Windows 10 Anniversary Update: what to expect from an anniversary Windows update?

In just a few days, the Windows 10 operating system will be one year old. This is not so much for a person, but for software it is a long time. During this time, the company has released several updates, added a couple of new features to its operating system. But on August 2, the most important update for this OS is coming, which received the name Windows 10 Anniversary Update.



It will bring a lot of new things to the operating system. Probably, the possibilities will open to users. There will be those who did not like the update, there will be technical problems. But so far, little is known about the problems, but you can talk about new features of the system.

Windows ink

')

Working with a digital pen is very convenient in some cases. This feature is especially relevant for owners of devices with a touch screen. Microsoft developers add the ability to leave notes on the web pages of the browser (so far only refers to Microsoft Edge), as well as One Note.



According to the company, there are two ideas behind Windows Ink. The first is to simplify handwriting input. It is planned to be made simple so that the person who took it in his hands for the first time at all could work with a pen. In addition, the developers are trying to show everyone that the pen is not some kind of third-party accessory, but a really handy tool.







You can work with him in Edge, One Note, Cortana, Maps, Office. In addition to the pen, a virtual ruler has also been added - also a rather useful tool. Not everyone needs it, but those users who often have to draw or draw something will appreciate Windows Ink. According to those who have already worked with the beta version of Windows Ink, the new product is convenient. Not as much as a real pen or pencil on paper, but here, perhaps, the role is simply the power of habit.

Microsoft Edge Extensions

Without browser extensions, life is pretty hard now. Yes, some users do not work with them, but this is rather an exception. Microsoft Edge will receive support for extensions with an anniversary update for Windows 10. Third-party developers will also be able to create their own extensions. Many of them have long been used in other browsers - these are AdBlock, 1Password, LastPass, and EverNote.



Microsoft also adds web notifications for Edge. Sites that work with notifications will send them to the Windows 10 Action Center (notification center). On the right click you can see the history of open tabs. Right clicking on the tab itself will open it again.



Microsoft has optimized the power consumption of its browser. According to company representatives, in some cases, Edge consumes 70% less energy than other browsers.



The plans of the corporation - to eliminate the need for third-party ad blockers. That is, it is planned to integrate the ad blocker functionality directly into the Edge. No extensions, everything is native.

Cortana upgrades

Windows digital assistant, Cortana, appeared in Windows 10 last year. The update will allow you to work with an assistant right from the lock screen. You can ask to record, play music, set a reminder and perform a number of other events. The assistant has become even smarter. Now he can make appointments or send various documents to his colleagues upon request.

Non dull wallpaper

Here we have in mind a number of new themes, including the theme with black design. The company last year did not release the right amount of topics that everyone would like. But now, it seems, the developers are correcting. Some of the themes look very good, especially the very black theme.







The notification center was also optimized, with a number of icons in the taskbar corresponding to various updates. You can change the quick action set. There are 14 such actions in total, including quick access to VPN, launching tablet mode, turning off sounds, managing Wi-Fi and other functions.



When working with the tablet, you can automatically hide the taskbar. This leaves programs with more screen space, so it’s easier to work with them.

Automatic time zone setting

Everything is simple here. The update sets the date and time according to the current time zone, so there is no need to switch manually. If you do not need this feature, you can disable it. Upon arrival at the new place, time and date automatically change some models of smartphones. But Windows 10 has to be configured manually. Now this will not happen - the setting will be performed automatically. If desired, the ability to automatically switch date and time can be disabled.

User identification

Windows Hello is one of the most useful new features. She uses a webcam to scan a user's face. Then comes the recognition process. If everything is good, the system will unlock itself - no passwords or logins are needed. Instead of a face, the system can scan a fingerprint, if desired, by the user and with the appropriate device.



To access the Microsoft websites and resources, passwords will probably not be needed in this case either, the system will authenticate the user by face, so that you can do without the password.

Windows 10 on Xbox One

Game console Xbox One has finally received Windows applications. Microsoft developers promised to add this feature a few years ago, and now the promise has come true. With the release of the new update for Windows 10, the corporation will add some applications for Xbox One. For example, the same Cortana and a number of new universal applications will be supported.

Bash

Canonical, which is responsible for the development of Ubuntu and Microsoft, announced the inclusion of bash and the main Ubuntu toolkit in Windows 10 earlier this year. You could start introducing new features of Windows 10 with Ubuntu elements back in April, starting with update 14316. In this update a WSL layer was added to Windows 10 that translates Linux system calls into Windows system calls. As a result, in a Windows environment, it became possible to deploy a full-fledged Ubuntu Linux toolkit without emulation and virtualization. The final integration will be completed with the release of Anniversary Update.



In April of this year, experts learned how to run Ubuntu desktop applications with a graphical interface in the Windows 10 environment. Reddit user w2qw found a way to install VIM and Firefox. Now the user Github with the nickname Guerra24 was able to launch the Ubunu Unity desktop shell in the Windows environment.



In addition to Unity, you can run xfce4. In this case, you only need to perform the first step in “repairing” dbus, the second step only applies to Unity, here it is not needed. Once the dbus starts up in the Windows environment, you can run xfce4, although the shell is not very stable.

Project to PC

This is a new interesting feature, also added in Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Her work is somewhat similar to the usual remote table, but the possibilities of new items are somewhat broader. Images from the display of any compatible phone or PC can be transferred to the screen of another PC.



After that, you can work with the remote screen from the target PC using the keyboard, mouse and other peripherals. Most likely, Project to PC will be used most often in a business environment. For example, if you want to show a document to your colleagues, but not sending all the content is what you need.

New skype

Now Skype in Windows exists in several incarnations. But for the updated Windows 10, the company released a universal application that represents the future of Skype. All functions work as before. But one more possibility is added - messages and events from Skype are shown in the Windows notification center, regardless of whether the application is running or not.

Sync phone notifications from PC

Another interesting feature that allows you not only to synchronize messages and phone notifications from a PC, but also to answer all this from a computer. All work is done in the Windows notification center environment. A big plus is the ability to quickly transfer content from the phone to the PC and back.

Windows as a service

Due to the fact that in a few days the opportunity to switch to Windows 10 for free ends, the company introduces a new type of licensing. If desired, the user may not purchase the OS, and pay monthly small amounts. This business model is called Windows-as-a-Service (WaaS).



True, the system with a one-time payment, and the monthly license will only work for Windows 10 Enterprise. Both versions of Windows 10 - Enterprise E3 and E5 will include other Microsoft services, including Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility + Security.

System requirements

Changing the system requirements of Windows Anniversary Update is not too significant. Back in May, Microsoft has slightly changed the system requirements for PCs and mobile devices with Windows 10. The main changes are increasing the amount of RAM. Now on a PC ready to work with the update, there must be at least 2 GB of RAM. Previously, this requirement was relevant only for 64-bit systems. 32-bit, according to Microsoft, could do with 1 GB.



The main memory requirements remain the same - at least 16 GB for the 32-bit version and 20 GB for the 64-bit version.



In addition, the minimum screen size that can be controlled by the desktop version of Windows 10 is 7 inches, not 8, as was previously the case. But for Windows 10 Mobile, requirements are raised - 9 inches, not 7.99. Display resolutions range from 800 × 480 to 2560 × 1440 pixels.



Even taking into account the large number of innovations offered by Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Windows 10 will still be complemented and expanded with new features in the future. The system is almost standardized for use on various devices, and now Microsoft plans to demonstrate all the advantages of this.