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| Windows 10 launch is a 'new era', says Microsoft boss | Windows 10 launch is a 'new era', says Microsoft boss |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Windows 10 marks a "new era" for personal computing, Microsoft's chief executive has said. | Windows 10 marks a "new era" for personal computing, Microsoft's chief executive has said. |
| The software, launched globally on Wednesday, is the company's attempt to reverse its fortunes in the mobile industry. | The software, launched globally on Wednesday, is the company's attempt to reverse its fortunes in the mobile industry. |
| Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade to most consumers. | Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade to most consumers. |
| However, companies will have to pay for their version, as will PC-makers to pre-install it. Analysts say the strategy is designed to speed adoption. | However, companies will have to pay for their version, as will PC-makers to pre-install it. Analysts say the strategy is designed to speed adoption. |
| Speaking exclusively to BBC News, Satya Nadella said: "Windows 10 is a huge milestone for us as a company, and quite frankly the industry." | Speaking exclusively to BBC News, Satya Nadella said: "Windows 10 is a huge milestone for us as a company, and quite frankly the industry." |
| Microsoft is staggering the release over several weeks, so not everyone will be able to get the upgrade on the launch day. | |
| What's in Windows 10 and how do you get it? Read more. | |
| Final launch | Final launch |
| Microsoft has until now released a new version of Windows every few years. | Microsoft has until now released a new version of Windows every few years. |
| Windows 10 will be the last launch of this kind, the company said - from here on it will gradually update the software for free over months and years. | Windows 10 will be the last launch of this kind, the company said - from here on it will gradually update the software for free over months and years. |
| Mr Nadella said he hoped features like digital personal assistant Cortana - comparable to Apple's Siri, and Google Now - would set Windows 10 apart. | Mr Nadella said he hoped features like digital personal assistant Cortana - comparable to Apple's Siri, and Google Now - would set Windows 10 apart. |
| "I'm really excited about Cortana," he said. | "I'm really excited about Cortana," he said. |
| "I think of it as [being] as profound as perhaps the PC operating system. | "I think of it as [being] as profound as perhaps the PC operating system. |
| "If you think about our history in technology, we've had concepts that have changed how people have interacted with their computing resources. | "If you think about our history in technology, we've had concepts that have changed how people have interacted with their computing resources. |
| "One of them was a graphical user interface, the second was the browser and the web. I think of Cortana as the third platform." | "One of them was a graphical user interface, the second was the browser and the web. I think of Cortana as the third platform." |
| Speaking about possible privacy concerns, Mr Nadella took aim at companies like Google who use data to sell advertising. | Speaking about possible privacy concerns, Mr Nadella took aim at companies like Google who use data to sell advertising. |
| "One of the foundational pieces of making anything more personal is trust," he said. | "One of the foundational pieces of making anything more personal is trust," he said. |
| "We're not trying to sell you advertising, we're trying to in fact sell you software or devices so you as a user can trust it, that it's working on your behalf. | "We're not trying to sell you advertising, we're trying to in fact sell you software or devices so you as a user can trust it, that it's working on your behalf. |
| "I as a consumer may want to sometimes trade off my data to get a free service, and that's ok. But it's the other users of that same data - that is where trust matters. | "I as a consumer may want to sometimes trade off my data to get a free service, and that's ok. But it's the other users of that same data - that is where trust matters. |
| "I absolutely want Microsoft to be trustworthy. How consumers make choices between companies, I'll leave it to them." | "I absolutely want Microsoft to be trustworthy. How consumers make choices between companies, I'll leave it to them." |
| Plan A | Plan A |
| Mr Nadella argued that future devices, like augmented reality headset Hololens, would maintain the relevance of Windows 10. | Mr Nadella argued that future devices, like augmented reality headset Hololens, would maintain the relevance of Windows 10. |
| The developer version of Hololens, which is placed over a user's eyes and displays graphics in their surroundings, is on course to be released within a year, Mr Nadella said. | The developer version of Hololens, which is placed over a user's eyes and displays graphics in their surroundings, is on course to be released within a year, Mr Nadella said. |
| Consumer versions of the software would follow at a later date. | Consumer versions of the software would follow at a later date. |
| But Microsoft's poor track record in mobile means Mr Nadella has had to change the firm's focus. | But Microsoft's poor track record in mobile means Mr Nadella has had to change the firm's focus. |
