As we get closer to the official release of Microsoft Windows 10, rumors begin to mount as to what the physical retail package of the operating system will look like, as distribution hits retail level. While there has been a rumor that Windows 10 will be an online-only affair, it’s unlikely, by any account, that Microsoft will skip having a store packaging.
A series of images, believed to be the official draft to the final Windows 10 official packaging, have surfaced from German news site WinFuture, which cites official sources.
The leaked images offer an insight into a very clean, minimalist design, which hinges on Windows 10’s new wallpaper. The box for Windows 10 Home Edition will display the standard color theme we have grown accustomed to, with the standard light blue, which fits delightfully with the default wallpaper. Windows 10 Professional will have a similar design, only in this instance it will feature a purple hue.
Considering that Windows 10 is only but two weeks away from RTM, there is very little reason to doubt the genuinity of these compositions, at least as far as the design direction taken so far.
Why a Microsoft Windows 10 physical retail box
Some may think physical retail boxes are going out of style in a world where software can be purchased online and installed instantly. Having said that, a physical retail package is still something consumers are likely to look forward to, particularly in instances concerning volume licensing, or in situations where consumers may want a standalone copy of Windows 10 to install on systems they build themselves. Furthermore, with Windows 10 following in the footsteps of other operating systems in a perpetual upgrading state, like OS X, minus the version number, there are those who think that the same installation disk, or medium from a physical retail box purchased this year, will be the same medium we’ll be using ten or even fifteen years from now, assuming hardware compatibility, to reinstall Windows 10 on future devices, which will make it one of the longest living installation media for an up-to-date software, in existence.
Of course, there is a ghost of a chance that a decade from now anybody will bother with installing Windows 10 from a DVD, or even a stick drive, but it’s fun to think that it will still be a possibility.