This is Windows 10: all the news from Microsoft's event

"We have bigger hopes, higher aspirations for Windows," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on Wednesday, standing on a stage above a secret room filled with crazy holographic technology. "We want to move from people needing Windows to choosing Windows, to loving Windows. That is our bold goal." He's right: love is a problem that Microsoft needs to solve.

Microsoft definitely has loyal fans, but it’s not loved like other tech companies are loved. Microsoft is not loved like Apple is loved. Hell, it might not even be loved as much as Samsung is loved these days. Microsoft’s tribe of admirers may be more zealous than others at times, but what is that really worth? It hasn't been enough to make a dent in the mobile market. Meanwhile, most people are experiencing the internet through iOS or Android, and some of them are trying to forget about that cheap laptop they had years ago with Windows Vista.

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer doesn't use his Twitter account all that often; he has a curiously low return of just over 6,000 followers from 30 tweets. But when he does — true to form — things can get emotional. And today's no different: Ballmer weighed in on his former employer's torrent of announcements regarding Windows 10, which he thinks "rocks."

Although Ballmer probably wouldn't have made some of new CEO Satya Nadella's decisions, such as making Windows 10 a free upgrade for the majority of consumers, it's clear the man's love for Microsoft runs deep.

We just finished a heavily scripted, carefully managed, and completely amazing demonstration of Microsoft's HoloLens technology. Four demos, actually, each designed to show off a different use case for a headset that projects holograms into real space. We played Minecraft on a coffee table. We had somebody chart out how to fix a light switch right on top of the very thing we were fixing.

We walked on Mars.

Microsoft announced the futuristic at-home augmented reality project Windows Holographic today, and one of the many different uses the company teased was a collaboration with NASA and the Curiosity rover team. Now, NASA has released more information on the software it built for Holographic, a program called OnSight.

By using Microsoft's HoloLens visor, NASA scientists will be able virtually explore the areas of Mars that Curiosity is studying in a fully immersive way. It will also allow them to plan new routes for the rover, examine Curiosity's worksite from a first-person view, and conduct science experiments using the rover's data.

Microsoft's HoloLens headset is designed to bridge the gap between digital and real — and the best examples of that convergence are apparently all motorcycle-related. Case in point: The company released two videos presenting its vision of HoloLens, each showcasing things like playing Minecraft in a living room and walking on Mars. But mostly it's about designing and maintaining the perfect two-wheeler.

During its event earlier today, Microsoft showed off its Surface Hub, a new large screen multitouch device that runs Windows 10, and now you can watch it in action. Born out of Microsoft's 2012 acquisition of Perceptive Pixel, the Surface Hub is essentially a big TV (available in either 55-inch or 84-inch 4K variations) that accepts touch or pen input, run Office 365, and thanks to dual cameras, can run Skype for business. Microsoft still isn't saying how much it will cost, but since the company is targeting businesses, it probably won't be cheap.

Verge Video: Surface Hub Announcement and Demo

We got our first look at a bunch of features in Windows 10, which comes out next week for people who signed up for the pre-release. As expected, Microsoft made a strong push toward connecting its devices more seamlessly, part of its universal apps program. Office, Outlook, and other apps all work quite similarly across devices, and Cortana is everywhere, working as a natural-language interface and personal assistant. The big surprise, however, was Microsoft’s foray into virtual reality, with its HoloLens glasses, an ambitious bid to create a system for overlaying holographic images over the real world.

Microsoft's event this afternoon may have focused on Windows 10, but the biggest news out of it was HoloLens — a headset that lets its wearer augment their world with apps, games, and other information. Since that's a difficult experience to convey on stage, Microsoft first presented its vision for what'll be possible with HoloLens in a pair of videos, both of which it's now published onto YouTube. You can watch the glasses' introduction above and an additional video speculating about their potential below. In case you haven't caught on, Microsoft has huge ambitions here: "This is the next generation of computing," one person says. "This is the next PC."

In a November interview with Bloomberg TV, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick described his experience testing Microsoft's new VR headset, now believed to be HoloLens.

At today's Windows 10 event, Microsoft showed HoloLens to the public for the first time. The headset produces an augmented reality experience, in which virtual screens can appear in your living room and pictographs can float above your dinner table. In one moment of the presentation, Microsoft presented concept footage of Minecraft, in which the player sees the virtual world as if she's inhabiting it.

When Microsoft unveiled Project Spartan, its new Windows 10 web browser, we couldn't help but notice one of the tabs was our report from early January. Sure enough, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore used the article to highlight Spartan's note-taking feature. "I saw this and I said, oh baby. Sometimes you guys don't get it right and sometimes you do." Hey, at least he has a good sense of humor about leaks.

Microsoft has just revealed its next great innovation: Windows Holographic. It's an augmented reality experience that employs a headset, much like all the VR goggles that are currently rising in popularity, but Microsoft's solution adds holograms to the world around you. The HoloLens headset is described as "the most advanced holographic computer the world has ever seen." It's a self-contained computer, including a CPU, a GPU, and a dedicated holographic processor. The dark visor up front contains a see-through display, there's spatial sound so you can "hear" holograms behind you, and HoloLens also integrates a set of motion and environmental sensors.

