Microsoft has announced its first emulator for Windows 10X, which enables developers to get a glimpse of the new operating system version specially created for dual-screen devices.
The tech giant intends to offer developers the possibility to optimize apps before the devices are released sometime in 2020, so this core emulator allows a peek at Windows 10X before it officially launches.
Microsoft Changed the Start Menu in Windows 10X
Windows 10X seems to be a more modern variant of the Windows 10 that has been upgraded for upcoming devices. The OS is created exclusively for foldable and dual-screen hardware, and the company has tailored it for this purpose. One of the most massive changes is the new Windows 10X Start menu: it doesn’t pack the animated Live Tiles on the Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows Phone anymore, but it now has a simple design.
Besides the new Start menu, Windows 10X is rather similar to Windows 10. It packs dark and light modes, but the most UX noticeable changes in the new OS are the method required to multitask with apps. Dissimilar to the Windows 10, you cannot have apps anywhere on the screen. They now launch by default on a single screen and can be dragged across the two displays.
The gestures in Windows 10X are also similar to those in Windows 10 and Windows 8, except there are small minimize and close buttons. The Start menu or the list of apps can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. You can also get to the Action Center from the taskbar that contains quick access to numerous settings.
In addition, Task View has also been updated, as well as the traditional File Explorer.
The OS is a Modernized Version of Windows 10
Another change that Windows 10X comes with is the Wonder Bar, which is built to sit above or below a hardware keyboard or show up as part of the software keyboard. It offers numerous inputs, such as GIFs or emojis, and even a trackpad.
A quick tour of the basics of Windows 10X navigation https://t.co/kvBnfKbtOO pic.twitter.com/2yc6LLKGP9
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) February 12, 2020
The emulator is still quite basic at the moment, and it is difficult to test it with no applications optimized for it. Microsoft intends to offer ambient information from apps, or applications like Netflix could appear in the Wonder Bar, besides Windows Calculator and so on.
Overall, Windows 10X in its today’s beginning stage, feels like a more polished and modern version of Windows 10. It also appears to be more concluded and adjusted, but it is still clearly Windows 10. This is only an incredibly early version of the new Windows 10X , and it is running in a regular emulator at the moment. Microsoft stated that it doesn’t intend to release the operating system until later this year.
As developers keep investigating the Windows 10X, there will be new animations and design changes for the OS. That is set to continue in the following days as developers find more about the software, but fans also hope that Microsoft will reveal some details about Windows 10X at the company’s Build developer conference in May.
