Microsoft is building a new web browser for Windows 10. As expected, it’s code-named Project Spartan, and it’s something different from Internet Explorer.
The company says Spartan has a new user interface, a new rendering engine, and new ways to interact with online content.
The browser will be available for smartphones, tablets, and notebooks or other PCs that don’t have touchscreens. Members of the Windows Insider Program will first be able to try out the browser in upcoming preview builds of Windows for the PC, but eventually it will hit Windows 10 for phones.
The browser has a simpler user interface with a smaller toolbar that gives you more space for web content.
There are tools that let you take notes (with a pen or a keyboard) on web pages. And there’s support for viewing PDF files in the browser.
Microsoft’s Cortana personal assistant feature is also built into the browser. It can answer questions as you start typing queries into the location bar, based on the information it knows about you. Cortana can also bring up directions, menu information, or other relevant information when you’re looking at a web page for a restaurant, for example.
