| 1 | FILE - In this April 29, 2015 file photo, a Dell laptop computer running Windows 10 is on display at the Microsoft Build conference in San Francisco. |
| 2 | Microsoft's new Windows 10 operating system debuts Wednesday, July 29, 2015, as the longtime leader in PC software struggles to carve out a new role in a world where people increasingly rely on smartphones, tablets and information stored online. |
| 3 | SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Microsoft's new Windows 10 operating system debuts Wednesday, as the longtime leader in PC software struggles to carve out a new role in a world where people increasingly rely on smartphones, tablets and information stored online. |
| 4 | No one's expected to line up overnight for Windows 10, the way people did 20 years ago for Windows 95. |
| 5 | But Microsoft is counting on tens or even hundreds of millions of people to download its latest release for free in the coming months. |
| 6 | The launch will be accompanied by a global marketing campaign for an event the company hopes will be pivotal - both for its own future and for a vast audience of computer users around the world. |
| 7 | Windows 10 is coming to PCs and tablets first, but it's also designed to run phones, game consoles and even holographic headsets. |
| 8 | It has new features, a streamlined Web browser called Edge and a desktop version of Cortana, the online assistant that is Microsoft's answer to Google Now and Apple's Siri. |
| 9 | Still, the company insists Windows 10 will seem familiar to users of Windows 7, the six-year-old operating system still running on most PCs. |
| 10 | Microsoft and PC makers want to erase the memory of the last big update, 2012's Windows 8, which alienated many with its jarring, unwieldy design. |
| 11 | Microsoft skipped the name Windows 9, as if to distance itself further from the last release. |
| 12 | While many analysts believe Windows 8 made sagging PC sales even worse, it's unclear if Windows 10 will spur the industry back to growth. |
| 13 | A: Microsoft plans promotional events in several cities Wednesday, tied to a global ad campaign and a series of charitable donations. |
| 14 | About 5 million people who enrolled in an earlier test program will be able to download Windows 10 right away. |
| 15 | The company is also offering Windows 10 as a free download, any time over the next year, to anyone who has the Home or Pro versions of Windows 7 or 8 (but not the Enterprise versions used by big organizations). |
| 16 | Some may not get it the first day; Microsoft says it will deliver downloads in waves, to ensure things go smoothly, but it hasn't said how long that will take. |
| 17 | Details on how to upgrade are here: http://bit.ly/1eNCySl. |
| 18 | Retailers such as Best Buy, Staples and Wal-Mart will have some desktops and laptops with Windows 10 already installed. |
| 19 | More models are coming. |
| 20 | Q: Why is Microsoft giving Windows 10 for free? |
| 21 | A: The company wants to get the new software on as many devices as possible. |
| 22 | Microsoft needs a large pool of users to convince independent programmers that it's worth their time to build useful or entertaining apps for Windows 10 devices. |
| 23 | Executives also believe that if people are exposed to the latest and best Windows, they're more likely to try other Microsoft products on PCs and mobile devices. |
| 24 | CEO Satya Nadella says he wants to have 1 billion devices running Windows 10 in three years. |
| 25 | Microsoft estimates there are 1.5 billion people who currently use some kind of Windows. |
| 26 | Rather than charging them to upgrade, as Microsoft used to do, it's embracing the free download model pioneered by Apple and Google. |
| 27 | Q: How will Microsoft make money? |
| 28 | A: Microsoft will still collect licensing fees from PC makers that install Windows 10 on new machines. |
| 29 | In recent years, most consumers have waited until they bought a new computer to get the latest Windows. |
| 30 | Microsoft also makes money from selling Windows and other software to large businesses and organizations. |
| 31 | In addition, Microsoft is counting on Windows 10 to spur more use of other services. |
| 32 | Microsoft makes money from selling advertising for its Bing search engine, and Windows 10 comes with many apps that steer people to Bing. |
| 33 | The company also collects fees from people who use premium versions of its Office software, OneDrive cloud storage and Skype. |