| 1 | 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. |
| 2 | The company is counting on tens or even hundreds of millions of people to download its latest release in the coming months. |
| 3 | Many people will also get Windows 10 as part of new PCs. |
| 4 | 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. |
| 5 | Windows 10 is coming to PCs and tablets first, but it's also designed to run phones, game consoles and even holographic headsets. |
| 6 | 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. |
| 7 | 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. |
| 8 | 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. |
| 9 | Microsoft skipped the name Windows 9, as if to distance itself further from the last release. |
| 10 | 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. |
| 11 | Q: What happens this week? |
| 12 | A: Microsoft plans promotional events in several cities Wednesday, tied to a global ad campaign and a series of charitable donations. |
| 13 | About 5 million people who enrolled in an earlier test program will be able to download Windows 10 right away. |
| 14 | 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). |
| 15 | Some 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. |
| 16 | Details on how to upgrade are here. |
| 17 | Retailers such as Best Buy, Staples and Wal-Mart will have some desktops and laptops with Windows 10 already installed. |
| 18 | More models are coming. |
| 19 | Q: Why is Microsoft giving Windows 10 for free? |
| 20 | A: The company wants to get the new software on as many devices as possible. |
| 21 | 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. |
| 22 | 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. |
| 23 | CEO Satya Nadella says he wants to have 1 billion devices running Windows 10 in three years. |
| 24 | Microsoft estimates there are 1.5 billion people who currently use some kind of Windows. |
| 25 | Rather than charging them to upgrade, as Microsoft used to do, it's embracing the free download model pioneered by Apple and Google. |
| 26 | Q: How will Microsoft make money? |
| 27 | A: Microsoft will still collect licensing fees from PC makers that install Windows 10 on new machines. |
| 28 | In recent years, most consumers have waited until they bought a new computer to get the latest Windows. |
| 29 | Microsoft also makes money from selling Windows and other software to large businesses and organizations. |
| 30 | In addition, Microsoft is counting on Windows 10 to spur more use of other services. |
| 31 | Microsoft makes money from selling advertising for its Bing search engine, and Windows 10 comes with many apps that steer people to Bing. |
| 32 | The company also collects fees from people who use premium versions of its Office software, OneDrive cloud storage and Skype. |
| 33 | Q: Why does this matter to consumers? |
| 34 | A: Microsoft says Windows 10 is designed for the way people use computers today - with a faster Web browser and features that make it easier to start tasks on a PC and then switch to a hand-held device. |
| 35 | (Apple and Google tout similar features in their software.) |
| 36 | Windows 10 also lets users log in with their face, iris or thumbprint, instead of remembering passwords, though this works only with computers equipped with the right hardware. |
| 37 | Most PC users are still working with Windows 7, thanks to Windows 8's unpopularity. |
| 38 | But Microsoft plans to phase out maintenance and security support for Windows 7 over the next five years, and for Windows 8 by 2023, as it did with the older Windows XP. |
| 39 | Still, there's no need to panic about upgrading right away. |
| 40 | Q: Why is it important to the tech industry? |
| 41 | A: The growth in mobile devices has caused PC sales to decline for more than three years, hurting manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard and companies like Microsoft and Intel, whose products are used with PCs. |
| 42 | Windows 10 won't make people give up their hand-held gadgets, but it's part of Nadella's strategy to reposition Microsoft for a world where people use multiple devices. |
| 43 | PC makers are hoping he succeeds. |
| 44 | Jeff Barney, who runs Toshiba's consumer PC business, said the new software is easier to use than Windows 8 and will complement hardware advances in Toshiba's newest machines. |
| 45 | Although Barney isn't expecting a big rush to stores Wednesday, "over time, I think we're going to see a positive trend in sales." |