Microsoft shared a handful of details about the upcoming Windows 10 operating system. As always, the company was a little mum about the availability and launch details except that Windows 10 for desktop is expected to see the light of the day this summer, followed by the Windows 10 for phones afterwards.
During an interview with The Register during Build 2015 in San Francisco, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore shared some interesting details about Windows 10, its availability and more. Interestingly, Belfiore also commented on the availability speculation from hardware partners, and said the company has not yet announced a definitive launch date for the operating system.
“We’ve said that Windows 10 will launch in the summer. Some of you have heard our partners working in the ecosystem speculate about a date, but we have not announced a date,” Belfiore said.
When asked if Windows 10 will launch in time in the summers, Belfiore said the core areas of the operating system are close to done. However, some of the areas are still a work-in-progress, but he didn’t give out an exact date,
“The core sections of the OS, they’re pretty close to done. Then you get to the shell, it’s probably 85per cent done. Then you get to the apps, and they are really only 65 per cent done. In part that’s because each part of the layer cake has to depend on the step below it, and because we can update the apps more readily. Those teams have more time. The core is pretty close to where it is going to be,” he said. “We are on track for the summer but you should have in mind this notion of Windows as a service.”
As for Windows 10 for phones, and other products such as the HoloLens, they’ll see a staggered launch, which we already know. Microsoft’s main focus is on making a grand Windows 10 for PC launch to overcome the damage done by Windows 8/8.1 — it wasn’t as popular as Windows 7.
“There are devices and features that will come not on the launch date but following it. Our main focus is to kick off with a great launch on the PC. Other devices, phone, HoloLens, Xbox, Surface Hub, will be staggered, probably not on the same date as the PC,” Belfiore said.
Windows 10 is available to insiders in preview form which anyone can sign up for. Microsoft is continuously upgrading the preview builds, adding more features, refining the operating system, and making it more stable. But, you may still come across bugs and issues. We’ll update you if we get to hear anything more about Windows 10 and its launch.
