Microsoft on Monday announced that Windows 10 would hit the market on July 29, nearly three years after the company launched Windows 8. Windows 10 will initially be available for laptops and PCs and Microsoft hasn't yet announced when smartphones and tablets will get the upgrade. The company hasn't yet announced pricing details for Windows 10, although the final retail price has been tipped.
In a short blog post, Microsoft's Executive Vice President of Operating Systems Terry Myerson wrote, "Today, I'm excited to share the availability date for Windows 10. In fact, I thought I'd let Cortana, the world's most personal digital assistant, share the news. You can ask Cortana for the answer!" He also wrote that four million people have been testing Windows 10 through Microsoft's Windows Insider programme. Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade to all users of Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1, Microsoft notes."
To get Windows 10 on launch day, Microsoft suggests that you reserve a copy. The company says the reservation process, for both upgrades and purchases, is simple. An update notification will pop up in the system tray of eligible computers and user can click the notification to complete the reservation process. Alternatively users can reserve a copy by visiting this page. Should you purchase a PC or laptop running Windows 8.1 between now and July 29, the device will be eligible for a free update to Windows 10. Microsoft said many retail stores will be able to update these computers to Windows 10 for free.
Microsoft has said it has been working to ensure that all your apps from previous versions of Windows work smoothly on Windows 10. Myerson wrote, "The Windows 10 upgrade is designed to be compatible with your current Windows device and applications. We are hard at work to make this upgrade process a great experience."
Microsoft previously announced that it is "on track" for a summer release of Windows 10 for PCs, followed by versions for mobiles and tablets. The company however is yet to reveal an exact release date for Windows 10.
Now, an online reseller has publicised the release date of two Windows 10 editions for OEMs alongside their pricing. So far, there has been no official announcement regarding the release date and pricing of Windows 10 editions by Microsoft.
The online retailer, Newegg.com, which sells computer hardware and software, is now taking pre-orders for Microsoft Windows 10 Professional and Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM System Builder packages at $149.99 and $109.99 respectively.
Of course, since this is a third-party store, one cannot be certain if this will be the official launch price for Windows 10. Notably, back in April, AMD President and CEO Lisa Su had let slip that Windows 10 would be made available in late July, and is thought to be referring to the RTM (release to manufacturing) versions of Windows 10. This would mean the gap between RTM and OEM version would be reduced to around a month, compared to previous iterations.
The Redmond giant has announced that its new OS will be available this summer in 190 countries and 111 languages. Apart from Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Enterprise, other editions include Windows 10 Mobile, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Education, and Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise.
