This Wednesday, we'll likely get a clear overview of what Microsoft plans to include in the final version of Windows 10. Having let slip that the internal codename for this forthcoming preview build is "Awesome", Microsoft has heaped pressure on itself. But with Windows Phone almost slipping into a coma and sales of Windows tablets still the wrong side of "disappointing", Microsoft is already under enormous pressure to get this right.
Until now, almost all of the new features we've seen in the preview builds of Windows 10 have focused on the desktop. These have largely been designed to throw PC and laptop users back into the keep net. The vastly unpopular Start Screen has been buried beneath the surface and replaced with a new Start button menu, notifications have been added to the desktop, and Windows Store apps can now be run in resizable windows. Windows 10 feels more like a stepping stone between Windows 7 and Windows 8, more than the latter's successor, and it will be interesting to see if putting the clocks back will be enough to tempt those who wrinkled their nose at Windows 8.
What we're keen to see from Wednesday's press event is what Microsoft will do to rekindle interest on the mobile side. Windows 10 will be the first Microsoft OS to span smartphones, tablets and PCs, and it's those first two categories of device that now need the most attention.
The tiled Start Screen will be retained for these devices, but Microsoft is certain to revamp the design. Some leaked screenshots from a Japanese event have already emerged, and if they prove to be genuine, they suggest that Microsoft has ditched the concept of allowing users to resize their tiles, all appearing as a uniform square design.
However, no amount of tweaking with the UI is suddenly going to boost Windows smartphone and tablet sales. Microsoft desperately needs to improve its app store. A unified app store for smartphones, tablets and PCs is unique, but will do little or nothing to boost app sales in itself. Microsoft needs killer apps that aren't available on Android and iOS, and it may be forced to make them itself. A proper, touchscreen version of Office for Windows is now an absolute must.
One of the most interesting leaks to emerge from Microsoft in recent months is Arcadia, a project that will allow users to stream Xbox-quality games to low-powered Windows devices. Neither Apple nor Android currently have anything to match that, and with its Azure cloud computing set-up, Microsoft certainly has the capacity to deliver remotely hosted 3D games to people's devices, potentially giving the company a much needed unique selling point.
Perhaps more significantly, that same technology might also be used to stream Android apps onto Windows devices. If Microsoft can't throw enough money at developers to convince them to deliver to top notch exclusives for Windows, this might at least quell the criticism that the Windows Store lacks both breadth and quality. It would, however, be a shaming defeat for Microsoft, and a tactic that's been used without much success on other failing platforms, most notably BlackBerry.
Wednesday is Microsoft's opportunity to get some momentum behind Windows 10. It's time to deliver the "Awesome" in more than name alone.