This Wednesday, January 21, Microsoft is holding a Windows 10 conference. The company would reveal Windows 10 or, at least, give more information about its new features for consumers and explain the expected seamless interaction with Windows on smartphones and tablets. Unifying Windows across platforms is Microsoft’s best chance for increasing user acquisition.
According to user adoption statistics, despite its superiority, Windows 8 was only able to attract 10% of desktop users, compared to 50% for Windows 7, and 20% for Windows XP (even though it is 14 years old and no longer supported). If you are still running an older version of Windows, we encourage you to read our blog post on the benefits of switching to Windows 8.
Wednesday’s conference is a big opportunity for Microsoft to surprise, delight, and attract more users. Besides Windows, Microsoft is said to release a completely new browser to replace Internet Explorer and a desktop version of Cortana, an intelligent personal assistant, first introduced for Windows phones a year ago. Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, is also going to attend, so we might expect some news regarding Kinect.
It is not yet clear if purchasing a new license would be required for Windows 10. There is a possibility that it might ship for free, betting on subscription services like Office 365 and OneDrive to generate profit.
You can watch and follow the conference live here.