Windows reality update

Microsoft wants to set the agenda for the future of computing, with a new set of devices and a new Windows update released last week.

For the tech giant, that future means augmented and virtual reality – whether we’re all ready for it or not.

Microsoft has bet hard on augmented and virtual reality, which it collectively refers to as ‘‘mixed reality’’ as it continues to shake off its old, fusty image.

Microsoft showed off a slate of virtual reality headsets, made by Windows partners such as Samsung and Dell, that offer a mix of gaming and more practical features like Skype conference calling. Both Surface Book 2 laptops – a basic 13.5-inch and a beefed-up 15-inch model – support augmented and virtual reality, even in their compact form, with Windows’ new ‘‘Creators Update’’.

And, yes, PowerPoint got its own infusion of new tech, with the ability to embed 3D objects – for use in augmented reality or in your standard presentation – that you can rotate and annotate in your slides.

Whether many people will use these features and devices is yet to be determined.

Whether many people will use these features and devices is yet to be determined.

Adoption of augmented and virtual reality technology has been slow for a variety of reasons, including high cost, the fact they are still fairly new and that their purpose has yet to find a solid footing in the everyday life of consumers.

Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Windows and Devices, said that he does not expect every Windows user to buy a virtual reality headset, even though they now have the support for it.

With mixed reality in particular, Microsoft is looking to specific communities – interior designers, architects, those who want a telepresence in meetings, engineers who need their hands free – to make their case.

Other changes include being able to pin your contacts to your taskbar, improved internet security, and new photo and video editing features.

How to get it

To update to Windows, you’ll need a computer with a 1GHz processor or faster, at least 1GB or RAMand 16 GB of drive space for a 32-bit system or 2GB for 64-bit, and 20 GB of drive space.

If you don’t want to wait for the update to roll out automatically, you can manually get the Creators Update via the Update Assistant on Microsoft’s software download site. – Washington Post