Windows 10 Download Release Date & Features: 5 Things to Know About the Free Upgrade

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After months of speculation, Microsoft has officially announced that Windows 10 will be available on July 29.

Here are 5 cool new things you need to know about the latest Windows operating system:

1. Upgrade is free for people using older versions of Windows

Pre-registration can be accessed on the right side of the taskbar, but it won't immediately grant an upgrade on July 29. Priority will be given to those who took part in the Windows Insider program.

Additionally, the freebie will only be good for a year. Microsoft will be charging $119 for Windows 10 Home and $199 for Windows 10 Pro next year. Anyone using an older version of  Windows, or buying a new computer with Windows 10 installed on it, will also have to pay.

2. Windows 10 will be the last version of the Windows operating system

"What's so cool about it being the last Windows OS," you say? Well, Wayne Rash of  Eweek.com caught up with Microsoft Vice President for Operating Systems Terry Myerson  earlier this year.

Myerson clarified that "Windows as a service" will include new features and capabilities that are applicable to all Windows platform. Upgrading to a newer OS will become irrelevant because every user will have access to the same updates as time progress.

Windows 10 will have a new feature called Continuum. This new perk lets people transition from classic desktop mode to touch screen mode easily, depending on the device they use.

Instead of Internet Explorer, Windows 10 will employ Microsoft Edge which allows a smoother retention of webpages for later readings.

The new operating system will also present Cortana, a personal assistant tool in-charge of notifications and acts as a search engine.

4. "Start Menu" is back!

Windows 10 will bring back the iconic Start Menu (which was discarded on Windows 8 in favor of re-sizeable tiles), in the hope that it would encourage a wider adoption of touchscreen devices.

However, Windows 10 would still feature re-sizable tiles. They will appear when users open the Start Menu, signal new emails, open social media messages, and access weather information. Microsoft hopes that the duality will entice more people to use the operating system on tablets and mobile phones as well as desktop PCs. 

5. Windows 10 Goes Global

Telegraph.co.uk specified that Windows 10 will be made available simultaneously in 190 countries, catering 111 languages.