When it comes to Microsoft Windows 10, the momentum is huge. At least that’s the message Redmond is sending to the masses. Nick Parker (pictured), corporate vice president of Microsoft’s OEM division, took the stage at the IFA 2015 consumer electronics show in Berlin today to talk about the new operating system and how much traction it’s gaining even in the early days of its release.
“Our strategy is clear and our strategy is to build the best mobile and productivity services for the cloud-first, mobile-first world,” Parker told the audience. He noted that over 75 million devices are already running Windows 10, and customers in 192 countries are enjoying the new Windows 10 experience.
An Impressive Start
In a blog post before his keynote speech, Parker said new Windows 10 devices would be available in time for the holiday shopping season. He also promised that Windows 10 PCs, tablets, phones and Internet of Things (IoT) devices running Microsoft as well as partner apps and services “will help people be more productive in their digital work and life.”
Windows 10 brings back the Start menu, something Microsoft took flack for removing in Windows 8. The operating system also showcases Live Tiles for streaming updates and has a slew of new security updates. Windows Defender and Smart Screen, for example, work to keep viruses, malware and phishing attacks at bay. Meanwhile, Windows Hello is a password-free way to log in securely.
Apparently, people really like Windows 10. “This was the best executed upgrade in Microsoft’s history by a substantial margin,” Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told us. “The numbers are massively above any other and the problems have been trivial — an impressive piece of work by any standard.”
Slew of Windows 10 Products
At IFA, Parker also introduced several products sporting Windows 10. The Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 10 and the 14-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 100S are among them. Parker touted these as “affordable notebooks” that help parents and educators make learning more accessible.
Parker also pointed to the Dell Latitude 13 7000 Series 2-in-1, HP Elitebook Folio 1020 and the brand new Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 260/460 for businesses. For enterprise users who need rugged performance, Parker recommended the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 with the security features, reliability and connectivity of Windows to perform reliably in the harshest environments. And the new 249 Euro TrekStor Volks-tablet 4 2-in-1 and the HP Pavilion 15 notebook are “perfect” for individuals and families, while the Toshiba Radius 12, is a “beautiful” 2-in-1 convertible, he said.
In addition to PCs, thousands of IoT devices people interact with are also powered by Windows, including wearables, home automation systems, ATMs, gas pumps and point-of-sale devices, Parker noted.
“One IoT business solution Toshiba offers for the transportation and logistics industry uses a Windows IoT-powered driving recorder, an environmental data logger and Microsoft Azure IoT services to provide precise real-time tracking and monitoring of goods in transit,” he said. “Connected devices and solutions like this one can help individuals and businesses save time and money.”
