Microsoft has drastically changed its approach with its latest Windows 10 operating system. While the previous iterations of its core operating system pretty much stayed the same and were updated with the release of big quarterly updates along the way, Microsoft appears to have landed on a nice stable base with its latest iteration of Windows. Instead of rushing to get a new version of it out, Microsoft keeps iterating and changing it with many small updates.
There are many new features and UI features that have changed, with several core ones still coming with its closer integration into the Linux OS, built into its core. Another new change that the software giant is looking to introduce is a new Spotlight-like launcher app that will replace the existing Win+R shortcut and include options to quickly search apps and files across Windows and support for plugins like calculators, dictionaries, and search engines.
The new feature is set to be ready for public Beta in May with The Verge revealing that an early version of the launcher will support basic search tasks that are typically handled by the built-in Windows Start menu search functionality. The company is planning for this to just be the start of more features aimed at making the new launcher more functional than Apple’s Spotlight search and also similar to Apple’s own Alfred launcher on macOS.
The app will form part of the PowerToys platform that Microsoft is bringing back after it initially launched it as part of Windows 95 and served as a great way for engineers to prototype new features into the operating system. With the way that Microsoft is trying to tinker and constantly work on making Windows 10 even better, it seems like the perfect platform for them to roll out.
Last Updated: April 20, 2020
