Major leak reveals more about Microsoft Windows 10X

By Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson
Published 5 years ago

Windows 10X

When Microsoft revealed the Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X recently, it also revealed Windows 10X, a version of Windows 10 optimized for dual-screen devices. At the time, details were not extensive, but now a major leak sheds some light on what we can expect to see.

Documentation for Windows 10X (or Santorini OS) has appeared online, revealing that Microsoft will also allow the operating system to be run on more traditional laptops. There are also some intriguing screenshots that give us a glimpse into the future.

See also:

In the document, Microsoft says that Windows 10X will be available for "both clamshells and foldables".

On Twitter, reliable Microsoft leaker Walking Cat shared a link to the leaked documentation (since taken offline):

? https://t.co/mhToFNPQvC

— WalkingCat (@h0x0d) October 25, 2019

Thankfully, the text and images were grabbed by others, and shared by German website Dr Windows. You can see the contents of the document here, and you'll notice references to the codename Santorini OS:

An OS that blends in the background.
Built on interaction systems that let you focus on the task at hand.

A deliberate approach to the tasks an OS is built for: launching, notifying, searching, and more.
Discover how we approach each task in a simple and efficient manner.

Guided by principles.
Inspired by people.
To build experiences that feel both effortless and magical, we studied our past in order to inform our future. Designed around consumer needs, Santorini adjusts to the way people interact with it.

Patterns, components.
Guidance.
A centralized destination for POR designs and documentation with an historical view of the design and decision making process, aided by research, user testing and technical documentation.

Launcher

Launcher helps users start and resume tasks quickly. Search is seamlessly integrated with web results, available apps, and specific files on your device. Next up in the hierarchy of content is your default app grid, which can be customized and rearranged to meet individual needs and preferences. This relatively static set of apps drives predictable views each time Launcher is opened and further assists in accelerating users with the use of muscle memory over time. And lastly, Recommended content is dynamically updated based on your most frequently and recently used apps, files, and websites. Jump back into your personal workflow without having to start from scratch.

Goals & Principles

Get back to your flow quickly and effortlessly

No dead ends if you can't find what you're looking for

Build long term trust in the value of Recommendations

Structure & Scope

Search

Find what you need on the web, or look for apps and files on your device. A single entry point to Search across your device is simple and effortless.

Zero input suggestions

Active input and search results

Supports touch, keyboard, and voice input

Apps and Websites

Drag and drop to re-arrange your apps and websites so your favorites are sitting at the top of the list. To get to all your other apps, simply expand the grid to "Show all". Include your favorite websites by first installing it as an app, from the Edge browser.

Inbox default apps include: Edge, Mail, Calendar, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams, Whiteboard, To Do, Photos, Store, File Explorer, Spotify, Netflix, Camera, Solitaire, Calculator, Alarms & Clock, Movies & TV, Office, Sticky Notes, Paint, Learning Hub, Settings, Weather, Snip & Sketch, Voice Recorder, Groove Music, People, Notepad, Feedback Hub, Media Plans, Messaging, and up to 4 OEM apps.

Create folders and groups by stacking apps together

Remove apps from the grid to remove them from your device

Recommended

Jump back into your flow with recently installed apps; frequently used apps, files, and websites.

Up to 10 high-confidence recommendations are visible at a time

If you can't find what you're looking for, tap "Show more" to expand more items inline or,

"Open the file location" from one of the recommended files to explore related files

Lock/Logon

Logon has a simple job: get you to your stuff as quickly as possible.
With the Restrained Lock model, when the screen turns on you are immediately brought to a state of authentication; unlike Windows 10 where you first need to dismiss the Lock Curtain before authenticating. Users are encouraged to set up Windows Hello facial recognition as well as a Windows Hello PIN during OOBE. Upon waking the device, Windows Hello Face instantly recognizes the user and will immediately transition to their Desktop.

Goals & Principles

The customer trusts the device to keep their data safe

The customer can achieve their computing job to be done as quickly as possible

The customer feels a personal connection to their device because it is tailored to them

Structure & Scope

Quick settings

Quick settings provides a fast and intuitive way for users to access their commonly used settings. Today, settings exist in multiple surfaces and there isn’t a clear and consistent path for users to access the settings that are most important to them.

Goals & Principles

Efficient
Users can quickly modify their critical device settings

Focused
Only show important device settings so users are not distracted by other settings

At A Glance
Quickly see the state of your device

Relevant
Give users power to tailor the surface according to their needs

Structure & Scope

The quick settings surface has 2 levels of settings: L1 being the main quick surface, while the L2 is available when more lightweight settings detail is required.

Defaults:

Wi-Fi

Cell Data

Input Language

Compose Mode

Bluetooth

Airplane Mode

Rotation Lock

Project

Taskbar

Goals & Principles

User can switch between applications on the taskbar

User can launch applications and websites from the taskbar

User can pin and arrange applications and websites for frequent use

User has entrypoints to launch Start, Task Switcher, and Quick Actions

Structure & Scope

Running website: Active web tab within a window, can either be in foreground or background

Glomming: Taskbar behavior where multiple instances of an app are grouped t ogether under the same icon

Active state: Highlight on taskbar icon which appears when that app is active/in focus

Running state: Behavior where the taskbar icon is underlined when an app is running, whether the app is in focus or not

Extended Ul: Glomming behavior where on taskbar icon hover a Ul appears with thumbnails for the various instances of that app

Recent app: App which was launched recently. Can be running or not running to appear on the taskbar

System status: Collection of icons that indicate critical system status information System status bar Bar that runs across the length of a screen, contains the System Status; synonymous with "Minimized Taskbar"

Stacked system status: View of the system status that seen when the system status is on the Taskbar, laid out to fit the space of one icon

Taskbar model

For both clamshells and foldables, the taskbar will be the same base model with a series of "levers" which can be pulled to create some alternatives in the model. We want to build these levers to address the deltas between the two experiences, while still building off the same initial model.

Levers include:
• Centered vs. Left-aligned Taskbar content
• Number of pins
• Number of recents
• Order of recents (recency vs. reverse recency)
• Divider vs. no divider
• Task View icon at far right vs. next to Start

Connected

The web is where I spend most of my time. I want to access my connected files as if they were part of the OS.
All of your stuff, right when you need it. Find all of your files, on or offline in the Recommended section of the Launcher. Explore the connected surfaces in Windows 10X below.

Familiar

No need for instructions.
The OS is an intuitive blend of Windows and the devices I use every day. Pick up Windows 10X and dive back into your tasks.

Adaptive

An OS which adapts to how I use my each one of the devices in my ecosystem.
Windows 10X flows with all the tasks throughout my day with 8 different postures to help me get my work done.

Calm

A system that celebrates focus and precison by making deliberate aesthetic choices.

Effortless

A system that doesn’t gets in the way and helps me to get done what I want faster.