SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft’s new Windows 10 operating system debuts Wednesday, and 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.
The company is counting on tens or even hundreds of millions of people to download its latest release in coming months. Many people will also get Windows 10 on new PCs. 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.
Windows 10 is coming to PCs and tablets first, but it’s designed to run on phones, game consoles, and holographic headsets, too. 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.
Still, the company insists Windows 10 will seem familiar to users of Windows 7, the six-year-old operating system still running most PCs. 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.
Microsoft skipped the name Windows 9, as if to distance itself from the last release. Many analysts say Windows 8 made sagging PC sales even worse, but it’s unclear if Windows 10 will spur the industry back to growth.
Here’s a look at the launch and why it matters:
■ What happens this week?
Microsoft plans promotional events in several cities on Wednesday, tied to a global advertising campaign and a series of charitable donations. About 5 million people who enrolled in an earlier test program will be able to download Windows 10 right away.
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The company is also offering Windows 10 as a free download, at any time over the next year, to anyone who has the Home or Pro versions of Windows 7 or 8. 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.
Details on how to upgrade are here: http://bit.ly/1eNCySl .
Retailers such as Best Buy, Staples, and Walmart will have some desktops and laptops with Windows 10 already installed. More models are coming.
■ Why is Microsoft giving away Windows 10?
It wants to get the new software on as many devices as possible. Microsoft needs a large pool of users to convince independent programmers that it’s worth their time to build useful or entertaining apps for devices running Windows 10. Executives also believe that if people are exposed to the latest and best Windows, they’re more likely to try other Microsoft products.
■ How will Microsoft profit?
Microsoft will still collect licensing fees from PC makers that install Windows 10 on new machines. In recent years, most consumers have waited until they bought a new computer to get the latest Windows. Microsoft also makes money from selling Windows and other software to large businesses and organizations.
In addition, Microsoft is counting on Windows 10 to spur more use of other services.
■ Why does this matter to consumers?
Microsoft says that 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 personal computer and then switch to a hand-held device. (Apple and Google tout similar features in their software.)
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Windows 10 also lets users log in with their face, iris, or thumbprint — instead of having to remember passwords.