People still on older versions of Windows have little reason to stay there anymore. Since its introduction, Microsoft has pushed a number of compelling updates to Windows 10.
The latest of these updates was announced late last month and is slated to be released to the public in the first quarter of 2017. Dubbed the Creator’s Update, it will be a free update to existing Windows 10 users and will bring with a major overhaul to the humble Paint. Yes, Paint is going 3D, giving you the ability to scan real-life objects with your smartphone and import them as 3D objects to play around with.
Users will be able to share these 3D objects with each other, upload them on Facebook and even see them in Augmented Reality (AR) via Microsoft’s Holo Lens or mixed reality headsets that Microsoft’s partners will launch. For the uninitiated, Augmented Reality involves putting virtual objects in real world settings. Think Pokemon Go, except in this case you will be able to see the virtual objects through special glasses. To sweeten the deal, these mixed reality headsets will start at as little as $300, which is much less than competing Virtual Reality headsets. But of course, the application of such mixed reality headsets will be much more than just being able to see objects in augmented reality once developers start experimenting with the technology.
Of course, you can expect a lot more tweaks to Windows 10 with the update, things that will make your experience with the operating system that much simpler and easier. Some of the changes, according to early reports, are simpler volume and brightness controls, custom accent colours, and even support for themes to let you customise the entire look and feel of your Windows. Gamers, too, will have something to look forward to with support for 4K game broadcasts (both Windows PCs and Xbox).
Those who do not want to wait a few months can get their hands on Windows 10 Creator’s Update right now, through Windows Insider Program. This is basically a beta testing programme that will let you access the upcoming features ahead of launch to squash any bugs and optimise the features to make them ready for prime time. If interested, you will have to sign up online at insider.windows.com
Microsoft Surface Studio
Also announced alongside the Creator’s Update was the Surface Studio, which Microsoft is dubbing as an entirely new class of device. Even though it is an All-in-One (AIO) desktop PC, the Surface Studio comes with a bunch of peripherals and features designed to lend themselves to creative individuals.
It features a 28-inch screen with 4500x3000 pixel resolution. But the headlining feature is its ability to recline from a standard vertical AIO stance to an angle that turns it into a drawing board. To make this process seamless, Microsoft has implemented what it describes as a Zero Gravity Hinge. Essentially, the hinge features four springs to make the transition between the vertical to horizontal stances smooth.
The Studio’s second headlining feature is the Surface Dial. As the name would indicate, Surface Dial is a circular device that you place on the screen of the Studio, which in turn displays contextualised menus for you to browse through. In its demos, Microsoft shows artists using the Surface Dial to change colours and brushes while drawing on-the-go, without having to raise their pens from the screen. Microsoft has also shown off architects using the Surface Dial to amazing results. The Dial will also work with Surface Pro and Surface Book, after the company pushes out a firmware update for the two devices.
Ultimately though, the Dial’s success will depend on how well applications make use of its functionality. About 20 apps will have support for Dial out of the box. That said it is still a pity that Microsoft will not be bundling the Surface Dial with the Studio, and will instead sell it for an additional $99, especially considering the eye-watering price that the Studio launches at.
And the price here is the biggest catch. If you thought the new iMAC or Macbook Pros were expensive, wait till you see the price sticker on the Surface Studio. The starting price for Microsoft’s latest and greatest desktop tool is $2,999. And this will only net you a sixth generation quad core Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M 2GB GPU. Sadly, you do not get access to NVIDIA’s latest 1XXX-series GPUs, which bring with them some serious performance upgrade over the 9XX-series. For $3,499, you get a sixth-gen quad core Core i7 processor with 16GB of RAM. Shelling up $4,199 will upgrade the RAM even further to 32GB and the GPU to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M 4GB. The storage options are decent enough, with SSD-HDD hybrids in various configurations (starting with 64GB SSD and 1TB HDD and going all the way up to 128GB SSD and 2TB HDD).
Thankfully, you will not have to shell out extra case for other peripherals, as the Studio will come bundled with Surface Pen, Surface Keyboard and the Surface Mouse.
Surface Book Performance Base
Microsoft has also announced an upgrade for its Surface Books, adding a new base with a faster dedicated graphics card in the form of an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M 2GB GPU. This GPU will let you play just about any game on the market on medium to high settings.
The Surface Book is a hybrid laptop initially released by Microsoft last year, with the promise of up to 16 hours of battery life. The screen detaches from the keyboard and contains most of the processing power and some of the battery in it. The GPU and additional battery are in the keyboard base.
For this year, Microsoft chose to keep the existing design and instead add a faster GPU to the offering in the form of a Performance Base (which is a little thicker than other bases). Pricing for the new offering starts at US $2,399 and comes with a 13.5 inch screen of 3000x2000 pixel display, sixth gen dual-core Core i7 processor, 256GB of SSD and 8GB of RAM.
The all-new Microsoft Surface Studio.
