Windows 10 October 2018 Update: The Five Best New Features for Business

When considering a new version of Windows, it is tempting to focus on the new features visible in the user experience, especially when one of these features represents a change in the way a task or an activity previously worked. These types of changes ("Look, the file explorer now has a dark mode!") Make demonstrations and screen captures easier. However, some of the most important changes in the last update are mostly invisible.

Also: The most powerful new features for IT professionals

In this article, I focus on a handful of changes that are of particular interest to businesses and might otherwise go unnoticed because they are not part of the user experience.

1. The update experience

This may be the main problem, but it is also central to the "Windows as a Service" experience that defines Windows 10. In the past three years, Microsoft has tweaked and optimized the Windows 10 day, further moving the background installation process, allowing administrators to set active hours during which updates should not be installed, adding notifications to reduce the risk of unexpected reboots, and Reduce the download size for each update package.

Also: Update Windows 10 October 2018: The 7 best new features of CNET

For this release, Microsoft also claims to have done important work on the logic that determines when your system restarts to install a pending update. The idea is not just to confirm that a device is not being used, but to try to predict whether you've left for a long break or whether you're simply away for a cup of coffee.

Of course, the actual impact of these changes will not appear before the launch of this new version, but once the update engine is installed on a large part of the installed base of Windows 10, the model predictive can be adjusted as needed. on the comments (and some shouting) of the users.

2. Chronology

The Timeline feature is probably the most important change to the Windows user interface from the Start menu. This feature, which debuted in the April 2018 update, keeps track of the history of your activities on different devices. It then displays this history along with the list of open program windows when you press the Alt + Windows keys or click the View Tasks button on the right. from the search field in the taskbar.

The initial release of Timeline has proven useful for anyone using Microsoft Office's built-in Microsoft Edge browser and Windows 10. Some third-party applications, including the Adobe Creative Cloud family, have also added support Timeline APIs.

The ability to search the web history as well as the files is an essential part of the operation of the timeline. It's a pity if your favorite browser is Chrome or Firefox (as is the case for the vast majority of Windows 10 users), since neither Google nor Mozilla has added support for the timeline, and they have not announced their intention to do so.

Also: How to install Windows 10 October 2018 CNET Update Now

As a workaround, Microsoft plans to release extensions for Chrome and Firefox that will allow Timeline to include your activities in these browsers. I'm told that the new Launcher app on Android devices can now share activities on the timeline for a connected account. An update of the Microsoft Edge application will bring similar information. for iOS, which is scheduled for release in November, will bring features similar to those of Apple devices.

3. Improvements in usability

One of the main advantages of the Windows model as a service is that it does not take years for new features to solve the usability problems that affect your daily experience. The October 2018 update includes a handful of changes that fall squarely within this category, including the following:

• Indicators of battery life of a Bluetooth device, which allow you to see at a glance how much time is left in the keyboard or mouse powered by Bluetooth
• Magnifier tool customization options
• Snip & Sketch and the Cloud Clipboard, which keeps track of the items you have cut and pasted, with the ability to sync them to other items.
• System-wide text size adjustments that do not require modification of the overall Windows scaling (a reader told me "I'm delighted with this great improvement ")

4. RSAT features available upon request

If part of your job requires the administration of a Windows server, be aware that the remote server's administrative tools are valuable. In previous versions of Windows 10, the installation of these tools required going through several steps starting with a manual download, and then repeating the installation after each upgrade.

Also: Windows Update October 10, 2018: What You Need to Know TechRepublic

Since the October 2018 update, all RSAT tools are available on demand and can be installed from Settings> Applications> Applications and Features> Manage Optional Features.

5. Windows Defender Application Guard and other security features

Microsoft Edge offers a great feature for large companies. A feature called Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) allows users to visit websites in an isolated, Hyper-V compatible container. This approach means that a malicious site can not access a user's login information or your business data. As an administrator, you define which sites are approved in an Application Guard window. All other sites are considered unreliable.

Also: Update of Windows 10 October 2018: how to use the new features of Storage Sense TechRepublic

The October 2018 update significantly improves the performance of Application Guard windows and also allows for downloading files. This feature is disabled by default for security reasons. If you enable it, the downloaded files are placed in an unapproved files folder.

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