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Windows 10's upgraded mapping helps you plan elaborate routes

Multi-point trips, hand-drawn notes and Xbox support have also arrived.

Microsoft

You likely know that Microsoft packed a lot of improvements into the Windows 10 Creators Update, but there are still a few surprises left... particularly if you use Windows' built-in navigation app to get from A to B. Microsoft has detailed Creators' numerous Maps upgrades, many of which revolve around planning trickier routes. For one, you can create multi-stop routes. That's nothing new if you use Google Maps, but it's a big deal any time you use Microsoft's default tools.

You can also create collections (say, all the destinations you want to visit on vacation), and take advantage of Windows' pen support to jot down annotations. And if Microsoft or its mapping partners have made a mistake, you can suggest corrections to save others from going astray.

Some of the big updates are more passive in nature. You now have Maps access on the Xbox One and HoloLens -- it's not just for PCs and phones. The road view now accounts for 3D terrain, so it'll be obvious when you're going to wend through a scenic valley. You'll also see place details on the desktop just by hovering over a point of interest, and a dark mode will save you from going blind when returning home at night. It's easier to check traffic, too. Mobile users, meanwhile, now have a direction-sensitive view that can help when trying to get your bearings. Again, many of these features aren't completely novel. They might, however, get you to try Maps when you'd otherwise be tempted to use alternatives.