Microsoft Lumia 532 and Microsoft Lumia 435 during their launch in
Nairobi. The preview of Windows 10 is available on a set of six new
Lumia phones. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA
Users can now enjoy Microsoft’s new generation
operating system, Windows 10, free of charge. The new software follows
Windows 8, which many Windows users agree that it is generally more
stable than Windows 7.
However, some users do not like the big changes Microsoft made to the traditional Windows user interface.
Windows
10 represents the best of both Windows 7 and Windows 8. The operating
system is aimed at making the platform friendlier to desktop users while
keeping many of the touch-centric features.
The free upgrade is open to all current Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users, who download it within the first year of its release.
In
the launch at the Capital club in Nairobi, Windows business group
director for sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Rotimi Olumide, invited Kenyans to
try the Windows 10 technical preview available for download.
NATURAL INTERACTION
The preview is also currently available on six new Lumia mobile phones.
The
firm on Friday announced the preview would be available on all mobile
devices running on Windows 8 or 8.1, which can be upgraded to Windows
10. This means users of devices by different manufacturers can also
test the new platform.
Mr Olumide
urged Kenyans to try out the new system and give their feedback on their
experience so that it is incorporated into the finished product that
would be released later this year.
“Windows
10 offers a wide range of experiences designed to usher in a new era of
more personal computing, as well as two new devices designed to extend
the Windows experience from large screens to no screens. “Windows 10
adapts to the devices customers are using — from Xbox to PCs and phones
to tablets and tiny gadgets — and what they’re doing with a consistent,
familiar and compatible experience,” Mr Olumide said.
Windows
10 launch comes against the backdrop of a world where devices outnumber
the people. It also marks the beginning of a more personal computing
era, where people are at the centre of technological advances.
“People
should naturally interact with technology as they interact with other
people — with voice, gestures and gaze,” Mr Olumide said.
Cortana,
the voice-guided personal digital assistant, which debuted on Windows
phone last year, will also be available on Windows 10 PCs. Cortana is
Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri and Google Voice.
Windows 10 comes with a continuum mode to enable users move easily between keyboard, mouse and tablet.
With
the new operating system, Windows is seeking to woo developers to
create applications for its ecosystem with its universal apps.
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Developers
will only need to create one application that will work on all devices.
“These built-in apps have an updated design that looks and feels the
same from app to app and device to device,” Mr Olumide said.
“Content
is stored and synced through the OneDrive cloud, enabling people to
start something on one device and continue it on another.”
Windows
10 comes with new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and
Outlook designed to run on Windows, built for touch while offering the
familiar features for Office Suite. Users can create and edit Word
documents with ease on any device.
Microsoft’s
Business Group Head, Server and Tools, Mr Dele Akinsade is optimistic
that Kenyans would try the new software. “Kenya is the second key
market after Angola with technology enthusiasts who will want to be
Windows Insiders, he said.
A word of
caution for the early users though; the move to Windows 10 is a journey
of no return. Once you upgrade, there would be no turning back.
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