Xiaomi’s community of fans, who are some of the most vocal when it comes to sharing their thoughts on new software updates.

As part of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft will partner with Xiaomi to offer Windows 10 free downloads to a select group of Xiaomi Mi4 users. Xiaomi Mi4 users will get the ability to flash their phones with the new Windows 10 OS and provide feedback to Xiaomi and Microsoft on their experience.

This partnership will allow Xiaomi and Microsoft to get direct user feedback and continue to improve the experience for China. Microsoft is thrilled to see Xiaomi embracing Windows 10 and offering this great value to their customers. We’re excited to see the feedback we receive from this audience.

Since Xiaomi actively encourages users to install custom ROMs on its hardware, Microsoft’s Windows 10 is seen as just another alternative among the likes of CyanogenMod, Paranoid Android and AOSP builds.

An image of a Mi 4 — which comes with hardware that is better than anything currently available on Windows Phone — running Windows 10 was posted on the MIUI forum, with the statement that the ROM would be made available to the community shortly.

What Microsoft’s intentions at this stage in launching a ROM tailored to run Windows 10 is unclear, but with Windows Phone steadily coming to parity with Android at a hardware-level, it is possible that the software giant is looking to increase the number of devices that have Windows 10 installed without actually having to launch any.

By offering a ROM, Microsoft is allowing users to try and test out the features on offer from Windows Phone, which ultimately leads to an increased interest in the platform. Android’s customizability continues to be one of its strong points, and if Microsoft can cater to that segment of power users, it stands to gain valuable feedback as well as a new outlet through which to increase the number of customers using its services.

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In a landmark move to combat piracy in China and other emerging markets, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has announced that it will make Windows 10 freely available to all current users, even those who are running pirated versions of the operating system.

The move is designed to curtail piracy, which is rampant in China. A study found that over 67% of all PCs in China run a non-genuine version of Windows, and after trying and failing to prevent piracy, Microsoft is now looking to put an end to illegal downloads by giving the next version of Windows away for free. By allowing users to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, Microsoft will be able to “re-engage” with hundreds of millions of customers in these countries, according to Terry Myerson.

Microsoft is heavily reorganizing its business model  with Windows 10, which will be the first Windows to offer a consistent user experience across devices and form factors, such as smartphones, tablets, PCs and even the Xbox One. Windows 10 will be offered as a service, and while the first year of usage will be available for free to all users, there will be some pricing structure rolled out after that. Along with changing how Windows 10 is delivered, Microsoft is also fundamentally altering the way the operating system is built by giving millions of customers access to early builds to solicit feedback.

It is possible we’ll see an Office 365-style pricing tiers for Windows. Microsoft has not detailed as to how it will charge for Windows 10, but more details will likely emerge at its BUILD conference, which is being held next month.

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At the WinHEC event in Shenzhen, China, Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) head of operating systems Terry Myerson announced that Windows 10 will be launching this summer in 190 countries. Several new features were demoed as well, along with the announcement that a country-specific version of Cortana would be available in Mandarin.

Microsoft also revealed that it is partnering with several Chinese tech companies to increase its presence in the country. Lenovo (HKG:0992), the world’s largest PC maker, has announced that it will make Windows 10 upgrade services available at more than 2,500 locations in China. Lenovo also said that it would be launching its first Windows Phone mid-2015. Specific details about the hardware were not revealed, but considering that the device will be sold through China Mobile, it is likely Lenovo will target the masses with an entry-level or mid-tier offering.

Chinese internet portal Tencent (HKG:0700) is also collaborating with Microsoft in making Windows 10 available to as many of its customers as soon as possible. The vendor stated that it would be launching the highly popular League of Legends on the Windows 10 store, and that it would make several of its apps universal for Windows 10.

