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Microsoft is Preparing For Foldable Windows Devices, Report Says (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the shape-of-things-to-come dept.

Microsoft is working on adapting Windows to work on foldable devices, The Verge reported Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The report further added that the company is making foldable devices and dual-screen hardware a big investment area for both Windows and Surface. From the report: This investment includes adapting Windows itself and its many built-in apps to work across foldable displays and devices with dual screens. While Microsoft has been experimenting with its own hardware with dual-screens, codenamed Andromeda, the company has also been working with Intel and other OEMs to be ready for the next few years of experimentation. PC makers famously developed a range of 2-in-1 devices for Windows 8 more than five years ago, and we're expecting to see a similar effort for dual-screen and foldable devices for Windows in the coming years. Most of this work is related to Microsoft's Composable Shell (C-Shell) and Windows Core OS, a more modular version of the existing Windows Shell that powers many parts of Windows 10 today.

26 comments

  1. BRING BACK MY FLIP PHONE!! by Narcocide · · Score: 1, Redundant

    And buttons.

  2. Because that's been the issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Fuck it, we're going to 1 foldable razor nobody asked for."

  3. They already make those by nwaack · · Score: 2

    They're called laptops and they work just fine, now get off my lawn. Seriously though, does this mean we'll be typing on screens? I sure as hell hope not.

    1. Re:They already make those by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You will be coding on screens, and like it!!

    2. Re:They already make those by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 1

      You might on some devices be typing on a screen... you do that already, it's called a smartphone.

      But what this will enable is a smartphone sized device that could be unfolded or unrolled into a tablet sized device.

    3. Re:They already make those by zlives · · Score: 1

      i already used this technology for maps back in the day.

    4. Re:They already make those by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You might on some devices be typing on a screen... you do that already, it's called a smartphone.

      But what this will enable is a smartphone sized device that could be unfolded or unrolled into a tablet sized device.

      my smartphone has real keys... and its called the blackberry key two 128 GB dual sim... and it is the best damn smartphone you can get right now

  4. Boring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Still waiting for the coffee table Surface they were talking about in the '90s.

    1. Re:Boring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They deliver these devices in a roll, where devices can be cut from, folded, used for a brief moment and thrown to toilet after use.

    2. Re: Boring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, I'll be able to take selfies of my ass being wiped WITHOUT having to clean my phone afterward?!? AWESOME! My super ego will be BOUNDLESS!

    3. Re:Boring by PPH · · Score: 1

      I'm afraid that project folded.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    4. Re:Boring by zlives · · Score: 1

      had no legs to stand on...

  5. M$!? +5 Insightful by Merk42 · · Score: 1

    M$??!!?!! MiKKKr$oft bad!!1111

    1. Re:M$!? +5 Insightful by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Not very imaginative. M$ Windows anal probe 10, now on a role up computer, roll it up and store it where windows probe, hands free, with vibrate feature, Windows anal probe 10, controlling your pleasure, well for those into that perverse shite. Just suck it the fuck up, M$ carries on in exactly the same way, we used to had kids for behaving, way back in kindy, nosey, sticking their nose in other people's business, trying to tell everyone else what to do, forcing themselves other kids that were sick of them, just those arsehole kids everyone hated, ohh look, they all joined the M$ board and executive team.

      See so much better, use some imagination, it is well worth the effort. Ain't no one's fault but M$ that everyone hates them, want to behave like privacy invasive control freaks expect to be treated like a pack raging of arseholes. Why the fuck would you be expected to be treated well, when you treat your customers like shite. Ohh thank you for invading my privacy, ohh thank you for crashing my computer, ohh thank you for wiping out my data, ohh that you for that advertising, ohh thank you for selling the same software over and over and over again, with no improvements but changing the GUI for change sake. No thanks to M$, just a big ole fuck you right back to them. Want people to like, then for fuckity fuck fucking sake, do things people like not that they hate, what the fuck is so hard about that.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  6. Um... dual screens? by Entropius · · Score: 1

    arandr has been working just fine, thanks.

    Seriously, one of these days Microsoft is going to invent a REVOLUTIONARY new transport mechanism taking advantage of rotating objects with azimuthal symmetry to support a moving object with little friction and no change in gravitational potential energy.

  7. Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No really, who cares what MS thinks or does. They suck.

  8. Nope by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microsoft has lost the ability to innovate. They are extremely risk adverse and will not introduce any new mobile-like devices. The consumer end of Microsoft is dead.

    1. Re:Nope by sd4f · · Score: 1

      Consumers are definitely being overlooked at the moment by MS. Interesting thing about the adoption of smartphones is, where MS targeted business in the past, because business drove adoption trends and ultimately made windows the PC OS standard, this time around on mobiles, it's consumers. Consumers have decided that windows phone was a dud and stuck with iOS and android and more critically, business followed the consumers. Because of that, I'm a bit surprised that MS wants to keep on sticking with business, unless it's because they've carved out a nice market segment that the other big tech companies don't want to compete in.

  9. Behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Apple already sells foldable iPads

  10. I don't understand foldable by imidan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm not saying there's no point to foldable devices... but what is the point? I hear about foldable phones. Why would I want to fold my phone? It's pocket-sized already. They could double the display area... so I could, what, watch a movie on a 5x4.5 screen instead of a 2.5x4.5 screen?

    I guess what I'm asking is, what's the killer app that a foldable screen enables? Is it just bigger screen space that's more portable than a tablet?

  11. Already done by geantvert · · Score: 1

    http://macop.tripod.com/mac/To...

  12. Huh? What was that? by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Windows about to fold"?

    I like that headline!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Huh? What was that? by Miser · · Score: 1

      One can only dream.....

      I wish that were the case!

  13. Yeh but their s/w still sucks, so . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    just another fail

  14. Valueless gimmick by Dracos · · Score: 1

    No one wants foldable screens except those who stand to benefit from a higher rate of replacing them.

  15. This was done in 2011 nobody ask for this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    remember the Kyocera Echo?