As the name indicates, Windows 10 Creators Update leans heavily towards providing more functionality to those working in creative industries. Hobbyists and anyone with a general interest will benefit too, including home users who enjoy gaming.

The roll out started on 11th April, and should reach everyone shortly. Here’s a preview of what’s changed:

New Features in Edge

Microsoft’s new browser, Edge, gets some useful new features for both office and home use.

The first new feature is Tabs Preview and Set Aside. Anyone who frequently ends up with lots of tabs open in their browser will appreciate this. Windows 10 Creators Update introduces the ability to have previews of each open tab, so you can see at a glance what each contains.

You can also choose to ‘Set Aside’ tab collections. This is useful if you’re researching a few different subjects and need to clear some space for a new topic but don’t want to lose what you already have.

Edge is now also an eReader, with the ability to open and display EPUB files. Just as on dedicated eReader devices, you can set font sizes, do text searches and create bookmarks.

Edge is faster and leaner than other popular browsers, so batteries last longer on unplugged mobile devices. There are more extensions too, with the full range of Windows Ink colours when annotating web pages.

Annotate Maps, videos and photos

Office 365 users already know about the collaboration possibilities with cloud computing. The latest addition of Microsoft maps includes a few handy features for travelling colleagues.

• Draw on maps with a stylus to highlight meeting places or suggest routes.
• Estimate distances by drawing lines to indicate potential routes. Cortana will take your added information and give real-time updates on traffic and travel time.
• Maps will create turn by turn directions from your traced routes.

Windows Ink also means you can annotate photos or videos, making it much easier to share information with friends or colleagues.

Skype Upgrades

The Creators Update brings what is being hailed as the best ever Skype for Windows computers. It brings handy features such as mini view and Skype Translator for calls to landlines or mobiles. There are new keyboard shortcuts and a redesigned group conferencing view to help people work together more easily. You can share screens, documents and photos, with a file size limit of 300MB.

Windows 10 Security Enhancements

The Windows 10 Creators Update makes it easier to monitor computer health, with a central, single view of safety settings. The Windows Defender Security Centre offers performance diagnostics as well as anti-virus settings. The Device Health Advisor tool offers greater control over app installation, and there’s a privacy dashboard to help you manage activity across multiple Microsoft services.

Dynamic Lock is a new feature that will use any paired smartphone or other device (it even works with fitness bands) to automatically lock the computer when the device moves away from the PC.

The Windows 10 Creators Update provides new features that both business and private users will find useful. We’re very happy to offer advice or information on any aspect of Microsoft services, so please get in touch if you’re considering upgrading or streamlining your business computer systems.

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