Saturday,
October 4, 2014
Blogging Windows
It’s a humbling and amazing thing to work on
Windows, which is used by over 1.5 billion people in every country of the
world. From kids playing with computers for the first time, to writers and
journalists, to engineers, to gamers, to CEOs, at some point Windows has
empowered all of us.
In the Windows team, we’re proud of this – but
we also know that the world today is very different from the one in which
Windows grew up. Today, devices outnumber people. Connectivity is like oxygen.
The tension between the desire for agility versus stability poses a huge
challenge for IT Pros. Experiences – no matter what device you’re on – just
need to work. The only thing that hasn’t really changed is the situation for
developers – still too much to do, and not enough time.
One way to look at it is that Windows is at a threshold
:-). It’s time for a new Windows. This new Windows must be built from the
ground-up for a mobile-first, cloud-first world. This new Windows must help our
customers be productive in both their digital work and their digital life. This
new Windows must empower people and organizations to do great things.
That new Windows is Windows 10.
Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole
new generation of Windows. Windows 10 unlocks new experiences for customers to
work, play and connect. Windows 10 embodies what our customers (both consumers
and enterprises) demand and what we will deliver.
Windows 10 will run across an incredibly broad
set of devices – from the Internet of Things, to servers in enterprise data
centers worldwide. Some of these devices have 4 inch screens – some have 80
inch screens – and some don’t have screens at all. Some of these devices you
hold in your hand, others are ten feet away. Some of these devices you
primarily use touch/pen, others mouse/keyboard, others controller/gesture – and
some devices can switch between input types.
We’re not talking about one UI to rule them all
– we’re talking about one product family, with a tailored experience for each
device.
And across this breadth of devices, we are
delivering one application platform for our developers. Whether you’re building
a game or a line of business application, there will be one way to write a
universal app that targets the entire family. There will be one store, one way
for applications to be discovered, purchased and updated across all of these
devices.
Windows 10 will deliver the right experience on
the right device at the right time. It will be our most comprehensive platform
ever.
Now, during the design of a new Windows, we
spend time with many diverse customers. One of the most important of these
customers is the enterprise. In the past year I’ve talked to dozens of
enterprise customers and listened to how they are using and deploying Windows,
and what they need from us.
These customers are betting their businesses on
Windows – in the first half of this year, shipments of enterprise PCs grew 14%.
In that same time period, shipments of Windows enterprise tablets grew 33%.
These customers have a need to evaluate Windows
early, so we are starting our dialog with them today. For more details about
what Windows 10 will have for these customers, check out this blog post on the Windows for your
Business blog.
Tomorrow, we are excited to announce the Windows Insider Program, where PC experts and IT Pros can get access to
a technical preview of Windows 10 for desktops and laptops. Soon after, we’ll
also be releasing technical previews of Windows Server and our management
tools.
With the Insider program, we’re inviting our
most enthusiastic Windows customers to shape Windows 10 with us. We know
they’re a vocal bunch – and we’re looking forward to hearing from them.
The Windows Insider Program is intended for PC
experts and IT pros who are comfortable using pre-release software with
variable quality. Insiders will receive a steady stream of early builds from us
with the latest features we’re experimenting with.
This week’s announcements are just the first
chapter of our conversation with customers about Windows 10 – with a focus on
enterprise features (because enterprises have a need to evaluate software early
on) and the desktop/laptop experiences. Early in 2015 we’ll introduce the
consumer chapter and talk much more about other device types and more consumer
features. We’ll then continue the conversation with the developer chapter at
our Build conference, and later in the year we’ll release Windows 10 and look
forward to some amazing new devices.
Today was an important beginning for our
customers and partners as we embark on the Windows 10 journey together. I
encourage everyone reading this to sign up for the Windows Insider Program, download the technical preview, and let us
know what you think. Check here tomorrow for specific details – but in the
meantime, here’s a peek at some of the new features you can test drive once you
become an Insider:
Start menu:
The familiar Start menu is back, but it brings with it a new customizable space
for your favorite apps and Live Tiles.
Everything
runs in a window:
Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop apps do
and can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing
for maximize, minimize, and close with a click.
Snap enhancements:
You can now have four apps snapped on the same screen with a new quadrant
layout. Windows will also show other apps and programs running for additional
snapping and even make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with
other open apps.
New task view button:
There’s a new task-view button on the taskbar for quick switching between open
files and quick access to any desktops you create.
