Windows 10X leak reveals a mix of desktop and mobile interfaces
Microsoft has already teased a few details for Windows 10X, but a leak has revealed a whole lot more. Well-known sleuther WalkingCat discovered a (since-pulled) document cache detailing Windows 10X’s interface, and it’s clear the changes extend far beyond the tablet-like Start menu. It’s really a blend of traditional desktop interfaces with concepts you normally only see on phones and mobile tablets.
The otherwise familiar taskbar will include at least one icon for recently launched apps (akin to iPadOS), while the quick settings have two stages of detail (like what you might get from Android’s status bar). And when you wake your machine, you’ll go straight to authentication instead of a lock “curtain.”
The documents also suggest that Windows 10X won’t be strictly aimed at tablet users. There are different “levers” that can provide a more traditional experience with a left-aligned taskbar, more taskbar icons and similar changes. That might be necessary when devices like the Surface Neo will have a laptop-style mode, but it also suggests that Microsoft will be open to a wide variety of form factors that could benefit from what 10X has to offer.
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