Windows 10
Windows 10 is a significant update to the Windows NT operating system created by Microsoft. It is the successor to Windows 8.1, which was launched almost two years earlier. It was released to production on July 15, 2015, and widely distributed to the general public on July 29, 2015.[1] Windows 10 was made available for download through MSDN and TechNet, as a free upgrade for retail versions of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 customers via the Windows Store, and as a free upgrade for Windows 7 users via Windows Update. Windows 10 gets new releases on a regular basis, which are made accessible to customers at no extra cost. In addition, Windows Insiders have access to additional test versions of Windows 10, which are made available to them. Devices in corporate settings may get these updates at a slower rate, or they can utilize long-term support milestones that only receive essential upgrades, such as security patches, throughout the course of their ten-year extended support lifetime.[2][3]
When Windows 10 was first released, it got generally favorable feedback. The decision by Microsoft to provide a desktop-oriented interface in line with previous versions of Windows, as opposed to the tablet-oriented approach taken by Windows 8, was praised by critics, though Windows 10's touch-oriented user interface mode was criticized for containing regressions from the touch-oriented interface of its predecessor. Critics also lauded the enhancements to Windows 10's included software over Windows 8.1, as well as the Xbox Live connection, the functionality and capabilities of the Cortana personal assistant, and the replacement of Internet Explorer with Microsoft Edge. Media outlets, on the other hand, have been critical of the changes to operating system behavior, which include mandatory update installation, privacy concerns over data collection performed by the operating system for Microsoft and its partners, and adware-like tactics used to promote the operating system upon its release.[4]
Microsoft originally hoped to have Windows 10 installed on more than one billion devices within three years of its release; however, that target was not met until March 16, 2020, almost five years after the operating system's initial release. By January 2018, Windows 10 has overtaken Windows 7 as the most widely used operating system on the planet. As of June 2021, it is projected that 79 percent of Windows PCs, 58 percent of all PCs (the remaining being earlier Windows versions and other operating systems such as macOS and Linux), and 24 percent of all devices (including mobile, tablet, and console) are running Windows 10. Microsoft announced Windows 11, the successor to Windows 10, on June 24, 2021, with a planned release date of October 5, 2021.[5]
References
- ↑ "Hello World: Windows 10 Available on July 29". windows.com. June 1, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Microsoft's big Windows 10 goal: one billion or bust". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ↑ Bott, Ed (July 22, 2016). "Is the Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Branch right for you?". TechProResearch. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ↑ Chacos, Brad (May 22, 2016). "How Microsoft's tricky new Windows 10 pop-up deceives you into upgrading". PC World. IDG. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ↑ "Upgrade to the New Windows 11 OS | Microsoft". Windows. Retrieved 2021-09-30.