Microsoft kicks off Windows 10 with biggest update

New Delhi: Windows 10 started its staged rollout on Wednesday as Microsoft prepares for one of the biggest software distributions in history, described by the company as like "buying pizza for 1.5 billion people". The free upgrade for users of Windows 7 and 8.x will be rolled out in tranches over the coming days, starting with people on the Windows Insider programme who have shaped the evolution of the new 'eternal beta' that Microsoft describes as "Windows-as-a-service".

Initial reviews have been positive, after the disastrous Windows 8 which failed to gather any significant market share, while its predecessor, Windows 7, continued to gain ground as users bought it in preference to the preinstalled version.India, a critical market for Microsoft, was among the 13 countries where the technology giant hosted the mega launch of Windows 10 with a host of new features as the long-time leader in PC software tries to lure back consumers who gave up on Windows for mobile devices.

Armed with new innovative features like Cortana, an Xbox app and Microsoft Edge, the long-awaited Windows 10 is now available to computers and tablets in 190 nations. The technology giant’s India-born CEO Satya Nadella, who launched Windows 10 in Kenya tweeted earlier: “Arrived in Kenya to celebrate @Windows 10 launch with fans & learn how tech is #empowering Kenyan people & orgs.” “A new era of Windows starts today.

From the beginning, Windows 10 has been unique — built with feedback from over 5 million fans, delivered as a service and offered as a free upgrade,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Windows and Devices Group, at Microsoft. “Windows 10 delivers on our more personal computing vision, with a natural, mobile and trusted experience. Along with our partners, we’re excited to deliver the best Windows ever, which will empower people and organisations around the world to do great things,” Myerson said in a statement.

People who reserved their upgrade to Windows 10 will be notified in waves when their upgrade is ready to be installed.For business customers, Windows 10 is available to start deploying within their work environments, and starting August 1, organisations that have volume licensing can upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education. Microsoft said the most secure Windows ever, Windows 10 is delivered as a service and kept automatically up-to-date with innovations and security updates.

Why Windows 10 users may never use Google again

Microsoft’s new Windows 10 software is effectively a sneak attack on Google, packing a new desktop search bar that can field just about any question under the sun. And it’s powered in part by Microsoft’s own Bing search engine, meaning the move could help Microsoft gain even more of the search market share against its foremost rival.

Windows 10’s search features are a welcome change to the myriad search options currently sprawling across our digital lives. Right now, search looks a little like this: Want to search the web? Go to Google. Your calendar appointments? Open your calendar app. Your local files on a phone, tablet or PC? Launch finder windows, one by one.

Microsoft aims to replace all of those searches with a single, comprehensive search bar that scans everything — your device, your apps, your cloud and the web — in one fell swoop.