Microsoft’s news on how the company plans to release Windows 10 to the masses later this month. The launch will begin with OEM partners so that they can get their products ready for the July 29 release date. After that, Microsoft will release a build to retailers so that they can assist customers who purchased devices with Windows 8.1 installed.
Once July 29 arrives, Microsoft will begin rolling out Windows 10 to the individuals participating in the Windows Insiders program. The company will also begin rolling out the new OS to those who reserved a space in the release schedule. This will be done in waves and will “slowly scale up" the release.
“Each day of the roll-out, we will listen, learn and update the experience for all Windows 10 users,” Myerson writes. “If you reserved your copy of Windows 10, we will notify you once our compatibility work confirms you will have a great experience, and Windows 10 has been downloaded on your system.”
For customers that are not ready for the upgrade, Microsoft may provide those users with information about contacting the device manager or application provider. If the device is incompatible, customers are encouraged to upgrade anyway and hit the new Windows Store to seek out “alternative compatible solutions.”
On July 29, customers may see new device boxes on retail shelves with a Windows 8.1 installation. If the device is compatible with Windows 10, they will see a sticker slapped on the front indicating that Microsoft and the OEM have tested the device for Windows 10 compatibility.
According to the post, Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Professional will be made available on launch day. Then starting on August 1, Volume licensing customers will be able to download Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education on the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC).
“Window 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education offer a rich set of fundamentals that you would expect from Windows, and a range of security, deployment and management features. Just like for our consumer customers, we’ll continue to introduce new features and updates in an ongoing manner, including Enterprise Data Protection later this year,” Myerson writes.
Windows 10 on the desktop caters to the keyboard and mouse customers while making the Start Screen an optional tool. The big changes to the platform include a new Start Menu, a new browser called Microsoft Edge, DirectX 12 and Cortana, Microsoft’s answer to Google Now and Apple’s Siri.
Around 5 million customers have participated in the Windows Insiders program.