We began talking about Microsoft’s plans to make a new browser back in September 2014. At that time, we didn’t know that the company forked the Trident engine to develop a different browser codenamed ‘Spartan’ alongside Internet Explorer.
Recently, we took a quick peek at the user interface of the new browser, and now we learn that there’s a lot more to Spartan than meets the eye. Citing “sources familiar with the company’s Windows plans”, The Verge reports that Spartan’ killer feature will be new inking capabilities that will allow Windows 10 users to annotate pages they visit, as well as share them with someone they know.
The magic behind the scenes is done by Microsoft’s OneDrive, which will store a copy of the annotated web page for you to access it from any browser across major platforms. This will also allow multiple users to make, edit and share notes on the same webpage, enabling a whole new level of collaboration.
Cortana will assist you as you search, helping you find information such as flight schedules, dinner bookings, delivery tracking and more, all from the good old address bar, replacing every current Bing search accelerator.
Spartan will also include a lot of small touches, such as a new way to group tabs. Initial plans included support for custom skins, but will reportedly be added in a future update to the browser.
Microsoft’s new browser is said to be developed as a Windows Store app, capable of automatic updates, and will feature the same user interface across all device form factors. Internet Explorer will also be present as a legacy option, but Spartan will be the main browser moving forward.
Microsoft is going to break the silence with more details at the Windows 10 event on January 21st, and that moment can’t come soon enough.
Source: The Verge