has been the leading game console for several years, and although users have been able to control and integrate with their Xbox from a Windows 8.x PC, they could play Xbox games only on their Xbox consoles. Windows 10 changes that paradigm.
Windows 10 enables users to play Xbox games on their Windows 10 PCs and tablets. The games do not run natively on the PC, but instead stream from the Xbox to the other device using the Xbox app on the Windows 10 device. For example, if you're playing a game on your Xbox but need to move to another room, you pick up your tablet, connect to the Xbox, move to the other room, and continue playing.
If you have visions of playing Xbox games at work, that's still a dream (unless you have an Xbox at work). The only way Windows 10 streams is via Wi-Fi on a local network, and you can stream to only one device at a time. In addition, the game must be designed specifically to support streaming.
The Windows 10 Xbox app (Figure 1.1) enables you to stream compatible Xbox games to your Windows 10 device as well as to interact with your Xbox console and Xbox Live.
FIGURE 1.1 Use the Xbox app to stream games to your PC.
HoloLens
HoloLens is a new product from Microsoft that was conceptualized as part of the initial Microsoft Kinect project. HoloLens is essentially a wearable computer in the form of a headset that Microsoft touts as the “first fully untethered holographic computer” (see Figure 1.2). HoloLens is a perfect example of Windows 10 IoT in action. The device is fully self-contained and does not require an external computer to drive it.
FIGURE 1.2 Microsoft HoloLens is a wearable holographic PC running Windows 10.
HoloLens overlays holographic content on your real-world view for an augmented reality experience. The device has obvious potential in the gaming world, but even more so as a means for artists, engineers, educators, and many others to change the way we work, teach, and learn.
Surface Hub
Microsoft's Surface Hub is a large-screen, hybrid TV/computer/tablet device designed for in-person collaboration as well as video conferencing through Skype for Business. The Surface Hub is essentially a giant touchscreen TV with an integrated PC running Windows 10 (see Figure 1.3). The Surface Hub includes built-in cameras, speakers, microphones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Near Field Communication (NFC). It uses OneNote to enable people to collaborate on a digital whiteboard, supporting both finger and pen input. Surface Hub also includes other Office apps as well as Skype for Business, and can run other Windows apps in a large-screen format. You can even connect apps from your personal device and drive them from Surface Hub.
FIGURE 1.3 Microsoft Surface Hub is a large-format, touchscreen PC running Windows 10.
Microsoft Surface Hub is available in two sizes, 55” HD and 84” 4K. A variety of stands and wall mounts are available to enable you to either position Surface Hub in a fixed location or move it as needed.
The Windows 10 Interface
Windows 8 represented a fairly significant departure from the traditional Windows interface found in previous versions, in large part to support a new genre of touch-enabled devices. Windows 10 maintains much of the user interface found in Windows 8.x, reintroduces some familiar legacy experiences, and introduces some new features. This section covers the most significant changes in the Windows 10 interface.
The Start menu
One of the main complaints from users about Windows 8, after they got past the Start screen, was the removal of the Start menu. Many users were accustomed to getting to their programs and settings through the Start menu. As Figure 1.4 shows, Windows 10 brings back the Start menu, although it is in a somewhat modified form that marries the Start menu with the Start screen.
FIGURE 1.4 The Start menu is back in Windows 10.
Clicking the Windows icon in the lower left corner of the display opens the Start menu. On the left side of the menu are icons for your most used apps, links to commonly used resources such as File Explorer and Documents, and your apps in alphabetical order.
The right side of the Start menu should be fairly familiar to Windows 8.x users because it is similar in concept to the Start screen in Windows 8.x. Tiles on the Start screen give you access to apps, and, as on the Start screen, can display dynamic data within the tile (known as live tiles).
NOTE
The Weather and News app tiles are good examples of tiles that support live data.
Items in the lower-left part of the Start menu provide quick access to your account, Power options (such as Sleep, Shutdown, and Restart), and Settings. You can resize the Start menu like other windows, simply by dragging the edge of the Start menu to make it larger or smaller. Figure 1.5 shows the Start menu resized to a much larger size.
FIGURE 1.5 You can expand the Start menu to fill much of the display.
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Just as you can with the Windows 8.x Start screen, you can modify the Start menu to add or remove tiles and group apps as you see fit.
The Windows 10 Start menu and the methods you can use to modify it are covered in other chapters.
Tablet Mode
Windows 10 Tablet Mode is intended to optimize the user's touch experience on tablet devices. Essentially, Tablet Mode switches the device to a full-screen Start menu and causes apps to open in full-screen mode. Apps that are already running in a window automatically switch to full-screen mode. Clicking the Restore button in Tablet Mode has no effect because no “windowed” app experience exists. However, you can drag apps to dock them.
You can turn Tablet Mode on or off through the Settings app. In addition, when you switch the device from a traditional desktop configuration to a tablet configuration, Windows 10 detects the change and asks if you want to enable Tablet Mode. For example, if you disconnect the keyboard from a Surface running Windows 10 or fold the keyboard to the back of the device to use it as a tablet, Windows 10 prompts to ask if you want to switch to Tablet Mode.
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You can configure Tablet Mode behavior in the Settings app, configuring Windows 10 to always stay in the current mode without prompting you, prompt you to confirm a switch, or automatically switch modes without prompting.
The Taskbar
The familiar Taskbar is still a component of the Windows 10 interface; it behaves in much the same way as in previous versions of Windows. For example, if the Taskbar is unlocked, you can position it at any of the four edges of the display. Figure 1.6 shows the Taskbar docked at the left edge of the display.
FIGURE 1.6 The Taskbar is docked at the left edge of the display.
