Windows Anniversary Update coming for free in the summer

Microsoft’s Redstone update for Windows 10 is being detailed today at the company’s Build conference, with Windows chief Terry Myerson announcing it will be coming this summer, for free to all Windows 10 users. Myerson also took a friendly jab at Apple, saying Microsoft welcomes everyone to Windows 10, “whether they have a new PC, a 5-year-old PC, or a brand new Mac.” Dubbed the Windows Anniversary Update, it is coming to Xbox One too, turning any retail Xbox One into a dev unit and bringing Windows 10 apps and Cortana to Xbox One.

Windows Ink is going to be “front and center” in the newly updated version of Windows. It’s intended to help people “ideate and collaborate better,” according to Microsoft’s demo maestro Bryan Roper. There’s a new Ink workspace, including your most-used Ink apps along with tips, tricks, and suggested other apps. Cortana and Bing are integrated with Microsoft’s handwriting recognition, so that when you write a note for “tomorrow,” Cortana will identify the date on your calendar, and Bing is also able to look up locations to help automate everything. The Ink workspace also includes extra tools, such as a digital ruler you can rotate and resize, plus the ability to work above the lock screen — so that you can sketch and take notes without needing to unlock your Windows device.

The Windows Ink workspace is built atop Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform — yes, the one that incurred the wrath of Epic Games chief Tim Sweeney for creating a walled garden — which is getting a number of new enhancements in the Anniversary Update. Before diving into it, Myerson did offer an indirect response to Sweeney, saying, “For over 30 years Windows has welcomed an open ecosystem of hardware and software partners. Nothing changes with the Universal Windows platform.” To illustrate the point, Microsoft points out that Starbucks, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger are all coming as universal Windows apps soon. Microsoft is also adding the Linux command line to Windows with the new update, which received enthusiastic applause from the developer crowd.

The emphasis that Microsoft is putting on the Anniversary Update in today’s presentation is firmly on the flexibility and ease of use for developers. Windows is “home to developers,” says Microsoft, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer took a turn on stage to talk up the ability to write a game once and then deploy it across all Windows devices, from phone to Xbox. Microsoft’s Turn 10 Studios, makers of the Forza Motorsport racing game series, added to Phil’s point by saying that “moving forward, all of [its] games are going to be shipping on Windows 10 and Xbox.” With the Anniversary Update, Microsoft will introduce a single unified store, across Windows and Xbox, along with bringing Cortana and background music to Xbox One.

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