According to Microsoft, the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will show that Windows isn’t just a platform that provides information to the cloud, but that it can also target other devices and return benefits that end users will appreciate.
And that’s all due to the Microsoft Graph that now creates connections between people, conversations, projects, activities, and content, and which allows the rich experiences to flow between devices, be it running Windows, iOS, or Android.
A prime example is the new Timeline feature, which can be seen as an extension of Task View. You can use it to see active running tasks and jump back in time using a visual timeline to find what you were working on. Microsoft is building out this feature in a way that would let you look back over a long period of time and search through it. It works with files, apps, and websites.
Additionally, because of the cross-device harmonization work Microsoft is doing with Project Rome with UWP, the Project Rome Android SDK, and now the Project Rome iOS SDK, it's possible to see the same task even if you aren’t on the actual Windows PC.
Another new feature is Pick Up Where You Left Off, which as the name implies, lets you do things on one device (e.g., open an app, work on an Office document) and continue on another device at exactly where you left off. In the current Creators Update, Cortana can already help you pick up where you left off by reminding you about documents and websites that you’re working with on another device with links in the Action Center, but the experience will get better in the Fall Creators Update as the information flows across Windows, iOS, and Android devices through the Cortana agent.
Then there’s the cloud-powered Clipboard, a feature that lets you sync clipboard content between connected devices. It’s supposedly as simple as copying what you want - can be a photo, a map link, a paragraph, even an animated gif - and pasting it into your Windows PC or your favorite mobile device. Microsoft demoed pasting text straight from the SwiftKey keyboard on Android. The Office team is also working on a context menu that lets you manage clipboard contents in Office apps.
Last but not least, OneDrive Files On-Demand, the true successor to OneDrive placeholders. OneDrive Files On-Demand will allow access to all files in the cloud without having to download them and use storage space on a specific device.
In essence, Microsoft recognizes that we live in a multi-device world today, and is offering ways to reduce the friction that we face when using different devices, regardless of their form factor or platform. And it’s clear that the role Microsoft Graph plays in Windows can only get greater, especially as it lets you connect with more and more activities and devices on the graph down the road.
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