Microsoft’s Spartan web browser was first introduced to the world via the company’s Windows 10 conference back in January of this year. The software maker revealed several features such as Cortana support, a new rendering engine, along with inking.
However, a recent video was posted to YouTube that showed Spartan in action. We can see from the 2-minute video how smooth the browser is in its current form, but still nothing much was shown apart from what future users can expect from Cortana.
For those who are unaware, Cortana is built directly into Spartan, which means the very things users can do with the voice assistant on Windows 10 and Windows 10 for phones is possible in the web browser. However, from what we have seen from the video, Cortana is Spartan is smarter than we imagined.
For example, if the user visits the website of a restaurant, he or she will have the option to get directions from Cortana. She will bounce up and down in the address bar, which alerts the user that it is possible to get directions to the location of this business establishment.
Instead of opening a new window to show the relevant information, Cortana opens the data in a sidebar from the right section of Spartan. Everything looks seamless and smooth, and doesn’t come as distracting.
Another neat feature the video showed off is the ability to search for places using Cortana. If the user is on a website and comes across a location they’ve never heard of before, it is possible to highlight the words and then click “Ask Cortana.” The sidebar will then open, and the information about this particular place along with pictures will become available to the user.
How about word definition?
Yes, Cortana can also deliver the meaning of words via the sidebar. In fact, Cortana can provide information on any highlighted word on a webpage, and that makes her integration in Spartan amazing.
Finally, if the user wants to know the weather, they can just type the word “weather” into the address bar, and Cortana will deliver a weather summary directly in the address bar.
Overall, Spartan at the moment comes off as a solid web browser, especially with the integration of Cortana. We can’t wait to get our hands on it and give it a spin when it becomes available to the public.
Video Courtesy Winbeta.
