April 29 marked a new milestone for Microsoft with many of its team hotshots took to the stage and showcased the latest Windows platform via a keynote conference dubbed as Microsoft Build 2015.
“Our goal is to make Windows 10 the most attractive development platform ever,” says Microsoft’s Terry Myerson, its EVP of operating systems. They target to bring Windows 10 to 1 billion devices within two to three years of its release. Unfortunately, we still don’t have a solid Windows 10 release date as of this conference.
Windows 10 comes with a whole new set of exciting features, the best ones are as follows:
10. Phone carrier billing to all Windows devices
Windows 10 will include phone carrier billing to all Windows devices covering a wide range of mobile carriers. This will allow you to put that Windows app purchase on your phone bill rather than as a separate charge.
As of the moment this covers around 90 carriers in the USA. We are still waiting for Microsoft to release information about Philippines.
9. Developers can now use HTML to create Microsoft Windows 10 applications
You can now create applications for Windows 10 using basic HTML, .Net / Win32, Java / C++, and even iOS / Objective C. Windows 10 will be the Universal Platform to support all of these programming languages.
This allows developers to leverage the platform and cut development efforts. As the ideology goes, “write once, run anywhere”. How cool is that!
8. Goodbye Internet Explorer, hello Microsoft Edge browser
Microsoft is killing Internet Explorer web browser and replacing it with Micorosft Edge, which significantly overpowers its predecessor.
Does Edge have what it takes to go against Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox? That we have yet to see but for now, let us pause for a moment of silence for the late Internet Explorer …
7. Smooth Aero Glass animations
Microsoft first introduced Aero Glass effects in Windows Vista, but later dropped it in favor of a opaque windows in Windows 8 (though if you’re running Windows 8 you can bring this back using a small utility developed by the folks over at glass8.eu)
The translucent Aero Glass effect coming back when Windows 10 hits the retail stores. It is fully native and uses the DWM (Desktop Window Manager) to minimize RAM and VRAM usage. Smooth!
6. Lock screens with gorgeous photos that you can “like”
The lock screen in Windows 10 will let you display gorgeous photos which you can “like” by mousing over to the top right of your screen.
5. Cortana, a Virtual Assistant just like Siri
It’s the most personal digital assistant that will help you discover and use apps and do other things such as locate news and information. Currently she can only help if you are located in the US, though.
4. Query using a natural language
You can now use natural language query to interact with your Windows 10 device.
For example, you can say “Open Viber chat with Terry Myerson” and it will activate open the corresponding Windows application and initiate a chat with Terry Myerson. Cool!
3. Switch between desktop and mobile mode with Continuum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH3uNX-3QSk
Continuum will let you easily change your interface between the phone/tablet interface and the desktop interface. Let’s say you have a convertible laptop and you decide to detach the keyboard and switch to full touch screen mode, the entire interface will switch from desktop to the touch interface made for smartphones.
For a demonstration, watch the above video and be amazed.
You can also plug your smartphone into a larger display and have a full desktop in front of you – just connect a mouse and a keyboard either wired or wireless and you should be ready to go!
We think this killer feature has a huge potential to grab market share from iOS and Android. This would have been our top choice for best feature if only #1 were not even more amazing. Read on …
2. Start Menu is back!
Microsoft finally listening to its customers and they are bringing back the Start Menu, but with plenty of improvements such as real-time tiles.
1. Control Windows 10 applications with hand gestures using HoloLens
Microsoft HoloLens is the world’s first and only fully untethered holographic computer powered by Windows 10. With a simple hand gesture, you can open a Windows 10 app menu and select an app that can be placed on about any surface. The hologram can even follow as one moves around!
In a video that looks like it was shot straight out of the movie Minority Report or Star Wars, people are shown interacting with holograms in real world!
HoloLens is helping companies like Trimble and its customers visualize building designs in the context of real world objects and landscapes, giving them the ability to walk around designs while clients view them remotely and see street side how a building is going to look.
For example, medical students at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic were able learn procedures without ever picking up a scalpel!
(photo: Engadget, Microsoft)
