Microsoft has announced that the Windows 10 operating system will be available for download on July 29. PC systems with Windows 10 pre-installed will also go on sale on July 29. The company confirmed that Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Microsoft's website encourages Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to sign up for a “reservation,” which will cause the system to upgrade automatically as soon as the new version is available.

Pre-release versions of Windows 10 have been in circulation for months, so the contents of the latest Windows is no surprise. Cortana, Microsoft's voice-driven personal assistant, which debuted in Windows Phone 8.1, will make its first appearance in the mainline Windows environment. The new Edge web browser will replace the venerable but much-maligned Internet Explorer. Windows 10 users will also be able to download touch-ready versions of Microsoft Office tools such as Word and Excel.

If you don't have an upgrade option, you'll have to buy. The Windows 10 Home version will sell for approximately US$119 and the Pro edtion will go for around $199. According to the announcement, the July 29 release date only applies to “PC and tablet editions.” Windows mobile users will need to wait.