| He has ramped up the company's efforts in creating apps for rival systems - Apple's iOS and Google's Android. | He has ramped up the company's efforts in creating apps for rival systems - Apple's iOS and Google's Android. |
| Mr Nadella told the BBC this wasn't simply "plan B" after falling so far behind in the sector. | Mr Nadella told the BBC this wasn't simply "plan B" after falling so far behind in the sector. |
| "I don't think so. I think this is Plan A to me. | "I don't think so. I think this is Plan A to me. |
| "I don't think of this as some zero-sum construct where our presence on other platforms is taking away from the Windows ecosystem. | "I don't think of this as some zero-sum construct where our presence on other platforms is taking away from the Windows ecosystem. |
| "If anything, if you're using a lot of Microsoft applications on these other platforms, you might in fact find any one of our devices pretty attractive in your life." | "If anything, if you're using a lot of Microsoft applications on these other platforms, you might in fact find any one of our devices pretty attractive in your life." |
| Analysts still see Microsoft's small presence in the mobile world as a serious Achilles heel. | Analysts still see Microsoft's small presence in the mobile world as a serious Achilles heel. |
| "Consumers are spending the most time on smartphone," said Geoff Blaber, a Silicon Valley-based analyst for CCS Insight. | "Consumers are spending the most time on smartphone," said Geoff Blaber, a Silicon Valley-based analyst for CCS Insight. |
| "This is Microsoft's big, big challenge, because they're only on 3% of smartphones. | "This is Microsoft's big, big challenge, because they're only on 3% of smartphones. |
| "They need to be engaging people on the mobile screen to ensure that their surfaces are being used as far and as widely as possible." | "They need to be engaging people on the mobile screen to ensure that their surfaces are being used as far and as widely as possible." |
| 'Unfortunate' | 'Unfortunate' |
| While the company is still to make a small number of mobile devices - a couple of smartphones, and its Surface tablet-laptop hybrid - it has significantly lowered its ambitions in the area. | While the company is still to make a small number of mobile devices - a couple of smartphones, and its Surface tablet-laptop hybrid - it has significantly lowered its ambitions in the area. |
| Earlier this month, Microsoft wrote off last year's $7.5bn (£4.5bn) acquisition of Finnish mobile giant Nokia, while laying off thousands of the employees it gained from the phone company. | Earlier this month, Microsoft wrote off last year's $7.5bn (£4.5bn) acquisition of Finnish mobile giant Nokia, while laying off thousands of the employees it gained from the phone company. |
| The write down resulted in the company's biggest ever quarterly loss. | The write down resulted in the company's biggest ever quarterly loss. |
| The deal was made by Mr Nadella's predecessor, Steve Ballmer. | The deal was made by Mr Nadella's predecessor, Steve Ballmer. |
| But Mr Nadella refused to call the Nokia move a mistake. | But Mr Nadella refused to call the Nokia move a mistake. |
| "That's not how to look at it," he said. | "That's not how to look at it," he said. |
| "When you acquire and you bring large organisations together there is a certain amount of unfortunate rationalisation that happens." | "When you acquire and you bring large organisations together there is a certain amount of unfortunate rationalisation that happens." |
| Keeping devs happy | Keeping devs happy |
| Windows 10 is muliti-platform - meaning essentially the same software can power PCs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and wearables. | Windows 10 is muliti-platform - meaning essentially the same software can power PCs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and wearables. |
| Mr Nadella hopes this will prove an incentive for developers to design software for the system. | Mr Nadella hopes this will prove an incentive for developers to design software for the system. |
| The previous version of the operating system - Windows 8 - was so badly received the company leapfrogged making Windows 9 altogether in an attempt to distance itself from its previous outlook. | The previous version of the operating system - Windows 8 - was so badly received the company leapfrogged making Windows 9 altogether in an attempt to distance itself from its previous outlook. |
| In the run up to launching Windows 10, Microsoft launched its Insider Program - a scheme which allowed millions of users to test out new features and provide feedback which was monitored and acted upon by the team. | In the run up to launching Windows 10, Microsoft launched its Insider Program - a scheme which allowed millions of users to test out new features and provide feedback which was monitored and acted upon by the team. |
| Initial reviews of the software have been positive. | Initial reviews of the software have been positive. |
| Mr Nadella said: "We want Windows to go from where users need it, to choose it... to loving it." | Mr Nadella said: "We want Windows to go from where users need it, to choose it... to loving it." |
| Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC. | Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC. |