Windows 10 Expected To Be Released By Summer

Windows 10 is set to be launched by Microsoft by summer, the company revealed recently. The latest version of the operating system features a biometric authentication process that may serve as a replacement for passwords.

Terry Myerson of Microsoft revealed that the company aims to release the OS by summer. He made the revelation during a speech at the Windows Hardware Engineering Community summit that was held in Shenzhen, China.

Myerson also said through a blog post that the latest version of its OS will be released in 190 countries by summer. He added that there are over 1.5 billion Windows users around the world and hundreds of millions of PCs in China are using the OS. Despite this revelation, the company has not given a specific release date for the new OS.

The goals of the company for Windows 10 are considered lofty by industry watchers. The new OS will be the biggest opportunity of the company in going past its blunders with Windows 8. The new operating system will be offered as a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users. It can be used on devices with a large storage space as well as low-end smartphones with just around 1GB of space.

Summer Release For Windows 10 - image credit: digitaltrends.com

The summit was also used by Myerson in unveiling the Windows Hello, an identity authentication process that unlocks devices using the fingerprint, iris or face of the owner. The new feature will receive support from third-party systems that incorporate the RealSense technology of Intel. RealSense utilizes infrared cameras to monitor the position and location of objects in space.

The use of biometrics is expected to enhance security in devices. It uses the unique physical characteristics of people in setting up another security wall protecting the device. While fingerprints are considered better than traditional passwords, some people are still concerned about the possibility that hackers may find a way around the use of biometrics in accessing their devices.

Myerson also said that a Windows 10 version for smaller Internet of Things devices will also be available when the OS will be released. He said the new OS will have numerous versions to allow it to be used on a wide range of devices from ultrasound equipment to gateways.

Users can also download updates for the OS through other computers aside from the servers of Microsoft. A leaked build of the OS showed the option that allows users to download updates from other PCs into their network or through PCs within the network or through the internet. This feature gives Windows 10 a peer-to-peer updating capability.

Posted by George Daniels on Monday March 23 2015, 12:30 PM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Technology. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0