Microsoft recently concluded its Windows 10 event at New York and made some quite intriguing announcements. From new computers to virtual reality headsets, the event had it all.
Recap: #MicrosoftEvent in 90 seconds pic.twitter.com/Fz2soLmhSg
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) October 26, 2016
Here are few key takeaways from the event:
First up would definitely be the brand new Surface Studio, the latest addition to Microsoft’s Surface line-up. Boasting a thickness of only 12.5 mm, the system is being dubbed as one of the best hardware pieces Microsoft has created. It has a 28-inch PixelSense display, up to 32GB of memory, GeForce 980M, an Intel i7 processor and 2TB of storage. Pre-orders have already begun at $2,999 and it apparently has ‘limited quantities’ for this holiday season.
Then came the new Surface Book i7. So, technically, there was no new Surface Book but Microsoft did announce an upgraded version of its previous one, which sports an i7 processor and a bigger battery which promises 16 hours of charge. It has an extra fan and higher graphical specs. It will be available in November for $2399.
Next up is the Surface Dial. It is a new input device for Microsoft Surface products. The gadget can be used to select menu items from the screen, for example colour picker. The device can be attached directly to the screen of Surface Studio for software controls. Priced at $99.99, it will be available for purchase in November, but comes free with Surface Studio pre-orders.
Microsoft made another announcement, which was an update to the existing Windows 10. Titled ‘Creators Update’, it will be released free of cost to the users in 2017 and brings in a lot of 3D creation tools, live streaming and custom tournament creation for the Xbox app. The update also aims to put “people at the center of the Windows experience” as they have put a ‘people’ tab on the task bar which will contain the most frequently used contacts. A 3D version of paint was also announced which lets users turn their photos into 3D ‘memories’.
Live streaming has been integrated into the Xbox app. A part of the Xbox Live, it allows users to follow their existing Xbox Live friends, games can also be integrated with suggestions comments, directly. Also, Microsoft is updating its Arena platform in an attempt to let players create their own tournaments.
The company also revealed a VR headset for Windows 10 which will run on the same Holographic platform as Hololens. While the date of release has not yet been revealed, it will be for $299 and companies like HP, Asus, Lenovo, Dell and Acer will be making the headsets.
