Microsoft Corp will launch a major update to Windows, the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, later this year delivering new experiences to users, it was announced at the Build 2017 developer conference in Seattle.

The Fall Creators Update will include a new design system; creative experiences that will move with the users across Windows, iOS, and Android; new apps coming to the Windows Store; new tools that make Windows home for all developers; and the world’s first Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers – no markers required.

“We designed Windows 10 to empower the creator in all of us,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Windows Devices Group, Microsoft. “We’re excited for our customers to take advantage of the new features in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update that will empower innovative experiences; a modern, unified design for cross-device experiences; and an easier path for developers to create for the future of computing.”

New design system
Microsoft Fluent Design System will deliver intuitive, harmonious, responsive and inclusive cross-device experiences and interactions. For developers, Fluent Design is built to help people create more expressive and engaging apps that work across a wide range of device and input diversity.

The Microsoft Graph is an intelligent fabric that helps connect dots between people, conversations, projects, and content within the Microsoft Cloud – ensuring experiences flow seamlessly between Windows, iOS, and Android devices. Key features helping to bring this to life include:
•    Timeline allows users to jump back in time with a visual timeline that displays what a user was doing previously and easily hop back into files, apps and websites as if it was real time.
•    With Cortana, you can Pick Up Where You Left Off across Windows, iOS and Android devices.
•    Clipboard is a fast, easy way to copy and paste just about anything between connected devices by allowing to copying from the desktop and pasting on a phone.
•    OneDrive Files on Demand allows access to all files in the cloud without having to download them and use storage space on a specific device.

Windows Story Remix
Built on .NET and distributed through the Windows Store as a Universal Windows Application, Windows Story Remix uses AI and deep learning to organise and transform photos and videos into stories. It will use the Microsoft Graph to connect users across devices. Story Remix brings memories, photos and videos together to create stories with a soundtrack, theme, and cinematic transitions. Users can also create mixed reality by adding 3D objects to your photos and videos to tell stories in a whole new way, or turn photos and videos into a canvas, drawing on them with Windows Ink.

Full UWP Support
The Windows Store is adding additional popular applications later this year:  
•    AutoDesk introduced their UWP SketchBook last summer it became their fastest growing new platform introduction with an average of 35% sales growth every month throughout 2017. Autodesk SketchBook, the de facto application for painting and drawing, was built from the ground up as a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app leveraging the pen and touch capability of Windows 10. Autodesk will continue to use UWP to extend their Windows Store offerings to include support for Windows Mixed Reality in Autodesk Stingray, a 3D game engine and real-time rendering software.
•    SAP will bring SAP Digital Boardroom to the Windows Store this month. SAP Digital Boardroom is one of the most popular solutions from SAP.  It is a next-generation board portal which leverages data from lines of business applications to provide a single source of truth for executives to steer the business in real time. The app was submitted to the Windows Store as a Progressive Web App. This allows SAP to reuse their web content and investments to target multiple platforms, while at the same time take advantage of deeper integration with Windows 10.

Making Windows home for all developers
Microsoft is inspired to make Windows and Visual studio the best home for all developers--not only for applications on Windows, but app experiences that span across all platforms and all devices. Today several new tools for Windows developers were announced.
•    .NET Standard 2.0 for UWP and XAML Standard are both coming later this year to make web, C++, .NET or UWP developers love to build on Windows.
•    With modern code, developers can take advantage of Windows and the Microsoft Graph, using “Project Rome” for UWP, Android and now iOS.  
•    With the Xamarin Live Player developers can build, test and debug their iPhone applications from a Windows PC. With it, all users need is Visual Studio and their iPhone to get started building native apps for iOS.
•    Microsoft has simplified the install of Ubuntu by bringing it to the Windows Store. Microsoft also announced they are working with SUSE Linux and Fedora Linux running on the Windows Subsystem for Linux – to bring them to the Windows Store. Now, Windows is the only platform that can run both Windows apps and Linux apps side-by-side.

Mixed Reality motion controllers
Today Cirque du Soleil announced how they’re using Windows Mixed Reality to transform the way they imagine and create shows. In order to demonstrate the creative decisions they have to face, they rebuilt a virtual version of the stage from the show Kurios, including its famous huge mechanical hand.

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update will also see the magic of mixed reality brought to consumers around the world. Microsoft is working with developers to create this new frontier in computing and wants any developer to get a Windows Mixed Reality dev kit. Due to wide interest from the community, developers in the US and Canada can pre-order an Acer ($299) or HP ($329) Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition starting today from the Microsoft Store for delivery later this summer, the statement said.

In addition, Microsoft unveiled the world’s first Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers with no markers required. The motion controllers offer precise and responsive tracking of movement in your field of view using the sensors in a Windows Mixed Reality headset. There is no need to install hardware on the walls. The company’s device partners plan to market and sell these controllers on retail shelves this holiday.

Acer will sell a Windows Mixed Reality headset and motion controller bundle priced at $399.  – TradeArabia News Service