Microsoft is turning Windows 10’s launch into a global upgrade party

Microsoft is offering up more details on how it’ll celebrate the birth of its new baby. And one thing is clear: This is a far bigger deal than when Windows 8 hit the streets. Along with the usual festivities and a new marketing campaign, Microsoft is also promoting the idea of „upgrading the world” by offering consumers a bit of help with moving towards Windows 10, as well as celebrating inspirational non-profits all over the world. Microsoft stores, as well as retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and Staples, will offer in-store upgrade help and „experience stations” to let you try out Windows 10. The educational push makes sense, since Microsoft is making Windows 10 available for free to existing Windows 7 and 8 users for its first year. This time around getting people to upgrade means a lot more to Microsoft than making them pay retail price for a new OS.

As we’ve previously reported, Microsoft is making Windows 10 available to its five million beta testers first on July 29. Afterwards, there will be a staggered rollout for everyone else. That also means Windows 10 won’t be available for new computers sold on July 29, Bloomberg reports. Instead, you can either upgrade your new computer inside a store (we’ve love to see how smoothly that process goes), or get bumped ahead in the Windows 10 download queue if you want to upgrade later.

As for those non-profits, Microsoft is committing $10 million to supporting 10 global firms, as well as 100 smaller outfits in 10 countries. On top of the cash, it’s also offering help with organizing initiatives to „upgrade the world.” And of course, we’d imagine that Windows 10 will be a big part of Microsoft’s good-will initiative. Similarly, it’s giving employees an extra day off to upgrade their local communities to Windows 10 on launch day.