Spartan (Replacement of IE Browser)

"Spartan" is the codename of a web browser under development by Microsoft. Officially unveiled on January

21, 2015, and first publicly released as a preview on March

30, 2015, it will replace Internet Explorer as the default browser of Windows 10 and Windows 10 for smartphones and tablets.

"Spartan" is designed to be a lightweight web browser with an engine built around web standards that is "designed for interoperability with the modern web". It removes support for legacy technologies such as ActiveX in favor of extensions and integration with other Microsoft services, such as the Cortana assistant and OneDrive, and will also offer annotation tools and a reading mode.

Development

In December 2014, writing for ZDNet, technology writer Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft was developing a new web browser codenamed "Spartan" for Windows 10. She claimed that "Spartan" would be treated as a new product separate from Internet Explorer, with Internet Explorer 11 retained alongside it for compatibility reasons.

"Spartan" from sources close to Microsoft, including reports that it would replace Internet Explorer on both the desktop and mobile versions of Windows 10. Microsoft officially unveiled "Spartan" during a Windows 10-focused keynote on January 21,2015. 

"Spartan" will be marketed as a separate product from Internet Explorer, and carry a new brand;

"Spartan" was first made publicly available as the default browser of Windows 10 Technical Preview build

10049, as released on March 30, 2015. The new engine used by "Spartan" was previously available in Windows 10 builds as part of Internet Explorer 11, and was also to be used by the browser on the final version of 10.

Features

v  "Spartan" will serve as the default browser on both the PC and mobile device editions of Windows 10, "Spartan" uses a new "Edge" layout engine that is "designed for interoperability with the modern web". The new "Edge" engine will be used by default across Windows 10, and pages can be rendered in the legacy MSHTML engine for backwards compatibility with enterprise-specific websites and software.

v  "Spartan" does not support legacy technologies such as ActiveX and Browser Helper Objects, and will instead use an extension system. Internet Explorer 11 will remain available alongside "Spartan" on Windows 10 for compatibility purposes;

v  "Spartan" will integrate with Microsoft's online platforms: it integrates with the Cortana digital assistant to provide voice control, search functionality, and dynamic, personalized information related to searches within the address bar. Users can make annotations to web pages that can be stored to and shared with OneDrive. It also integrates with the "Reading List" function to sync content between devices, and provides a "Reading Mode" that strips unnecessary formatting from pages to improve their legibility.

Performance

Early benchmarks of the Edge HTML engine used by "Spartan" demonstrated drastically improved JavaScript performance in Internet Explorer 11, and that Microsoft's new browser has similar performance to Google Chrome 41 and Mozilla Firefox 37.

Microsoft Windows-10 (Features and Prices)

With Windows 10 given a launch, latest stable released on March 18-2015, the new OS is coming along nicely. What's new; Microsoft' unlocks 'Achievements'

With Windows 8 and now Windows 8.1(Also known as Windows 9), Microsoft tried – not entirely successfully – to make tablets part of a continuum through all-in-one touchscreen media systems and thin-and light notebooks down to slender touch tablets.

The general consensus is that it still has a long way to go to produce a unified OS. Recently, Microsoft publicly made the first steps to doing just that, with Windows 10. Skipping the Windows 9 name entirely,

Microsoft's Windows 10 Technical Preview is available through its Windows Insider Program website. You'll need a Microsoft account to get it, and it's worth bearing in mind that it's not the finished product, so it will be a bit rough around the edges.

When is it out? As early as June 2015, but definitely summer
What will it cost? For Windows 7 and 8.1 users, it will be free for one year

Microsoft's Terry Myerson shows off some impressive numbers

How much will it cost?

Confirming recent reports, Microsoft's Terry Myerson announced that Windows 10 will be free for Windows 8.1 users for its first year. While there's no word on pricing for users still on Windows 7 or an older version, Microsoft confirmed a while ago that the two most recent Windows versions will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 directly.

Microsoft's chief blogger Brandon LeBlanc also confirmed that Microsoft will support those who scored a free upgrade to Windows 10 with security and system updates for the lifetime of those Windows 8.1 devices.

What's to come in Technical Preview

The latest WTP build available for all testers is Build #10041. The update brings with it a slew of new features and fixes, namely streamlining the Virtual Desktop experience and giving the Photos app some much-needed functionality.