In terms of features, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would get a new biometric authentication system dubbed Windows Hello. Through the feature, you can use your face, iris or fingerprint to unlock your Windows 10 computer. As is the case when implementing biometric authentication, the feature will require specialised hardware, with Microsoft stating that it is working with OEMs to include Intel’s RealSense F200 sensor in their Windows 10-based hardware.

Windows 10 for IoT devices was also highlighted, with Microsoft stating that it will give away the upcoming version of the operating system for free to the maker community. There will be specialised versions of Windows 10 based on the hardware use-case, with products tailored for powerful devices like ATMs and ultrasound machines, to low-energy consuming machines like gateways. Microsoft is also collaborating with Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) and Raspberry to launch tools and developer kits for the IoT platform. Qualcomm’s DragonBoard 410C was selected as the first dev board for Windows 10 in this segment, with the kit offering integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, single-channel LPDDR2/3 memory and a Snapdragon 410 SoC.

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Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) announced Thursday morning that it was downgrading its revenue prospects for its upcoming first-quarter earnings release due to the continued shift from desktop PCs to mobile.

Intel expects revenue to be approximately $12.8 billion, plus or minus $300 million, down from $13.7 billion, plus or minus $500 million.

“The change in revenue outlook is a result of weaker than expected demand for business desktop PCs and lower than expected inventory levels across the PC supply chain,” Intel wrote in a statement released Thursday morning. “The company believes the changes to demand and inventory patterns are caused by lower than expected Windows XP refresh in small and medium business and increasingly challenging macroeconomic and currency conditions, particularly in Europe.”

Many vendors in the PC space, including Intel, have been the victim of a prolonged upgrade cycle. Though Windows XP has been pushed to its end of life, many large enterprises are hanging on to their Windows 7-based machines. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Intel and other vendors in the space hope that the upcoming release of Windows 10 will spur demand for upgrades.

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Since it has been confirmed that the Windows Holographic platform will come baked into every copy of the Windows 10 operating system, Microsoft obviously anticipates the possibility of a future filled with “holographic” computing devices.

So is Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) correct to expect this trend, and – more importantly – should we be happy if it is?

HoloLens joins the recent crew of wearable interfaces, which includes Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) Glass and Sony’s not-so-smart-glasses. Some people want to include Oculus Rift in this list, but the Rift is neither augmented reality, nor a computer interface – it is a glamorous virtual reality gaming console, that also happens to be really cool, but doesn’t attempt to function as an interface for everyday computing.

A step forward

Augmented reality devices represent the logical step in a trend that began with the unveiling of the original iPhone in 2007.  Much has been made of the way Apple’s iPhone – and later the iPad – influenced the computing world by creating a vast market for portable smart devices. But equally relevant is an extraordinary paradigm shift caused by these devices with the perfection of one simple element: the touch screen.

Since Douglas Engelbart’s “mother of all demos” in 1968, computer interfaces have been dominated by the ingenious mouse-keyboard combo. For a generation of people who lived before computers, the mouse and keyboard represented the perfect interface: a simple and intuitive way to input commands to a computer using direct mechanical motion and tactile feedback. Typing at a computer wasn’t much different from using a typewriter, and using a mouse must have felt a lot like pulling a lever or turning a steering-wheel to get where one wanted to go.

Most importantly, this interface maintained a clear distinction between the user and the machine: there could not be a less ambiguous boundary than the four corners of a computer monitor, and the pronounced grid of a 1980s keyboard. This distinction was a comfortable one for those accustomed to reading text from the pages of a book, or the folds of a newspaper.

But it also turned out to be an unnecessary one, because computers are not books. The touchscreen was not merely a cool gimmick, but a fundamental change in the way people interacted with their devices. Gone was the distance, or the need for mechanical proxies. Users could now directly manipulate the digital environment by touching it, and interacting with it in a way so intimate that it could arguably be called “magical”.

