Windows 10 facts for kids
 |
|
Screenshot of Windows 10 version 22H2, showing the Start menu and Action Center in light theme
|
|
| Company / developer | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Programmed in |
|
| OS family | Microsoft Windows |
| Source model |
|
| Marketing target | Personal computing |
| Available language(s) |
|
| Supported platforms | IA-32, x86-64, ARMv7, ARMv8 |
| Kernel type | Hybrid (Windows NT kernel) |
| Userland | Native API Windows API .NET Framework Universal Windows Platform Windows Subsystem for Linux NTVDM (IA-32 only) |
| Default user interface | Windows shell (graphical) |
| License | Trialware, Microsoft Software Assurance, MSDN subscription, Microsoft Imagine |
| Official website | (archived at Wayback Machine) |
Windows 10 is a computer operating system made by Microsoft. An operating system is like the main program that runs your computer. It helps all the other programs and hardware work together.
Windows 10 is part of the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems. It was first called Threshold when it was being created. Microsoft announced Windows 10 on September 30, 2014. It was released for personal computers on July 29, 2015. For a while, it was a free update for people who had Windows 8.
Windows 10 was made to look and work similarly on different devices. This includes desktop computers, laptops, and other types of systems.
Unlike older versions of Windows, Windows 10 got regular updates with new features. These updates were often based on ideas and feedback from users. Each new release has a four-digit number. The first two numbers show the year it came out, and the last two show the month. For example, "1903" means it was released in March 2019.
Windows 10 is currently the most popular version of Windows. Older versions of Windows 10 (before version 22H2) no longer get updates. Windows 11 is the second most popular version.
Contents
Cool New Features
Windows 10 brought back some popular features and added new ones:
- Start Menu is Back!
- In Windows 8, the Start Menu was replaced with a Start Screen, which many people didn't like. Windows 10 brought back the Start Menu. It combines the classic Start Menu from Windows 7 with the "Live Tiles" from Windows 8. This gives you the best of both worlds!
- Multiple Desktops
- This feature lets you create more than one "desktop" on your computer screen. It's like having several workspaces open at once. This can help you keep your tasks organized. For example, you could have one desktop for schoolwork and another for gaming.
- Tablet Mode
- If you have a device that can be both a laptop and a tablet (like Microsoft's Surface Pro), this feature is super useful. When you take off the keyboard, Windows 10 can switch to a touch-friendly mode. When you put the keyboard back, it goes back to a regular desktop mode.
- Cortana
- Cortana is a personal digital voice assistant. You can talk to it to ask questions, set reminders, or open apps. It was first available on Windows Phone 8.1.
- DirectX 12
- DirectX is a special tool that helps games and other graphics-heavy programs run smoothly. Windows 10 updated to DirectX 12, which can make games run even faster and look better in some cases.
Important Dates and Updates
Here are some key moments in the history of Windows 10:
- September 30, 2014 – Windows 10 was officially announced to the public.
2015
- January 21 – Microsoft announced that many devices running Windows 7 or 8.1 could get a free upgrade to Windows 10 for the first year.
- February 2 – A free version of Windows 10 was announced for Raspberry Pi 2, a small computer often used for learning and projects.
- April 2 – A new preview of Office 2016 for touch devices was launched for Windows 10.
- July 15 – The final version of Windows 10 (Build 10240) was ready for release.
- July 29 – Windows 10 became available to everyone (Version 1507).
- November 12 – The first big update, called the November 2015 Update (Version 1511), was released.
2016
- August 2 – The Anniversary Update (Version 1607) was released, bringing many new features.
2017
- April 5 – The Creators Update (Version 1703) came out, focusing on creativity tools.
- October 17 – The Fall Creators Update (Version 1709) was released.
2018
- April 30 – The April 2018 Update (Version 1803) was released.
- November 13 – The October 2018 Update (Version 1809) came out.
2019
- May 21 – The May 2019 Update (Version 1903) was released.
- November 12 – The November 2019 Update (Version 1909) came out.
2020
- May 27 – The May 2020 Update (Version 2004) was released.
- October 19 – The October 2020 Update (Version 20H2) came out.
2021
- May 18 – The May 2021 Update (Version 21H1) was released.
- November 16 – The November 2021 Update (Version 21H2) came out.
2022
- October 18 – The October 2022 Update (Version 22H2) was released.
Different Versions of Windows 10
Windows 10 comes in several versions, each made for different users and purposes:
- Windows 10 Home is for everyday use at home. You can find it on desktops, laptops, tablets, and 2-in-1 devices (which are a mix of tablets and laptops).
- Windows 10 Pro is for advanced users and small businesses. It has extra features beyond the Home version.
- Windows 10 Pro for Workstations is like Windows 10 Pro but designed for very powerful computers called workstations. It lets these computers use more CPUs at once.
- Windows 10 Enterprise is for larger companies and organizations. It includes even more features than Windows 10 Pro.
- Windows 10 Education is made for schools, colleges, and universities. It's similar to Windows 10 Enterprise but does not include Cortana.
- Windows 10 Mobile was a version for mobile phones, but it is no longer available or supported.
How Long Windows 10 Is Supported
| Expiration date | |
|---|---|
| Mainstream support | October 13, 2020 |
| Extended support | October 14, 2025 |
| Extended Security Updates (ESU) support | October 10, 2028 |
| Applicable Windows 10 editions Excluding LTSB/LTSC editions: |
|
| Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, S, Education, Pro Education, Enterprise, IoT Enterprise, Team. | |
| Exceptions | |
| Windows 10 Mobile, Mobile Enterprise, and IoT Mobile | Unsupported as of January 14, 2020 Extended Security Updates (ESU) support ended on January 10, 2023 |
| Windows 10 IoT Core (non-LTSC) | Unsupported as of November 10, 2020 |
| Windows 10 Enterprise and IoT Enterprise 2015 LTSB | Mainstream support ended on October 13, 2020 Extended support until October 14, 2025 Extended Security Updates (ESU) support until on October 10, 2028 |
| Windows 10 Enterprise and IoT Enterprise 2016 LTSB | Mainstream support ended on October 12, 2021 Extended support until October 13, 2026 Extended Security Updates (ESU) support until on October 9, 2029 |
| Windows 10 Enterprise, IoT Enterprise, and IoT Core (via IoT Core Services) 2019 LTSC | Mainstream support ended January 9, 2024 Extended support until January 9, 2029 Extended Security Updates (ESU) support until on January 13, 2032 |
| Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC | Supported until January 12, 2027 |
| Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2021 LTSC | Mainstream support until January 12, 2027 Extended support until January 13, 2032 Extended Security Updates (ESU) support until on January 9, 2035 |
Microsoft provides support for Windows 10, which means they release updates to fix problems and improve security. At first, Windows 10 had a fixed support plan, getting updates for five years. But later, this changed. Now, most versions get updates for 18 or 30 months after they are released.
To keep your device safe and working well, it needs to install the latest updates. If your computer's hardware is too old, it might not be able to get future updates. For example, some older devices with Intel Clover Trail chips stopped getting new feature updates in 2017. However, they still received security updates for a few more years.
Microsoft plans to support at least one standard version of Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. They announced that version 22H2 will be the last major update for Windows 10. Even after 2025, Microsoft will offer "Extended Security Updates" (ESU) until October 2028. This service will even be available for regular users, not just businesses, for a fee.
See Also
In Spanish: Windows 10 para niños
- Comparison of operating systems
- History of operating systems
- List of operating systems
- Microsoft Windows version history
- List of Microsoft Windows versions