Though still early in its development, HoloLens will be made available "in the Windows 10 timeframe" and, according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, it will be priced "for both enterprise and consumers to use it." Microsoft has already shown HoloLens to at least one games publisher, with Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick describing the experience as "extraordinary."

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer hinted yet again at the announcement of a new Battletoads during today's Windows 10 event. Spencer, known for wearing t-shirts promoting upcoming Xbox games, sported a green tee with a large Battletoads logo, though he never mentioned the game by name. Microsoft filed for the Battletoads trademark in November of last year.

The original Battletoads, created by Rare, was a beat 'em up released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. Microsoft acquired Rare in 2003, along with many of its properties. Spencer himself has mentioned his fandom for the franchise, though a new Battletoads hasn't been released in over two decades.

Microsoft has just unveiled a whole new category of device designed to showcase Windows 10. It's called the Surface Hub. As the next evolution of the company's Perceptive Pixel project, Surface Hub features an 84-inch 4K display with support for multi-touch and pen input. A 55-inch option will also be available, according to a press release. The massive screen also includes dual cameras, microphones, and a wide array of "advanced sensors," Microsoft says, though it's not yet sharing full details on all that's inside Surface Hub. We're also left clueless as to how much it will cost.

It's a Windows 10 device, but obviously strays far from your typical desktop or tablet experience. Microsoft has customized the Windows interface for such a monstrous display, offering quick access to Skype video calls, a OneNote whiteboard for drawing and annotation, and a shortcut for connecting to another nearby Windows 10 device. Signature Windows features like Snap remain, however. And you can use just about any app on the big screen. Here's Microsoft's pitch:

We've already seen how the Xbox app (and Xbox One streaming) is coming to Windows 10, and now we get to reverse that. Microsoft's gaming chief Phil Spencer just announced that Windows 10 is coming to Xbox One. "For developers that want to bring their application over the TV screen this is going to make it very easy for them to do so."

Aside from jokes about using Excel on a game console — which is to say, no Microsoft isn't planning that — not much else was discussed here (we're cautiously optimistic that we'll learn more at the annual Game Developers Conference in March). At today's event, Microsoft also announced a new Xbox app for Windows 10 and, more importantly, Xbox One streaming to Windows 10 devices.

Windows 10 and Xbox One will interact in a variety of ways, including streaming Xbox One games to the Windows 10 PCs and tablets in your home, according to announcements made by Head of Xbox Phil Spencer at today's Microsoft event. In a live demo, Forza Horizon 2 streamed from an Xbox One to a Microsoft Surface. Streaming will require a one time set up to establish a relationship between the devices, after which Xbox One games can be accessed on a Windows 10 device by clicking on the game's name in the Windows 10 Xbox App.

Spencer also noted that some Xbox One games' multiplayer modes will connect with Windows 10 devices. "We think enabling people to play multiplayer games on Windows 10, across Xbox One and Windows 10 will unlock the potential of Xbox Live."

Microsoft is bringing at least part of the Xbox experience to Windows 10. Xbox gaming chief Phil Spencer, conspicuously wearing a Battletoads t-shirt, has taken the stage to show off the Xbox app. So far it looks like a more complete version of Microsoft's SmartGlass app, allowing you to view your games collection and chat with people on Xbox Live.

Game DVR seems to be the most expansive feature here. You can view, comment on, and share clips through the Xbox app. For "any Windows game," even older titles played through Steam, you can save gameplay clips with using the Windows + G command (the example used here is Civilization: Beyond Earth), reportedly including the last 30 seconds.

OneDrive will soon be able to support music. At today's Microsoft Windows 10 event, Joe Belfiore said that the feature will be added "in about a month or two months." Up until now, OneDrive was focused on just photo and document sharing. The universal music application shown on stage appeared to be new, but there was no specific announcement during the presentation. As of right now, the basic storage level of OneDrive is 15GB.

A number of recent reports have suggested that Microsoft was ready to move past Internet Explorer and introduce a new browser, code-named Spartan, to the world. Now, Microsoft has made that official by announcing that Project Spartan will be the new web browsing experience for Windows 10. The new browser will feature an all-new rendering engine, but beyond that Microsoft wanted to focus on three new features, some of which we learned about earlier this year.

Chief among those new features is new inking support that lets users annotate web pages and sync all of those notes to OneDrive and share them with collaborators — a service that makes a ton of sense given Microsoft's focus on the stylus with its Surface lineup. Microsoft demonstrated this feature heavily in its demo (even mocking up a Verge article about Project Spartan's new features). Beyond pen-like note-taking features, you can also click anywhere on a page and add comments and annotations, much like in Office documents.

