According to the official blog post, Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 OS will be available in six different versions, depending on the usage and devices that it will be used on.

While Microsoft finally announced different versions of the Windows 10 OS, it still did not reveal the specific details regarding the feature set, licensing specific details and, the most importantly, the standalone pricing for each version.

Planned to be released in July, at least according to recently leaked details, Microsoft will have a total of six different version of the Windows 10 OS, including Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Education, Windows 10 Enterprise and two versions for mobile devices, like smartphones, Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise.

As briefly detailed earlier, Microsoft will sell Windows 10 as a service and we could see a similar thing as it did with Office 365. It probably means that Windows 10 OS will be available with a monthly or annual subscription although we are not sure what happens when the license expires.

Unfortunately, Microsoft did not unveil the box-art, which is something that we certainly expected now that the company has announced different versions of the Windows 10 OS.

There will be plenty of new things with the Windows 10 OS, including Cortana voice-based assistant, the new Spartan browser, now known as the Edge web browser, DirectX 12 API.

As previously announced, users with Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 8/8.1 will get a free upgrade to Windows 10 Home.

The full list of Windows 10 versions including features is as follows:

Windows 10 Home is the consumer-focused desktop edition. It will offer all the usual Windows 10 features, such as the Edge browser, Continuum tablet-mode for touch-capable devices, Cortana integration, free Photos, Maps, Mail, Calendar, Music and Video apps, as well as and Windows Hello face-recognition/iris/fingerprint log-in for devices that support those technologies. It will also bring Xbox gaming experience to Windows 10 OS and allow users to play their Xbox One games from any Windows 10 OS PC.

Windows 10 Pro is a desktop version of Windows 10 for PCs, tablets and 2-in-1s. This version will allow users to go for Windows Update for Business. Windows Update for Business will allow admins to choose which features and security updates from Microsoft will be installed immediately after they are available and also allow admins to efficiently manage their devices and apps, protect their sensitive business data, support remote and mobile productivity scenarios and take advantage of cloud technologies.

Windows 10 Enterprise is pretty similar to the Windows 10 Pro, but is available to to volume-licensing customers. This version will not be a part of Microsoft's first-year-free upgrade offer, but those with volume-licensing Software Assurance customers will be able to move to this version as part of their licensing terms. The Enterprise version customers get access to the Long Term Servicing Branch of Windows 10, which allows them to choose to receive security fixes only and no new features as Microsoft rolls them out.

Windows 10 Education is a version of Windows 10 aimed at school - staff, administrators, teachers and students. It will be available through academic Volume Licensing. Microsoft also notes that schools and students using Windows 10 Home and Pro will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 Education.

Windows 10 Mobile is the version of Windows 10 for Windows Phones and small tablets, or anything below 7.99 inches. This SKU will include all the basic Windows 10 features, including free Universal Office apps once they are available and support for Continuum for Phone, allowing customers to use phones as PCs connected to larger screens.

Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise is a version of Windows 10 Mobile for volume licensing customers only and offers the great productivity, security and mobile device management capabilities that Windows 10 Mobile provides, and adds flexible ways for businesses to manage updates.

As noted earlier, Windows 10 OS is expected to launch in July, in 111 languages and in 190 countries.



Source: Blogs.Windows.com.