Windows 10 announced, coming late 2015

Microsoft has revealed the next iteration of its Windows operating system, Windows 10.

Leapfrogging from the divisive Windows 8, which was released back in 2012, Windows 10 will reintroduce many of the features that were removed from Windows 8.

This includes the iconic Start menu, which will implement some of the ‘live tile’ functionality of Windows 8’s Start screen.

Similarly, Microsoft has highlighted the fact that all applications will run in a window, unlike the split format of 8, which saw some programs run in windows and others fullscreen.

These windows can also be ‘snapped’ to four quadrants on the screen, twice the amount supported by Windows 7 and 8.

Other additions include a task view button, for quick switching between open files and different personalised desktops, and a display of recent files and folders in File Explorer.

Despite a return to the more desktop-focused format of Windows 7, Microsoft insisted that Windows 10 will evolve Windows 8’s focus on providing a single operating system for a variety of devices.

This new Windows must be built from the ground-up for a mobile-first, cloud-first world,” Microsoft said in a blog post following the reveal.

Windows 10 will run across an incredibly broad set of devices – from the Internet of Things to servers in enterprise data centres worldwide.”