Since a capacitive touchscreen was included in Apple’s original iPhone, touchscreens have appeared everywhere: tablets, laptops, desktop monitors, televisions, cars, and even refrigerators. It’s a well established fact that a small niche for touchscreens existed before 2007, as exemplified by Microsoft’s Palm PC. But besides being inaccurate and cumbersome, these screens focused on the use of a stylus, and so continued to emphasize the mechanical boundary between machine and user.

Changing paradigms

Google went a step beyond the touchscreen with Glass, by changing the very screen from a physical one to one existing virtually in a user’s line of sight. But this was more of a gimmick than anything significant. Glass still functioned almost exactly like a mobile device. The glass interface was just a screen – a screen constantly floating in front of one’s face, but a screen nevertheless.

HoloLens represents an even more dramatic reduction in the distance between user and interface. By virtually transforming the physical world into a tangible representation of programs and controls, HoloLens is more invasive than glass, which at least preserves the distinction between what is virtual and what is real.

The effect – theoretically, at least – is awesome. What could be cooler than literally stepping into a Martian biome, or the bounds of a video game environment, or to pick up a virtual model and turn it around, all within one’s office?

The question of whether these theoretical features will actually function as intended can be ignored in lieu of the more dramatic question, which is: should this distance be breached in the first place? Digital environments are not realer than the ones in books or other fantasies, which we comfortably consign to the boundaries of our imagination, or pages, or stage, or screen – the boundaries of something.

But should we willingly lie to our senses until they are confused what is actual, and what is virtual? HoloLens is the first time this has actually been attempted, so there are no past failures to learn from, or debates to draw on. This is a question that must be worked out by the consumer, whose answer will ultimately determine the fate of augmented reality, and Microsoft’s HoloLens.

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The Raspberry Pi 2 is scheduled to begin shipping on Monday, and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has just announced that it intends to port its upcoming Windows 10 operating system to the device — for free.

The Raspberry Pi is a single board computer first launched in 2012 designed to promote computer science education in school. It also has found a following with hobbyists and makers who use it as the backbone of projects. One common gripe many had with the device was its lack of Windows support, as it’s an ARM-based device. Users have been stuck using a Linux OS, while those that build rival Galileo platform from Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) enjoy Windows support.

Microsoft has not yet confirmed a release date, only saying the operating system will be available “later this year” for the platform.

However, the Raspberry Pi 2 won’t run a full edition of Windows 10, or allow access to applications like Internet Explorer or Office. Instead Microsoft is building the operating system to allow developers to be able to use the command-line interface to develop devices for the Internet of Things ecosystem.

One of the most important upgrades to the Raspberry Pi 2 is the CPU. The new edition of the device sports a ARM Cortex A7 CPU clocked at 900 MHz.

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During today’s Windows 10 news briefing, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) revealed that Xbox One games can be streamed to PC’s and tablets running the new Windows 10 operating system.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could play (Xbox One games) anywhere in the house?” Xbox division head Phil Spencer said during the event. “We have to put the gamer at the center of every experience.”

Users simply have to tether their Xbox One to a nearby Windows 10-ready tablet or PC, sync up a controller, and the console will stream gameplay to the linked device. This effectively gives the Xbox One its very own “remote play” functionality.

The cross-platform integration doesn’t end there: Microsoft has plans to let PC and Xbox One gamers interact with one another via multiplayer. At the event the company showcased this feature with Fable Legends, announcing that the game will launch on PC as well.

As for its actual games presence on Windows 10, Microsoft has simply mirrored the Xbox One’s framework over to the new OS.

That means you can interact with your Xbox LIVE friends on any device running Windows 10, as well as post on Activity Feeds, share, create and view videos with the Game DVR and more. All of these functions are even compatible with Steam games, too.

Certain aspects of Windows 10 will also symbiotically harmonize into the Xbox One as well. While details are scarce at how exactly Windows 10 will affect the console, we do know that DirectX 12 will be added to the system sometime in the future.

Windows 10 borrows key features from the Xbox One including the ability to capture, create and share games with Xbox LIVE friends.

