Windows 10 is now on over 350 million devices, free Anniversary Update coming on August 2

Microsoft today announced that Windows 10 is now installed on over 350 million devices. It took the latest and greatest operating system from the company about 11 months to hit the new milestone.

Furthermore, Microsoft also confirmed the free Windows 10 Anniversary Update will begin rolling out on August 2. Yesterday, the company accidentally published a blog post titled “Microsoft announces Windows 10 anniversary update available Aug. 2” but with no body. Even though Microsoft pulled the post less than an hour later, the release date had accidentally been revealed early. Now it’s official: The update will be arriving a year and four days after Windows 10’s debut.

Microsoft unveiled the update at its Build 2016 developer conference in March. The free upgrade includes Windows Ink, Cortana and Edge improvements, advanced security features for consumers and enterprises, and new gaming experiences, as well as new classroom tools.

Windows 10 is a service. That means it is regularly updated with not just fixes, but new features too. Windows 10 was built in a very different way than its predecessors, and it is still being built.

Windows 10 was installed on over 75 million PCs in its first four weeks. It passed 110 million devices after 10 weeks, 200 million in under six months, 270 million after eight months, and then 300 million after nine months.

Microsoft is aiming for 1 billion devices to be running Windows 10 “in two to three years.” Because its free upgrade offer is ending next month, the company has put together a bunch of new deals to renew the push:

• Students can save $300 when they purchase an Xbox One and Surface or get a free TV when they purchase a Dell PC over $699.
• Consumers can get $150 off select HP devices or $100 off select Asus and Samsung devices.

Nothing spectacular here, and Microsoft will frankly need to offer something better quickly if it’s going to hit that 1 billion figure over the next two years.