SFF.Network [SFF Network] Windows 10 Build 10565 Adds More Cortana

Cortana gets new features in Windows 10 Build 10565, currently seeded to Windows Insider testers, including a load of new features and enhancements—one of which is a way to make it easier to message your friends.

WInBeta has found the new build will give Cortana the ability to send text messages via SMS. You can send texts either by speaking them to Cortana on your PC or by typing them, and it seems easy enough to do. This feature has been available on Windows Phone 8.1 for some time now (and from experience with my Lumia 830, it works quite well).

Read more here.

 

[Phuncz]

I'm interested to find out what Threshold 2 will offer, if Microsoft can indeed switch to updating it's OS regularly instead of every X years.
Cortana isn't really something I need, want or ever going to bother with on my PC or laptop. I barely use a "voice assistant" on my phone, which to me is one of the few places it makes sense (when you're driving for example).

I just dislike the inprecise nature of voice in contrast to a keyboard and a touch screen to a mouse. While I love and enjoy the touchscreen on my tablet and my phone, I'm not yet seeing the interesting usage scenario for a desktop or laptop for using touch and voice.

 

[iFreilicht]

Good to see they're still working on it. Not so sure about the search results, I tend to find stuff better with google. Something that I'm still waiting for is that cortana asks before searching for something you said. If I ask her to do something and she doesn't know what I mean, she will instantly open edge and "bing" for the whole sentence.
That's the main reason why I stopped using her after a few minutes. (that sounds so wrong)

 

[Vittra]

The latest insider build as of the past few days supposedly also allows you to install Win10 directly with a Win 7 / 8 / 8.1 key, rather than going through the upgrade scenario.. potentially useful for those building Skylake rigs that may run into the Win 7 + USB 3.0 issue, but simply more convenient overall.

Will save me a bit of trouble shortly.

 

[Phuncz]

At work we had a few laptops with Win 7 Pro licenses laying around, so when we installed Windows 7 (they were empty) and updates, for GWX to install and start, you're looking at about a day, maybe longer. For it to start downloading (it was August) it took another day. Then we finally could start the upgrade, so it's license was activated and we could start a clean install.

Soon we could basically just download the ISO and enter the serial. I'll bet this won't work on OEM licenses, as apparently you still can't download the Windows 7 or 8 ISOs for OEM devices on MS's website after they took down Digital River. You can now enter your serial number on the MS website but it only works for retail and upgrade, not Enterprise (figures) and OEM (whatttt ?!).

 

[iFreilicht]

Do I have to do that once in order to make my Win8 license a Win10 license? You know because of that whole 1 year upgrade stuff.

 

[Phuncz]

If you want a clean install right now, yes. Otherwise, just wait for the new version to arrive in November.

 

[iFreilicht]

No I just want to make sure that my Windows8 key from my old machine can still be used to activate Windows10 if I ever choose to reactivate that rig.

 

[Vittra]

RIGHT NOW:

You must go through the upgrade process, which means installing the old OS, and then either getting the upgrade ISO onto a key to install right on top (in place upgrade), or going through Microsoft update.

After that, if you want to, you can do a clean install with Windows 10 - don't input any key if it asks, just skip those prompts - it should re-activate Windows automatically when it communicates with Microsofts servers.

If you change your CPU or Motherboard, re-activation will be required. People have been reported mixed results going through MS support to achieve this.

FOR THE FUTURE:

If all goes well in the newest iteration of the Windows 10 installer - you will be able to use the ISO without doing the upgrade, and input your Windows 7/8/8.1 key directly to be upgraded to Win10.

 

[iFreilicht]

I understand that, I had to go through a similar process every time I wanted to install Windows 8.1 with my Windows 8 license.

My question is, this new, vastly better way to install Windows 10 with an old key, will that work in a few years still? Initially, Microsoft said that the upgrade would be free for the first year after Windows 10 was released. Did they change their mind on that?

 

[Vittra]

It's still only for the 1 year period of time as far as I am aware. It's simply to make the process of migration easier.