Microsoft has just announced the new editions of Windows 10, set to arrive this summer in 190 countries and 111 languages. No longer referred to as Windows 10 on phones, Microsoft will be launching Windows 10 Mobile this summer, alongside Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro.
Windows 10 is expected to deliver a more personal computing experience across any device, ranging from PCs, tablets, phones, Xbox, HoloLens, and the Surface Hub. Windows 10 will also power the world around you, including ATMs, heart rate monitors, wearables, elevators, and much more thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT). Take a look at the breakdown of Windows 10 editions below.
- Windows 10 Home is the consumer-focused desktop edition. It offers a familiar and personal experience for PCs, tablets and 2-in-1s.
- Windows 10 Mobile is designed to deliver the best user experience on smaller, mobile, touch-centric devices like smartphones and small tablets. It boasts the same, new universal Windows apps that are included in Windows 10 Home, as well as the new touch-optimized version of Office.Windows 10 Mobile will enable some new devices to take advantage of Continuum for phone, so people can use their phone like a PC when connected to a larger screen.
- Windows 10 Pro is a desktop edition for PCs, tablets and 2-in-1s. Building upon both the familiar and innovative features of Windows 10 Home, it has many extra features to meet the diverse needs of small businesses. Windows 10 Pro also lets customers take advantage of the new Windows Update for Business, which will reduce management costs, provide controls over update deployment, offer quicker access to security updates and provide access to the latest innovation from Microsoft on an ongoing basis.
- Windows 10 Enterprise builds on Windows 10 Pro, adding advanced features designed to meet the demands of medium and large sized organizations.
- Windows 10 Education builds on Windows 10 Enterprise, and is designed to meet the needs of schools – staff, administrators, teachers and students. This edition will be available through academic Volume Licensing.
- Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise is designed to deliver the best customer experience to business customers on smartphones and small tablets. It will be available to our Volume Licensing customers. There will also be specific versions for industry devices like ATMs, retail point of sale, handheld terminals, and industrial robotics.
- Windows 10 IoT Core will also be made available for small footprint, low cost devices like gateways.
Microsoft also reiterated that they are offering the full version of Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Mobile, and Windows 10 Pro as a free upgrade for qualifying Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 devices that upgrade within the first year after launch.
Microsoft is set to release Windows 10 this summer, but reiterates that it will be delivered as a service. “Starting this fall, customers can expect ongoing innovation and security updates for their Windows 10 devices, including more advanced security and management capabilities for businesses,” Microsoft adds.
Windows 10 also adds Cortana integration, available at launch in select markets however. Microsoft Edge browser and Continuum tablet mode will also be available in Windows 10, as well as Windows Hello face-recognition and Xbox support. Are you ready for Windows 10 RTM?
Further reading: Microsoft, Windows 10
