Buzz
Microsoft temporarily names this new feature iSets, a result of the 'Tabbed Shell' project revealed earlier this year.
Sets is the tabbed application experience within Windows
Sets provides a unique tabbed interface, allowing users to group different apps and websites within the same window. For instance, users can group Word, Bing, and Spotty into a single window, making it easy to switch between apps or websites. An ideal solution for users to effortlessly organize web content with app content, combined with Timeline enabling users to continue their 'Sets' across devices swiftly.
Windows 10 Sets enables users to organize apps and websites into a single window
When working on a project, users can open Microsoft Word, then open tabs in the Microsoft Edge browser to quickly access Wikipedia, PowerPoint for presentations, collaborate with OneNote.
The entire project is saved along with documents. When reopening the document, users are notified of previously closed apps (tabs), allowing them to reopen all tabs or just a few. Additionally, users can experience this on different computers as data and information are stored in the cloud.
Moreover, games like Minecraft can seamlessly operate on Sets. For instance, users can pause the Minecraft game to search for cooking recipes on YouTube and open OneNote to jot down notes while still having Minecraft open.
Although currently, the Sets feature (even Timeline) is limited to Windows 10 computers, there's a possibility that this feature will be expanded to iOS and Android devices.
Who gets to experience Sets feature first?
Insider users can expect the Sets feature to be available in the upcoming Insider build within the next few weeks, marking the first release of the Sets feature as an A/B test.
Windows 10 Sets allows users to group apps and websites into a single window
Initially, the Sets feature will be limited to UWP-based apps, later expanding to include Win32 programs, including apps like File Explorer and Microsoft Office in early 2018. For Microsoft Office, Insider users also need to enroll in the Office Insider program.
If you prefer not to use it, you can disable this feature. First, disable Sets across all apps, then Microsoft's plan is to approach each app individually. For example, users can activate Sets in the Outlook email app but may choose to disable it in Word.
Sets and Timeline work together, syncing Sets across devices to easily restore information whenever you switch between devices logged in with your Microsoft account. If you don't have a Microsoft account, check how to create a Microsoft account here
According to Microsoft:
'Behind this experience is ensuring everything related to your tasks: relevant websites, research documents, necessary files, and apps are connected and available with just one mouse click. Office, Windows, and Edge are integrated to create a seamless user experience, where users can easily go back to find important things, improving efficiency while saving time. We believe that's the true value of Sets. And with Timeline, users can effortlessly go back and find the Set they were working on,' Microsoft stated.
Additionally, Microsoft announced they will conduct a 'controlled study' on how Insider users utilize the Sets feature, releasing it to more Insider users for extensive testing. The company will closely monitor user feedback as well.
While it's just the beginning, features like Sets, along with Timeline, Cloud Clipboard, and many more, promise to make Windows 10 Redstone 4 a more robust and efficient operating system.
Not only will Windows 10 users receive some exciting new feature updates in the near future, but iOS users, specifically iPhone X users, will also get Google's support for Office apps on iPhone X, making it easier for users to utilize the office suite with the notch (rabbit ears) on the screen.