According to Spencer, DirectX 12 has “given developers more fine control over CPU and GPU interactions” and allows them to “boost performance by up to 50%.” With the new API, developers will be able to maintain consistent frame-rates even during strenuous and complex environments.

Spencer also revealed that DirectX 12 will help for mobile gaming as well, and has cut power consumption in half, letting more mobile devices run demanding games.

DirectX 12 is already being used in a number of big-name graphics engines including Unity and Unreal Engine 4.

No plans were revealed to include Windows Phone devices as part of the cross-platform action, but we might hear more from Microsoft during this year’s Game Developer’s Conference in March.

For more info be sure to check out Xbox Wire.

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Late last year Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT) promised another, more comprehensive, preview of Windows 10 in January. Now that event is scheduled to take place later this week as many eagerly await what Microsoft has in store for the successor of Windows 8.

As with such a prominent release the rumor mill is abuzz with what might or might not be included. In order to separate fact from fiction, we’ve sorted through the rumors and compiled what’s likely to appear during the preview event on the 21st.

A closer look at the new Start Menu

One of the great disappointments for many with Windows 8 was the lack of the Start Menu. While Microsoft believed that the move to make Windows a purely hardware agnostic operating system meant moving away from the button first introduced with Windows 95, users hated it. Thus, with Windows 10 the Start Menu will make its return.

From what we’ve seen of the Windows 10 Start Menu thus far, it looks like it will integrate elements of the Metro UI into the new Start Menu.

A consumer focused build

This next preview is expected to largely focus on applications of Windows 10 in the consumer environment. While that’s a very broad spectrum to cover, the preview will likely be focused on showing off Cortana, Microsoft Office, and Windows 10 Mobile.

While Microsoft Office on Windows 10 isn’t expected to have any sort of radical transformations from its previous edition, it will be interesting to see what Microsoft does with the suite on the new version of Windows 10 Mobile. Microsoft Office on the iOS and Android platforms, so a port of Microsoft Office to Windows Mobile is long overdue.

On the topic, Windows 10 Mobile is something of a wildcard. Microsoft may simply rebrand the existing versions of Windows Mobile with a new UI or it could be reworking it entirely. That will be something to watch for.

What about Phil Spencer?

One interesting attendee scheduled to be at the big unveiling is Phil Spencer, the boss of Microsoft’s Xbox division.

On Xbox Wire, Microsoft’s “state broadcaster” for Xbox news, Spencer said that Windows 10 will be the best OS yet for gaming from Microsoft. He also hinted that his team was working with the Windows team in some capacity but it’s up in the air to exactly what that means.

“For the Xbox team, this is the beginning of our discussion with fans about the work that we’re doing to bring gaming to the Windows 10 operating system,” he is quoted as saying. “It’s really nice to finally get to be able to talk about this. We’ll continue the conversation throughout the year.”

Unknown unknowns

The truth is there’s plenty we do not know about the more exciting features of Windows 10. Windows 10 is sure to be one of Microsoft’s most ambitious efforts to date with Windows. It has to be given the reception Windows 8 received.

The post Here’s What to Expect From the Windows 10 Preview Event appeared first on VR World.

Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Kevin Turner said that his company is considering changing the revenue model for Windows — but the nature of that exact change is yet to be determined.

Speaking at the recent Credit Suisse conference, Turner, who is the company’s Chief Operating Officer, said that Microsoft needs to reinvent its revenue model for Windows as the company is forced to give away more and more licences and consumers are increasingly reluctant to upgrade to new versions of the operating system.

“We’ve got to monetize it differently. And there are services involved,” Turner is quoted as saying in a transcript of the meeting. “There are additional opportunities for us to bring additional services to the product and do it in a creative way. And through the course of the summer and spring we’ll be announcing what that business model looks like.”

Turner admitted that the new business model for software that Microsoft must adapt to is a far cry from the environment the company once enjoyed.

