14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 will be released in the second half of 2015 with a plethora of improvements for various form factors, and one of the priorities for Microsoft right now is to make the trackpad less painful on laptops and 2-in-1s.
With the new operating system, Microsoft will implement new gestures that will not only make the trackpad easier to use but will also allow users to access modern features that are exclusively available in Windows 10 faster.
You won't need a new laptop or special hardware to benefit from all these improvements because the new features will be integrated into the operating system itself, so you will only have to upgrade to Windows 10 to use them.
Slides presented by Microsoft at Chinese conference WinHEC reveal that users will be able to invoke Cortana by simply tapping the trackpad with three fingers, while swiping up with three fingers will also launch the Task view and let you quickly switch to a new desktop.
Showing desktop is also faster in Windows 10 and users can do it by simply swiping down with three fingers, again with the purpose of improving productivity on devices with trackpads.
Surface Pro 3 in the spotlight
There's no doubt that Microsoft had one device in mind when adding support for these new gestures: its very own Surface Pro 3.
The device, which comes with a removable keyboard, also features a trackpad and will clearly benefit from these improvements, especially when used as a laptop.
Microsoft is also working to release a new version of the tablet, presumably called Surface 4 or Surface Pro 4, which would rely on the same approach as the existing model and coming with a removable keyboard and a trackpad as well.
The upcoming tablet will run Windows 10 from the get-go, so the whole experience will be deeply integrated, which should greatly increase productivity on the go for its customers.
The Surface Pro 4 is expected to launch shortly after Windows 10, which, according to sources, should hit the market in August this year.