New Delhi, January 31 – Last week, Microsoft unveiled several new features of Windows 10 operating system. One of the biggest features of the latest build of the Windows 10 technical preview is called ‘Continuum’.
Continuum has been created so that users can seamlessly transition between the “modern” Windows environment and the traditional explorer environment. We have been testing the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 with the latest build of the Windows 10 technical preview, and we are happy to report that even at this early stage it works well.
What is Continuum?
Continuum is a user interface concept that automatically detects the input device for the Windows PC and accordingly provides a user interface. It has been designed to address the dual nature of Windows, as there are two environments.
The modern UI has been optimised for touchscreens, while the old explorer environment is best used with a keyboard and mouse. Some new Windows PCs offer both a touchscreen and come with a detachable keyboard.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is a classic example of such device. So with Continuum Microsoft claims the operating system can automatically detect if the user has a keyboard or not and offer the correct user interface.
Does it work?
Even at this early stage, the Continuum experience is rock solid. On the Surface Pro 3 if we detach the Keyboard, then the device automatically pops up with a dialogue box on the bottom right corner saying “do you want to enable tablet mode”.
You just need to touch it and boom, now you have the modern UI in place offering Microsoft’s live tiles and a list of applications. The modern UI has been changed from what it is in Windows 8.1.
Users don’t need to swipe from the bottom to pull up a drawer for the apps. Like the Start Menu, the modern UI offers a vertical jump list of all the apps installed, in addition to the live tiles.
With Windows 10, the modern UI comes coupled with the taskbar, so you always know what apps are running in the background and you have access to new features like Cortana.
Even if Continuum is not being used, switching between tablet and desktop mode is easy. On a device with touchscreen or a gesture enabled trackpad, you need to swipe from the right (the former charms) to bring up the action center.
The action center is home to a number of toggle switches for various settings including the tablet mode. You can also move the cursor to the bottom right corner and click on the notifications button to summon the same menu.
Continuum also automatically makes everything full screen. Be it a traditional Win32 app or a modern tablet app. Users can also now exit old win32 apps using a swipe downwards and not deal with the tiny interface elements made for the mouse.
How does it look?
With Continuum, we feel the difference between the modern UI and the explorer is less jarring. It is seamless and clearly, it is a solution to the dual nature of the operating system.
The addition of things like the taskbar makes the modern UI more palatable for the average Windows 7 user. On the other hand, the ability to expand the tiles and make the Start Menu full screen makes the OS easy to use for a person familiar with Windows 8.1. Microsoft has struck the right balance.
What is it missing?
Microsoft says that this is still a work in progress. In fact, currently users do not have the ability to have their desktop background as the background on the Start Screen in the modern UI.
Microsoft had added this feature in Windows 8.1. The nature of the start menu is not finalized in the current build of the OS. Interestingly, as of now, Continuum is only available to users of the Surface Pro 3. Microsoft also says this is a feature that has to be added on the OEM side.
Final thoughts:
As this is clearly an early build of Windows 10, which cannot be classified as a beta, glitches are bound to happen. Every now and then, the Continuum experience becomes wonky.
The device fails to transition to the start screen when we remove the keyboard. On some occasions controls become unresponsive. But this should be expected. It is not the final product.
-INDIA TODAY
