Windows 10 available as free upgrade on 29 July

Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will be available from 29 July in 190 markets globally as a free upgrade to customers running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

The company says that consumers will have one year from 29 July to take advantage of the free upgrade, and once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, Microsoft will continue to keep it current for the supported lifetime of the device at no cost.

Those who want to be among the first in line for the free Windows 10 upgrade can reserve a free copy in the coming weeks.

“Windows 10 is a new generation of Windows designed to empower you to do great things,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Microsoft. “Windows 10 starts to deliver on our vision of more personal computing, defined by trust in how we protect and respect your personal information, mobility of the experience across your devices and natural interactions with your Windows devices, including speech, touch, ink and holograms.”

Microsoft is bringing back the Start menu for Windows 10, and it says the operating system will start faster, resume faster and lead to longer battery for mobile devices.

Windows 10 will include Windows Hello, Microsoft Passport and Windows Defender for anti-malware protection and will be compatible with Windows devices and applications.

Also featured will be Cortana, which Microsoft is calling the world’s first truly personal digital assistant. Cortana will supposedly learn individual preferences to provide relevant recommendations, fast access to information and important reminders via talking or typing.

Windows Hello will greet users by name and let them log in to their PC through biometric authentication instead of a password.

Microsoft says Windows 10 will also let users interact with their device via the traditional mouse and keyboard or through voice, pen or gesture.

Edge, Microsoft’s all-new browser, offers built-in inking, sharing and reading view. With Cortana integrated, Microsoft says Edge should offer quick results and content based on individual interests and preferences.

In addition to the full-featured Office 2016 desktop suite, new Universal Windows applications for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook will offer a consistent, touch-first experience across a range of devices. Designed from the ground up to run on Windows 10, users will be able to create and edit Word documents, and deliver PowerPoint presentations while annotating on the fly. With touch-first controls in Excel, users will be able to create or update spreadsheets without a keyboard or mouse.

Users will be able to get the free Windows 10 upgrade for PCs and tablets from 29 July and can even reserve it now.