windows-10-simple-screenshot-644x373.pngA report on the WinBeta Windows news blog has some interesting tasters for the next big update to Windows 10, codenamed Redstone and scheduled for 2016. One of the most interesting features for e-book readers could be the inclusion of desktop-to-mobile handoff within apps, as with Apple’s Continuity. Based on the report, other sources are already applauding the news.

The Redstone developments apparently revolve around enhancing Microsoft’s new Continuum platform to be more like Continuity. Apple’s Continuity feature, as detailed here, allows users to start a document or email on one device then finish it on another, or make phone calls from their desktop. The similarities with Kindle and other e-reading platforms’ book sync features don’t need to be underlined. Readers could read across devices without losing their place, or open an e-book from a phone on a PC’s screen – so long as all the devices are running Windows 10.

Microsoft is obviously placing some big bets on Continuum, with the release of the new Display Dock and the emphasis on write-once-run-anywhere portability across mobile and desktop for apps. Whether all that will come together to offer something more than the existing Kindle e-book sync feature, or Chromecast’s screencasting capabilities, is another question, though. A lot of these technologies do already exist in one form or another, though often scattered between apps and devices. And though Microsoft’s fusion of them is smart and timely, it may not be enough to actually persuade e-readers, and other users, to change their platform choices.

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