We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use.

PCMag UK

What You Missed at Microsoft Build 2015

Michael Muchmore
 & Michael Muchmore Contributor

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Microsoft Build 2015, Redmond's huge developer conference, started off a bit on the dry side, with C++ code making an appearance early on in a demo of Azure cloud services programming. But it picked up steam with news of free Mac OS and Ubuntu versions of the company's Visual Studio, techniques for easily migrating Android and iOS apps to Windows phones, and finally, the truly staggering HoloLens device.

Facing stiffer competition than ever from Apple, Amazon, and Google, Microsoft is stepping up its tech game under CEO Satya Nadella by being more open to having its systems work across platforms. We've already seen some of that with full-featured Office apps for Android and iOS and the open-sourcing of several developer and platform technologies such as .NET, and even with its browser incrementally supporting open technologies. At Build 2015, that openness took another leap forward.

Another large theme of the conference was the Universal App. This is related to the apps previously known as Metro and later renamed "Modern" apps. In fact, that last sobriquet is what appears in the interface, like when you search with Cortana for an app. But for developers, the Universal App consists of code that's largely the same whether it's running on a Raspberry Pi, a Surface Pro 3, a Lumia Phone, an Xbox, or even a HoloLens.

And of course the cloud, as embodied in Azure and its new machine learning capabilities was another major theme at the conference. How that relates to the estrus cycles of cows...well, click through the slideshow to find out.

Moscone Convention Center

Microsoft took over San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center for Build 2015.

Huge Crowd

Attendees waiting to ride the escalators up to the day one keynote.

Satya Nadella

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaking at the Build 2015 first-day keynote on April 29.

Composing with Surface Stylus

Composer/entrepreneur David William Hearn composes using stylus input in the StaffPad app running on a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 to write chamber music during the Build 2015 conference. (There was a live performance of the piece at the end of the keynote, as a nice bookend.)

Lotsa Code

There was plenty of code on display at the conference right from the start; unusual for a Day One keynote, but after all, it is a developer conference.

Android Apps Become Windows Apps

Developers were shown how they could easily port Android apps to Windows Phone apps. (For more on that, see Microsoft's Dangerous, But Necessary Android App Route.)

Azure cloud services

Azure cloud services like the SQL DB Elastic Database Pool were announced at Build 2015. If the pool's not big enough, there's also an Azure Data Lake service.

Universal Windows Apps

Universal Windows Apps run on all these devices, with HoloLens the newest member of the family.

USA Today Universal App on Xbox One

Here's USA Today's Universal Windows App running on an Xbox One.

Bridge to a Billion Devices

Using "bridges" such as the easy ports of Android and iOS apps as well as allowing older Win32 and .NET applications in the Microsoft Store, Microsoft hopes to get Windows running on a billion devices within the next few years.

New Lock Screen

The Windows 10 lock screen will include hotspots to surface features relevant to the user, including apps and features.

Microsoft Edge Browser

At the conference, Microsoft unveiled the name of its new Web browser for Windows 10—Microsoft Edge. The browser will have built-in Cortana assistance for things like directions if you happen to be on a restaurant webpage. (For more, see 6 Reasons to Try Microsoft's Edge Browser and Microsoft Edge Can't Fix the Awful Web.)

HoloLens

Build attendees could sign up for a hands-on experience with HoloLens, Microsoft's 3D enhanced-reality headset.

HoloLens

Microsoft showed more HoloLens developments at Build 2015. The device projects 3D objects into your real-world view.

HoloLens Apps

With HoloLens, you can have an app like Skype follow you around the house. HoloLens apps are Windows Universal apps.

HoloLens Surgery

With a HoloLens app, a student surgeon could practice performing heart surgery without needing a cadaver.

Minecraft Modder Aidan Brady

A 17-year-old Minecraft-modding star, Aidan Brady, introduces a new Visual Studio tool for just that activity.

Developer Challenge

At Build 2015, developers could put their skills to the test in the QuickStart Challenge zone.

3D Printing

Windows 10's native support for 3D printing was in evidence at Build 2015's demo areas.

Internet of Things

Windows 10's support for AllJoyn gives it a toehold in the hot area of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Raspberry Pi 2

Build 2015 attendees could play with a robot Powered by a Raspberry Pi 2 and Windows 10.

About Our Expert

Michael Muchmore

Michael Muchmore

Contributor

My Experience

I've been testing PC and mobile software for more than 20 years, focusing on photo and video editing, operating systems, and web browsers. Prior to my current role, I covered software and apps for ExtremeTech and headed up PCMag’s enterprise software team. I’ve attended trade shows for Microsoft, Google, and Apple and written about all of them and their products.

I still get a kick out of seeing what's new in video and photo editing software, and how operating systems change over time. I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine, the Windows 7 review, and I’ve witnessed every Microsoft misstep and win, up to the latest Windows 11.

I’m an avid bird photographer and traveler—I’ve been to 40 countries, many with great birds! Because I’m also a classical music fan and former performer, I’ve reviewed streaming services that emphasize classical music.

Technology I Use

For everyday work, I use a good-old Dell tower with 16GB of RAM, a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, and an Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti GPU that runs on Windows 11. I pair it with a 4K Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-10 monitor and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. For offsite work, I use a 2024 Microsoft Surface Laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. Camera-wise, I moved to mirrorless from a Canon EOS 80D with a Canon 70-300mm IS USM lens. I now have a Canon EOS R7 with a 100-400mm lens, but I miss my DSLR for several reasons.

In order of usage, the software I turn to most frequently is the Edge web browser, Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, Firefox, Brave, and WhatsApp. I use the Windows Phone link app to see everything on my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone, which has excellent telephoto capability.

For fitness monitoring, I have a Fitbit Charge 6 and use an Anker Smart Scale P1. I’m also a streaming fan, so I subscribe to both Amazon Music Unlimited (especially for its Dolby Atmos content) and Qobuz (for its high-res sound quality and classical catalog). I recently added a Vizio 5.1 Soundbar SE, which sounds surprisingly good given its low price. To holler commands instead of using a remote control, I have the Amazon Fire TV Cube in the living room, which lets me verbally tell the TV what I want to watch. It hooks up to an LG B4 OLED TV. I have a Sonos One speaker in my kitchen that also ties in with Alexa, as does the Echo Dot 2 With Clock in my bedroom. For serious listening, I have B&W 601 speakers plugged into a Conrad-Johnson Sonographe amp and preamp, with a Cambridge Audio AXN10 streamer as source. For reading, I also have a Nook GlowLight 3.

Read the latest from Michael Muchmore

Read full bio