Microsoft today showed off its vision for letting all its Windows 10 devices play nicely with one another. At its Windows 10 event today, the company previewed how its own universal apps will work on Windows 10 PCs, tablets, and phones without being a jarring experience. The company showed off previews of how that will work on an early version of Office for phones that also works on small tablets. That will include a new Outlook mail client that sports a full version of the Word engine, just like the desktop app. Microsoft also demoed a version of Powerpoint that runs across the various devices, and a gallery app for viewing photos.

Microsoft previewed its work on Office for Windows 10 today, giving a first look at how the productivity suite will look on phones and small tablets. It's a significant departure from what Word, Powerpoint, and Excel currently look like on Windows Phone — but that's actually a good thing. The new apps look a lot more like their desktop counterparts, just streamlined to make more sense for a small, touchscreen device. "They're going to deliver a consistent, highly rich, and complete Office experience," Microsoft's Joe Belfiore said. His demo of the new apps was brief, but the emphasis was on these being fully capable counterparts to Office on the desktop.

This new version of Office is going to be included on Windows 10 for phones and small tablets. Microsoft has increasingly been making Office free to use — that's true of its Office suites on iOS and Android as well — so it's nice but unsurprising to see that continue here, too. That's also why this update has been a long time coming: Microsoft has had smart new versions of Office available on iOS and Android for a little while now, while Windows users have been left hanging. Obviously, the wait continues until this is actually released, but it sounds like the wait is almost over.

Windows 10 is Microsoft's great unifier, the single operating system that will run across devices of all shapes and sizes, and today we get to see how its mobile version will perform. Designed to run on ARM processors in tablets and smartphones, the mobile Windows 10 is Microsoft's successor to the ill-fated Windows RT and Windows Phone efforts, though the hope is that it can combine the best elements of both and rectify the things that held them back.

Joe Belfiore today demonstrated the new experience tailored specifically for phones and tablets with screens of 8 inches and smaller. The most immediate change is a shift of the background image to sit behind the UI tiles, making for a much tidier and more attractive interface. The settings menu has also been cleaned up dramatically, with Belfiore noting it's a universal app that will function identically whether on the desktop or mobile version.

Microsoft is bringing its digital assistant Cortana to Windows 10. Though it's been no secret that a desktop version of Cortana — which has so far only existed on Windows Phones — has been in the works, this is the first time that Microsoft has publicly acknowledged that and demonstrated how it works. Cortana was presented on stage at its Windows 10 event this afternoon, with Microsoft's Joe Belfiore declaring, "Cortana, we're excited to welcome you to the PC."

On the desktop of Windows 10, Cortana takes the form of a search box located right beside the Start button. The box will allow you to search the web and your local computer, with results popping up above it. Cortana can be used to perform simple searches, but as on Windows Phone, it can also be used to surface much richer information, like flight statuses. Cortana can also be used to send and dictate emails, control music, and launch apps. Notifications will also pop up here.

Microsoft today lifted the veil on its upcoming Windows 10 operating system, offering a thorough preview of what consumers can expect when the software is released later this year across desktops, smartphones, and tablets. After a small glimpse back in September revealed numerous changes — a modernized Start Menu, better multitasking with Task View, and UI improvements among them — Microsoft used today's press conference to focus on what Windows 10 will mean for its millions of everyday users. Not everything shown today will be made available to Windows 10 testers immediately. Joe Belfiore specified that some will roll out over a course of "three, four, or five months."

To start off, Microsoft has already leveraged early tester feedback to improve Windows 10. If you're familiar with and prefer the Windows 8.1 experience, you'll be able to take the Start Screen full screen instead of the Windows 7-style start menu we saw in September. Microsoft has also added an Action Center that provides instant access to common tasks like enabling or shutting off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other settings. Notifications are synced across devices, so if you dismiss something on a Windows 10 smartphone or tablet, it won't stubbornly pop up again when you return to your PC. Speaking of settings, Microsoft has refreshed the appearance of settings menus everywhere with a much cleaner, easy-to-understand design.

Microsoft's Windows 10 event is just getting started, and it sounds like the company is eager to make it as easy and cheap as possible for those running older versions of Windows to upgrade. Terry Myerson just announced on stage that, for the first year after Windows 10 launches, any device running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows Phone 8.1 will be able to upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft's OS — for free. How exactly this program will work isn't clear just yet — it'll certainly be subject to some hardware requirements, particularly for older machines running Windows 7. But a simplified upgrade path will likely do a lot to help Windows 10 adoption — rather than dealing with a number of different versions of Windows and different upgrade costs, most consumers will simply take this free update and enjoy running Microsoft's latest.

Beyond this, Myerson shared Microsoft's vision for Windows as a service, not just an operating system. A big part of that is Microsoft's new commitment to keep devices consistently updated throughout the "supported lifetime for the device." It sounds like that means those upgrading from Microsoft's older versions of Windows will consistently receive updates to keep it as up-to-date as possible. Myerson noted that this will let developers "target every single Windows device" when they build apps — anything that makes it easier for developers to reach more users will certainly be appreciated by both the developer community as well as end users.