“The beautiful thing about the old-world business model was that, hey, as a customer bought our software, we got paid 100% of it up front and we got paid regardless of whether they used it or not,” he said.

Turner was light on details to what exactly “different” means, as the full details won’t be revealed until 2015. While Microsoft does give away free licenses to manufacturers for devices with a screen sizes below 9 inches, giving away the software carte blanche isn’t something that Microsoft is considering.

Many analysts expect that Windows 10 will sell well and trigger a series of PC upgrades due to the pent-up demand from users still running Windows 7 that skipped over Windows 8. Likely, the interest and demand from vendors regarding Windows 10 will dictate just how radical the shift in business license model is for Microsoft.

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Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has begun to send out the latest build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview to developers as well as those signed up for the Windows Insider program. This latest build of Microsoft’s up-and-coming version of Windows show a maturing platform with a ton of usability tweaks over its predecessor.

The biggest noticeable difference with this build of Windows is the inclusion of Action Center. Action Center is a single hub for notifications, for everything from apps, emails, Facebook posts to system alerts. This feature has found its way into the desktop version of Windows from Windows Phone 8.1, where it was widely praised.

The other two features that have made their way into this new build — also from Windows Phone — are Battery Saver and Data Sense. Battery Sense will put your tablet or notebook into a very low power mode when the battery runs low, and also prevent it from syncing data in the background in this low-power state. Data Sense provides a breakdown of data consumed over WiFi and cellular connections, and gives the user an option to curb the data use if it reaches a certain amount.

For users with multi-monitor setups, the new build also includes an option to have apps jump across monitors using the Windows+Shift+cursor key.

According to Gabriel Aul, the engineering general manager for the Operating Systems Group at Microsoft, this is far from the last technical build Microsoft puts out. A lot is riding on the success of Windows 10, so Microsoft will do all it can to incorporate user feedback as it further develops the OS.

“Sometimes [the updates] be more frequent and sometimes there will be longer gaps, but they will always be chock full of changes and improvements, as well as some bugs and things that are not quite done,” Aul wrote in an announcing blog post. “As we’ve said, we’re sharing stuff early and moving quickly to do so. In fact, the build that we’re rolling out today is something that we ourselves only got a little over a week ago!”

Windows 10 is expected to launch in late 2015.

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There have been many theories why Microsoft chose to skip Windows 9, but the official reason from the company’s boss of the Windows division is that it doesn’t want customers to associate the new Windows from the disaster that was Windows 8.

In an interview with the Indian edition of Business Insider, which was later republished on the website of The Times of India, Tony Prophet said his company is effectively asking for a second chance with Windows 10 in order to build the proper hardware agnostic ecosystem around the Windows platform.

“Windows 10 is not going to be an incremental step from Window 8.1,” he said. “Windows 10 is going to be 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.”

Microsoft is also putting more emphasis on incorporating feedback from its technical preview into the final version.

The reason we’re doing that is so we can listen to our customers,” he said. “Our objective with Windows 10 is… to build absolutely the best OS for the enterprise. That’s the early focus, we’ve got the process. We’ve got a million people using it. And we’re listening.”

Wasn’t this the point of Windows 8?

Coming from Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), talk of building a grand Windows ecosystem sounds a lot like the reasoning, prior to the launch of Windows 8, for developing the ARM-compatible Windows RT. In the end Windows RT, which was supposed to extend the world of Windows to the ARM-ecosystem, flopped leaving Microsoft to all-but abandon its plans for device domination.

Instead of focusing on bringing Windows to everything, Microsoft needs to focus first and foremost on improving the desktop experience. This is where Windows succeeds, and has proven time and time again to be profitable for Microsoft. The same can’t be said for mobile, which relies on the (expensive) success of Intel’s (NASDAQ: INTC) contra-revenue program.

Windows is a long way from becoming irrelevant, but if Microsoft wants to give users a reason to upgrade from Windows 7 it needs to create a product that gives people a compelling reason to buy it.

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