Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system is coming next year to a variety of devices, including desktops and mobile devices, with users already having access to a developer’s preview of it. However, the highly anticipated desktop version of Cortana for Windows 10 is not yet included in the Windows Technical Preview, but that didn’t stop WinBeta from scoring some time with it on a Windows 10 machine.
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Microsoft’s virtual assistant that’s currently available on Windows Phone is coming to Windows 10, and the feature is almost fully functional on the Windows 10 version the publication has tested.
As seen in the video below, Cortana needs to be activated with a button press in this version — it’s not clear whether the final version of Windows 10 will have always-on listening capabilities for Cortana — and once that’s done it can respond to a variety of commands, just like on a mobile device.
Cortana on Windows 10 can help you set up “reminders, call people with Skype, check my location/maps, play/pause music, launch apps, check the weather and more,” as WinBeta reports.
The virtual assistant isn’t yet connected to all available data bases, and can’t answer “personal” questions, as its Windows Phone alternative does.
As for Cortana’s looks on Windows 10, the user interface might also be subject to change, as the current version doesn’t represent the final product. The video showing it in action follows below.
