Microsoft unveils new operating system
pharmafile | October 1, 2014 | News story | Medical Communications, Sales and Marketing | EFPIA, Microsoft, Operating Systems, Solidsoft, start, windows 10
Microsoft has announced its next operating system is now due for release next year and is to host a variety of new features and improvements.
Dubbed Windows 10, the tech giants are seemingly skipping Windows 9 with its new offering – as the last platform rolled out was in fact its poorly received Windows 8 three years ago.
The Redmond, US-based firm says its new universal operating system will be set for everything from tablets to phones, big touchscreen PCs, laptops and any other host devices.
Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Operating Systems group for the firm says: “Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows, unlocking new experiences to give customers new ways to work, play and connect.”
The software package, which is still the system of choice for most computer users around the world, faced a large backlash with Windows 8 with many deciding to stick to Windows 7, or even revert back to the earlier system once they had upated, because of its radical depature from the Windows OS of old.
Long gone is the golden age for Microsoft in the 1990s and early 2000s when it completely dominated the IT world. It is now facing increasing compeition from Apple via its Mac hardware, and the company has never got to grips with mobile software as competitors have, with Android’s KitKat operation system and Apple’s iOS being the main software packages found on mobiles and tablets.
Its competitors also allow free updates for its new systems whereas Microsoft typically charges more than £100 to update to its latest packages.
But Windows 10 is attempting to bridge the gap to its competitors and will see the return of the simple ‘Start Menu’ according to Microsoft, which had been removed from Windows 8 much to the frustration of its users.
Along with a list of favourite applications, the menu employed will also bring up resizable tiles – similar to those featured in Windows 8’s touchscreen interface on tablets and PCs.
Myerson adds: “This will be our most comprehensive operating system and the best release Microsoft has ever done for our business customers, and we look forward to working together with our broader Windows community to bring Windows 10 to life in the months ahead.”
Microsoft and pharma
Microsoft has been the operating system of choice for pharma in the past, and notably last year when its Azure cloud platform was selected to power a new EU-wide European Medicines Verification System being developed and operated by Solidsoft, a Microsoft Gold Partner.
At the time Richard Bergström, director general of EFPIA, said: “We look forward to the start of the implementation of the European Medicines Verification System. Patients need to be able to trust in the medicines they take and this is a timely and important step towards finding a solution to the urgent problem of counterfeiting in the EU. Microsoft and Solidsoft will enable us to deliver a system that is robust, secure and cost effective.”
The industry has always been keen on Apple’s iOS too however, because of its ability to host an array of healthcare apps.
Features of Windows 10
- Expanded Start menu. The familiar Start menu is back, providing quick one-click access to the functions and files that people use most, and it includes a new space to personalise with favourite apps, programs, people and websites.
- Apps that run in a window. Apps from the Windows Store now open in the same format that desktop programs do. They can be resized and moved around, and have title bars at the top allowing users to maximize, minimize and close with a click.
- Snap enhancements. Working in multiple apps at once is easier and more intuitive with snap improvements. A new quadrant layout allows up to four apps to be snapped on the same screen. Windows will also show other apps and programs running for additional snapping, and it will even make smart suggestions on filling available screen space with other open apps.
- New Task view button. The new Task view button on the task bar enables one view for all open apps and files, allowing for quick switching and one-touch access to any desktop created.
- Multiple desktops. Instead of too many apps and files overlapping on a single desktop, it’s easy to create and switch between distinct desktops for different purposes and projects — whether for work or personal use.
Brett Wells
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