Microsoft Corp on Friday announced that a major update to its Windows operating system is to be released globally on Oct. 17.
The release of the Windows 10 “Fall Creators Update” is to come the same day that Windows Mixed Reality headsets powered by the software hit the market, Microsoft executive vice president of operating systems Terry Myerson said in a blog post.
Unlike virtual reality gear already available, Windows headsets made by partners such as Acer Inc (宏碁), Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), HP Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd (聯想) will not require cameras to track user movements, Myerson said.
Photo: Reuters
Windows headsets are to be priced as low as US$299 and will need to be plugged into computers powered by the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft said.
The original version of Windows 10 debuted a little more than two years ago.
The latest version is being built into a wide array of devices that are to be on the market in time for the year-end holiday shopping season, the company said.
Microsoft has highlighted how Windows 10 will let software savants serve up creations on the full spectrum of smart devices, including the HoloLens augmented reality headgear.
“By combining our physical and digital worlds, we believe mixed reality is the next step in the evolution of human computing,” Myerson said in the blog post.
Designing Windows to make Microsoft cloud services available from competitors’ devices and moving quickly in the nascent mixed-reality market were seen as shrewd moves by the company.
To get Windows 10 adopted quickly, Microsoft decided to give it away as a free upgrade for a year after its release.
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