Microsoft launches Windows 10: Here's what that means

1FILE - 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.
2Microsoft'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.
3SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Microsoft's new Windows 10 operating system debuts Wednesday, as the longtime leader in PC software hopes that giving the upgrade away for free will help it carve out a new role in a world where people increasingly rely on smartphones, tablets and information stored online.
4The company is counting on tens or even hundreds of millions of people to download its latest release in the coming months.
5Many people will also get Windows 10 as part of new PCs.
6The 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.
7Windows 10 is coming to PCs and tablets first, but it's also designed to run phones, game consoles and even holographic headsets.
8It 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.
9Still, the company insists Windows 10 will seem familiar to users of Windows 7, the six-year-old operating system still running on most PCs.
10Microsoft 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.
11Microsoft skipped the name Windows 9, as if to distance itself further from the last release.
12While many analysts believe Windows 8 made sagging PC sales even worse, it's unclear if Windows 10 will spur the industry back to growth.
13A: Microsoft plans promotional events in several cities Wednesday, tied to a global ad campaign and a series of charitable donations.
14About 5 million people who enrolled in an earlier test program will be able to download Windows 10 right away.
15The 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).
16Some people might 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.
17Details on how to upgrade are here: http://bit.ly/1eNCySl.
18Retailers such as Best Buy, Staples and Wal-Mart will have some desktops and laptops with Windows 10 already installed.
19More models are coming.
20Q: Why is Microsoft giving Windows 10 for free?
21A: The company wants to get the new software on as many devices as possible.
22Microsoft 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.
23Executives 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.
24CEO Satya Nadella says he wants to have 1 billion devices running Windows 10 in three years.
25Microsoft estimates there are 1.5 billion people who currently use some kind of Windows.
26Rather than charging them to upgrade, as Microsoft used to do, it's embracing the free download model pioneered by Apple and Google.
27Q: How will Microsoft make money?
28A: Microsoft will still collect licensing fees from PC makers that install Windows 10 on new machines.
29In recent years, most consumers have waited until they bought a new computer to get the latest Windows.
30Microsoft also makes money from selling Windows and other software to large businesses and organizations.
31In addition, Microsoft is counting on Windows 10 to spur more use of other services.
32Microsoft makes money from selling advertising for its Bing search engine, and Windows 10 comes with many apps that steer people to Bing.
33The company also collects fees from people who use premium versions of its Office software, OneDrive cloud storage and Skype.