On Wednesday at its Redmond, Washington Headquarters, Microsoft detailed how its new Windows 10 operating system is so much more than the latest version of Windows. Windows 10 changes the rules. The operating system will work on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. They then dropped the big clincher, it’s also going to use holograms. How cool is that?
The number of people with Windows 8 choosing to update to Windows 10 showed the company it had failed on its promise of the operating system being a platform for a variety of devices. So they skipped over Windows 9 and went directly to Windows 10, putting as much distance as they could from its predecessors.
This writer was particularly impressed with the latest on the new operating system, coming to PCs and phones later this year. This writer’s second computer has Windows 8 factory-installed, and it is difficult to navigate. The Windows 10 operating system will be familiar to Windows 7 users, but with some neat PC innovations added that smartphone and tablet users are already accustomed to.
“Today really is a monumental day for Windows,” said Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft’s operating systems unit. “Windows 10 is so much more than the latest version of Windows. Windows 10 changes the rules of the game.” Myerson also points out the new operating system will be available as a free update for Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, and this is a big thing for Microsoft. They make a pile of money on Windows sales.
For hologram geeks, Microsoft also unveiled a pair of glasses that wrap around the head, and also serves as a stand-alone computer. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have been using Microsoft’s HoloLens, placing themselves on the Martian surface. The hologram is based on images sent back from Mars by the Curiosity rover.
The Martian landscape fills the vision field of the glasses, and users can walk around, make markings, and the virtual Martian surface will adjust accordingly. Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella, talking about the JPL tests said, “It was nothing short of surreal.”
