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Microsoft’s special ‘Spartan’ browser for Windows 10 gets further detailed

Published Jan 7th, 2015 1:45PM EST
Microsoft Spartan Pictures and Features

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Microsoft on January 21st will make several announcements related to Windows 10, although it’s not clear whether project Spartan will be one of them. Various reports have revealed so far that Microsoft is creating a special new browser for its upcoming desktop operating system meant to make Internet Explorer forgotten. Dubbed Spartan internally, the project we posted screenshots of yesterday, has further been detailed by Neowin, with the publication providing additional information about how the browser is supposed to look and feel.

FROM EARLIER: You can download the Office for Android tablet preview right now

Neowin has been sent some images showing Spartan’s user interface, saying the new browser should be similar to Chrome and/or Firefox rather than to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

Apparently, Spartan runs in a borderless window lacking any UI elements on the bottom of the screen. The UI elements at the top include square tabs above a URL/Search bar, and navigation buttons on its left. On the right side, there are buttons for favorites, “reading mode,” share icon and settings.

Support for Microsoft’s voice-based virtual assistant Cortana isn’t available in this Spartan version, though others said the browser will feature such voice commands.

“In use, the browser does feel snappy and without any detailed testing, it’s hard to say if it’s the fastest browser available but it does feel quick,” Neowin writes about the actual browsing experience using Spartan.

Images showing Spartan, including a render, as shown by the publication, follow below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.