Users in Kenya set to get Windows 10 upgrade for free

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 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.