Microsoft is testing a new interface for Windows 10 specifically designed for 2-in-1 laptop convertibles.
The new 2-in-1 interface will automatically activate when the laptop convertible switches into a tablet posture. As you can see below, the layout is pretty similar to the standard Windows 10 desktop mode, but with a few tweaks.
The changes include increasing the spacing between all the different application icons that appear on the taskbar, which sits at the bottom of the screen. This should make it easier to select the icons with the touch of a finger. To create the additional space, Microsoft has collapsed the long search box on the taskbar into a single icon.
Another change is when you access File Explorer; the UI will automatically bring up the touch-optimized version of the utility. Tapping text fields on the interface will also automatically trigger the touch keyboard.
The new interface represents an alternative to Windows 10's existing tablet mode, which 2-in-1 laptops can automatically switch into, but features tile-sized icons that fill up the screen.
"Instead of turning on Tablet Mode when you switch a 2-in-1 PC into a tablet posture, this just turns on key touch improvements, but keeps with the familiar desktop experience," said Microsoft program manager Brandon LeBlanc in a tweet.
Window 10's existing tablet mode will continue to stick around, he added. But 2-in-1 laptop owners will need to manually enable it.
Microsoft is making the new 2-in-1 interface available to beta users over the Windows 10 Insider program, which anyone can join. The update will be released in the Preview Build 18970 (20H1).
In addition to the new UI, the preview build will let test users reset and restore a Windows 10 PC from Microsoft's cloud service. "This new option allows you to re-download Windows when you need to reset your device which is handy for those times you can't find the USB stick that has the ISO of Windows on it that you lost a long, long, time ago," the company said.
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