Microsoft has confirmed that it will be bringing some key Windows 10 UI features to its all-but-defunct Windows RT OS.
With the recent shift to a single cross-platform OS, Microsoft effectively killed Windows RT (though many argued at the time that it was dead on arrival).
There’s simply no place for this stripped-back Windows 8 offshoot and the underpowered devices that run it in a future where even a smartphone can run Windows 10.
However, Microsoft hasn’t completely abandoned the unloved, instantly hamstrung Windows RT. Over on the official Windows 10 FAQ page, Microsoft has outlined some interesting new additions coming the platform’s way over the next month or so.
“If you’re running Windows RT, your device won’t upgrade to Windows 10,” Microsoft says, rubbing it in somewhat.
“We will have an update available in September 2015 that will improve the Start menu and lock screen,” the post adds.
These two elements should provide a bit of a Windows 10 flavour to the basic navigation experience on Windows RT devices.
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It might not be exactly the same, however. According to WinBeta, which predicted this move a few weeks ago, the new Start menu is actually based on the DirectUI Start menu found in the early Windows 10 Technical Preview rather than the one found in the final build of Windows 10.
This is because that early version of Windows 10’s Start menu was actually built using Windows 8.1 code rather than Windows 10 code.
Here’s everything you need to know about Windows 10:
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.