No number nine? Microsoft's next major operating system is Windows 10, the company announced at a preview event on Tuesday. Windows 10, the successor to Windows 8, is meant to be a mix of Microsoft's old and new styles.
The radical design changes in 2012's Windows 8 turned off some users, and both the name and design of Windows 10 seem aimed at moving Microsoft forward. Windows 10 is designed to combine the "familiarity of Windows 7" with the features of Windows 8, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore said at the event; it features both classic features like a start menu and taskbar along with the new-style live tiles.
Microsoft also pushed Windows 10's ability to work on a broad range of products with varying form factors and sizes -- from connected appliances without screens, for example, to 80-inch touchscreen devices. Contrary to most splashy tech events, Microsoft revealed Windows 10 at a small gathering in San Francisco. Microsoft executives focused on features aimed at the company's important enterprise customers, who have largely ignored Windows 8. Microsoft did not reveal pricing on Tuesday for Windows 10, which is slated for release in 2015.
