Windows 10 update is here

Anyone who has already upgraded to Windows 10 using the free upgrade will get the new features free.

More than 350 million devices upgraded for free to Windows 10 since the software was released last year.

But users wanting to move to the software from either Windows 7 or 8 must pay for Windows 10, with prices starting at £99.99 ($132.11) in the UK.

The update sees Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana become more central, being used as part of any search, the company explained in a blog post.

A new feature called Windows Ink enables users to annotate on their screens more freely, and across different apps, with a stylus.

The Microsoft Edge web browser, introduced in Windows 10 to replace Internet Explorer, is also being tweaked so it becomes more power efficient.

New gaming experiences were also introduced, including features for Xbox One and the Xbox app.

For schools with dedicated IT support, the updated Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer tool enables them to set up shared devices, in bulk, in a matter of minutes.

But Microsoft has found itself embroiled in controversy over the upgrade.

Some users reported the new operating system – which comes in at around 6GB – downloading automatically in the background without their permission.

It has also faced criticism after it emerged Windows 10 contained a keylogger that tracked what users type.

It also tracks their activity online and collects data about their computing habits.

Despite including a series of controls to disable some of the tracking elements, many of the core data collection features cannot be turned off.