An intriguing new video just popped up online, showing how Cortana will behave on Microsoft's new Windows 10 operating system (OS).
Many are waiting for Microsoft's next major Windows release mainly to see how the company will combine the desktop and modern UI, tailoring the experience based on the device used. Windows 10, however, should come with a slew of other neat features on board, including the much-touted Cortana.
As a reminder, Cortana is Microsoft's own digital assistant and answer to Apple's Siri and Google now, and so far it has only seen a limited release on Windows Phone devices. The software is currently available in beta in the U.S., the UK, and China, and in alpha in Spain, Germany, France, and Italy.
With the new Windows 10, Cortana will be making its way to the desktop as well, gracing Windows PCs, laptops, and tablets with nearly all functionality available on Windows Phone.
When announcing Windows 10, Microsoft didn't offer many details regarding Cortana, but the digital assistant could nonetheless be one of the strongest features of the new OS. The impact could be particularly important because its rivals - Siri and Google Now - have yet to escape the mobile space and hit the desktop.
WinBeta has access to a pre-release version of Cortana and published a neat video showing just how the digital assistant runs on Windows 10. This version is not the final product, but it does give us a pretty good idea of how it would fare.
"It's been months since the Windows Technical Preview launched to the public, and we're still yet to see Cortana running on the desktop. We've known about her being present in Windows 10 for a while now, even before the first public build of the operating system yet we've still not seen her in action. Well, here at WinBeta, we've got access to Cortana running Windows 10, and we want to give you a first quick look," touts WinBeta.
"From the get go, Cortana can do pretty much everything the Windows Phone version can. This includes reminders, call people with skype, check my location/maps, play/pause music, launch apps, check the weather and more. Right now, Cortana doesn't have a personality in Windows 10, meaning she doesn't answer questions like 'Who are you', however we have it on good authority that she will have this ability by the time she rolls out to the public."
The publication further notes that the UI and other things are still in progress, as this is not the final version, and Cortana should look and perform far better by the time it's ready for public release. In the meantime, check out the video below to see how this pre-release version works.
