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 The next version of Microsoft's flagship product, which still runs
the vast majority of personal computers and is used by 1.5 billion
customers worldwide, is aimed at recapturing the lucrative business
market, which generally ignored the new-look Windows 8.
Windows 10 will be "our greatest enterprise platform ever," said
Terry Myerson, Microsoft's head of operating systems, at an event in
San Francisco. Only 20 percent of organizations migrated to Windows
8, which was released two years ago, according to tech research firm
Forrester. Many PC users disliked the touch-optimized interface and
bemoaned the loss of the traditional start-button pop-up menu.
He said Windows 10, long known by the project name 'Threshold'
internally, represented a new type of system for the company, as it
seeks to unify computing as mobile devices proliferate. The name
represented that leap, he said.
"Windows 10 adapts to the devices customers are using, from Xbox to
PCs and phones to tablets and tiny gadgets," said Myerson.
 Microsoft faces an uphill struggle in reigniting excitement about
Windows. With the rise of Apple Inc's iPhone and iPad, and Google
Inc's Android devices, Windows no longer plays a central role in
many people's on-screen lives.
From a virtual monopoly on personal computing 10 years ago, Windows
now runs only about 14 percent of devices, according to research
firm Gartner.
Reaction to the news was cautious. Microsoft shares fell 8 cents to
$46.36 on Nasdaq.
"It's a bold statement for Microsoft to make," said Daniel Ives, an
analyst at FBR Capital Markets. "So far there's not as much meat on
the bone as we would have wanted, although it's still very early
days."
An early version of the software, demonstrated on stage by Microsoft
executive Joe Belfiore, showed two modes, one optimized for
touch-controlled tablets, and one for PCs using a mouse and
keyboard. Users can switch between the two depending on the device.
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Myerson did not say exactly how or when the new Windows would be
rolled out, but other executives said Microsoft was aiming for a
full release in spring 2015. A technical preview can be downloaded
from Microsoft's website, starting on Wednesday, for users to try
out and give the company feedback.
"They were trying to start the messaging for a product that won’t
actually ship until sometime around the middle of next year," said
Gartner analyst Steve Kleynhans at the event. "This was to tell the
PC installed base that there is a future and it doesn’t have to be
covered over in brightly colored tiles, or force them to abandon
everything they’ve learned over the past 15 years."
Myerson said his team toyed with calling the new product Windows One
to emphasize the unity of all the companies' products, but noted
that name had already been used.
(Reporting by Bill Rigby; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli, Richard
Chang and Gunna Dickson)
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