The WalkingCat on Twitter posted a link to a password-protected Microsoft site known as santorini-os.azurewebsites.net. Shortly after that, “Boris” (a k a @_milincic_) posted screen shots of what was behind that link. (Microsoft has since removed the site.) And one of the most interesting bits in what he posted was a mention about Windows 10X being available “for both clamshells and foldables.”
Microsoft has so far only officially confirmed Windows 10X will be available on foldables and dual-screen devices, with tweaks to both the Start Menu and taskbar, but it’s clear the company now has ambitions to bring those changes to traditional clamshell laptop hardware. “For both clamshells and foldables, the taskbar will be the same base model with a series of ‘levers’ which can be pulled to create some alternatives in the model,” explains the document.
In Windows 10X, Microsoft now refers to the Start Menu as the Launcher, which has a stronger emphasis on local search: “Search is seamlessly integrated with web results, available apps, and specific files on your device,” reveals the document. “Recommended content is dynamically updated based on your most frequently and recently used apps, files, and websites.”
Windows 10X will also improve the Windows Hello facial recognition authentication experience. “When the screen turns on you are immediately brought to a state of authentication; unlike Windows 10 where you first need to dismiss the lock curtain before authenticating,” reveals the Windows 10X document. “Upon waking the device, Windows Hello Face instantly recognizes the user and will immediately transition to their desktop.”
Elsewhere in the leaked document, Microsoft also mentions a “Modern File Explorer.” The company has long been working on a more modern Universal Windows App (UWP) version of the traditional File Explorer, and it appears this will finally debut with Windows 10X. It will likely be touch-friendly, and simplified for access to documents stored in Office 365, OneDrive, and other cloud services.
Some of the other tidbits from the screen shots posted by Boris:
Microsoft seemingly is calling the new Start menu in 10X the “Launcher.” (See a screen shot of it from the Santorini site embedded in the post above.) Microsoft currently calls its Android launcher “Microsoft Launcher.”
The unified Microsoft Search technology will be front and center on Windows 10X devices.
Staying in “your flow” is a recurring theme in the leaked Santorini documentation. Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay often uses this metaphor to describe the way Microsoft has designed its Surface devices. Because the Windows, Office and Surface teams all work together on building hardware/software experiences these days, the choice of wording isn’t coincidental.
Regina Son, who is mentioned in the Santorini documentation, is a Senior Designer on the Microsoft 365 Foundational Experiences and Devices team. She’s been on that team for four months, according to her LinkedIn page. Her profile says she is “currently working on the next generation of Windows OS and devices” and mentions Surface Neo, the coming dual-screen Windows 10X device from Microsoft as an example.
Microsoft pulled its Windows 10X documentation offline before we were able to see all the details.