Of course, the build comes with a number of known issues, too. (However, it's now much more stable after moving to the "Slow" ring.) The most notable issues include a lack of login fields!

Bill Gates's not-so-little secret

The co-founder and long-time former CEO of Microsoft has been working on a secret project for Microsoft known internally as the "Personal Agent," Gates revealed in his third Ask Me Anything on Reddit recently. This Personal Agent is a piece of software designed to remember everything you do on a PC and provide guidance for how to prioritize and assistance in interacting with those apps and files.

"One project I am working on with Microsoft is the Personal Agent which will remember everything and help you go back and find things and help you pick what things to pay attention to," Gates disclosed on Reddit. "The idea that you have to find applications and pick them and they each are trying to tell you what is new is just not the efficient model - the agent will help solve this. It will work across all your devices."

Microsoft reveals something huge

Like, 84 inches huge. Microsoft has developed an entirely new device to showcase the features and capabilities of Windows 10, called the Surface Hub. Redmond team members revealed and demoed the device during its January 21 reveal event.

The device is an 84-inch, 4K touchscreen that is designed for enterprise users – generally meeting rooms. The Hub also features stylus support similar to the Surface Pro 3 with a pen specifically made for the device.

The device is designed to offer a holistic solution for meetings from web conferencing to whiteboarding and document sharing. No word on price or release date was given.

This is where Microsoft thinks the PC is headed

something intangible

During its January 21 event, Microsoft revealed Windows Holographic and Microsoft HoloLens, a brand new headset and hologram system designed to blow the concept of augmented reality wide open. Every Windows 10 device will support holographic computing APIs.

Windows Holographic is Microsoft holographic computing platform, while HoloLens is the proof-of-concept for the firm's holographic computing initiative. The company built a brand new holographic processing unit (HPU) to process terabytes of data from every sensor packed into the HoloLens.

Through the HPU, HoloLens can run completely independent of any other device. Microsoft demonstrated the technology on stage, creating a 3D model using holograms and later 3D printing that exact specification. There was no word on when HoloLens will launch and how much it will cost, but Microsoft promised that it will be ready for the public launch of Windows 10.

Yes, that includes the Internet of Things

CEO Satya Nadella's recent comments in October 2014,

"Windows 10 is a very important step for us." Nadella said on stage. "It's the first step in a new generation of Windows as opposed to just another release after Windows 8. General purpose computing is going to run on 200 plus billion sensors. We've architected Windows where it can run on everything."

Windows 10: The Start Menu Strikes Back

The Start menu: bigger, better, stronger

The return of the Start menu that Microsoft teased during its Build 2014 conference earlier in 2014 was shown off in full force at the September 30, 2014 event. Replete with a merging of the traditional Windows 7-style interface and Windows 8 Live Tiles, the new Start menu is designed to please both camps: touch and mouse users.

"They don't have to learn any new way to drive," Belfiore said, referring to Windows 7 business users. That said, customization will also be featured throughout, first with the ability to resizing the Start menu itself along with the Live Tiles within.

The Start menu features empowered search capabilities as well, able to crawl your entire machine, not to mention web results. (Through Bing and not Google, we'd imagine.)

Click on through for a detailed look at the rumors and leaks leading up to the first and second Windows 10 announcements. On the third page, we projected what Windows 9 – err – Windows 10 would be like, or at least what we had hoped. Read on to see how much we got right.

Windows 9 (Comming Soon)

Microsoft has been rumored to be working on the launch of a new preview version of Windows 9 toward the end of September or early October.

Microsoft's Windows 9, the successor to the widely panned Windows 8, could be shown off at the end of next month, according to a new report.

Microsoft is planning to hold a special press event on September 30 to show off Windows 9, The Verge is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company's plans. The date is currently "tentative," according to the report.

It's not yet clear whether Windows 9 will actually be known as Windows 9. The operating system is currently code-named Windows Threshold, though it's highly likely that Microsoft will keep its numbering scheme with the next platform.

Whenever Threshold makes an appearance, it's expected to come with a wide range of improvements, including a "mini" Start Menu, separate windows for Metro-style applications running on the desktop, and support for virtual desktops.

Microsoft was succinct in its response to the news, saying only that it has "nothing to share" at this point.