INQUISITR.COM / Science & Tech

Windows 10 To Introduce New Software Update While Improved Pen Support Now Available

By Jinger Jarrett
Published on: 05:43 PST, Mar 30, 2016

Microsoft plans to release its next big update of Windows 10 this summer. The new update is set to be released on the one year anniversary of the original release of Windows 10. The announcement was made at Microsoft’s Build Developer Conference in San Francisco. Since the original release date was July 29, the update will probably be released on that day.

TechCrunch reported that Microsoft said that there would be new features for the Hello login feature. Pen improvements will also be included as well as a more improved Cortana. Cortana is the digital assistant for Windows 10.

Since Microsoft has set a regular updates schedule for Windows 10, the new updates will probably roll out ahead of the anniversary. Major update releases allow developers and users to get up to speed on where the operating system is going.

As previously reported in Inquisitr, Microsoft is releasing the mobile version of Windows 10. The rollout was actually a major update to mobile devices that run the operating system. Microsoft is passively rolling out the update, and so it requires a manual update by users.

Windows users continue to complain of unauthorized installations of Windows 10 to their systems when Microsoft changed the operating system from optional to recommended. Optional updates include updates, drivers, and new software to improve user experience. Recommended updates address non-critical issues and enhance user experience. While recommended updates are installed automatically, optional updates have to be installed manually.

The New York Times reported that 270 million users have upgraded to the new operating system. Microsoft said that this was the fastest adoption of their software of any of their previous operating systems. It has outpaced Windows 7, which had an adoption rate worldwide of 145 million users. Microsoft originally set a goal of getting the operating system running on one billion devices between two and three years after the product shipped last July.

Microsoft also said that they had begun shipment of a version of HoloLens, an augmented reality headset that overlays images to the wearer’s view of the real world. The headset is aimed at developers to help them with making their applications for HoloLens, and has a price tag of $3,000.

With the increase in mobile devices, Microsoft faces its biggest competition from Android and iOS. Developers are not as motivated to create applications for Windows now because they can get bigger results elsewhere, since there are five times as many mobile devices as there are computers. Jan Dawson, an analyst for Jackdaw Research, said that developers have little incentive to create software for Windows 10.

“This year, we’ll likely see more enterprises embracing Windows 10 after a period of watching and testing the platform, so that will help, but it won’t do anything for consumer adoption or increased development by consumer-centric app developers.”

Microsoft’s influence in the operating system market has been waning because it has been unable to adapt to the mobile market. They acquired the Nokia mobile phone, and the acquisition was largely considered to be a disaster. Windows 10 is supposed to make it easier for developers to create applications for the operating system that will be able to operate on any device that runs Windows 10. This includes computers, smartphones, and the Xbox One console. Even with the development of more apps for Windows 10, it’s not clear if this will be enough incentive for consumers to buy mobile phones that run Windows 10.

[Photo via Microsoft]

Share this article: Windows 10 To Introduce New Software Update While Improved Pen Support Now Available
microsoft
More from Inquisitr