Windows 10 Late 2015 Release, What Microsoft Has in Store
Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system is still a long way away with a late 2015 release date. Until then, users are stuck with using Windows 8.1 or even the older and more stable Windows 7. With Windows 8.1 receiving mixed criticisms from users, Microsoft is hoping to make Windows 10 "the best of both worlds."
Windows 8 was basically Windows 7 but optimized for touchscreen capabilities with the "Tiles" feature. The move was to make the Windows OS a stronger competitor against Apple's iOS and Google's Android. The approach forced Windows 8 users to boot to a touchscreen environment but for those who used a desktop only found the experience confusing.
While Microsoft has given up from forcing users to convert to a full-screen touch user interface, the company still hasn't abandoned the touch concept. Windows 10 is looking to be an operating system which can be run on both desktops and on mobile devices, much like how Google is merging desktop and mobile interfaces with Material Design.
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Windows 10 on the other hand functions like a desktop by default but then switches to a full-screen touch interface when the app requires it. This way, long time desktop users won't be forced to use a full-screen touch interface but the feature will still be there when needed.
Meanwhile, Joe Belfiore from Microsoft believes that the company is about to close the "app gap" which has been ever present in Microsoft's Windows Phone system.
"We have heard from a lot of people that get Windows phones, that they're satisfied. If you're a super high-end early adopter of apps, it's probably not the best platform choice for you, but if you're not … we see tones of people who are highly satisfied with it," Belfiore said in a TechEd Europe conference earlier this week.
"As Windows 8.1 in general increases in volume, we see more and more software developers getting engaged on that platform, and that addresses the app gap," he adds.
