There’s the updated Dark app mode, which extends a dark mode coloring to File Manager and other system screens. I’m generally not a fan of the Dark Mode trend, especially how in some places untouched by Dark Mode we go back to super-bright white mode (this is similar to MacOS Mojave), but I kind of kind of like how the dark colors freshen the aging File Manager design.

Other exciting updates include the ability to increase text size across the system. This new setting lives under the Display settings and is called, creatively, “Make text bigger.” The interface has a nice slider and preview that makes it easy to find the system font size that’s right for you. This doesn’t sound like much, but for those who work with HD-and-above screens, the ability to make the text larger (readable) is an eye-sight-saving enhancement.

There are a few smaller changes you might notice, like the renaming of Windows Defender to Windows Security and a handful of new emojis. However, in general, Windows 10 October 2018 Update is stable, feature-rich and, if you’ve been running Windows 10 for a while, will be utterly familiar and that’s a good thing.

Office Changes

Microsoft is also rolling out a Windows 365 update today, one that leverages Office’s software as a service status. Microsoft told me that this makes it increasingly possible to enhance the rich client functionality with server-side AI and machine learning capabilities.

Fresh Windows Ink capabilities will use AI’s ability to understand context, letting you use new gestures to split words, add worlds and add a new line of text without the need for a physical, keyboard-based carriage return.

In PowerPoint, Microsoft is using AI and Machine learning to transform your inked, unstructured ideas into structured ones.

Now the system can easily recognize if you meant bullets when you drew bullets and that the squiggle you drew is in fact intended as a perfect circle. Inside PowerPoint is Designer, an AI-powered design tool that that helps you make smart and more professional slide designs. An AI infusion will help connect the dots between your intentions and a decent design. For example, if you ink a bunch of dates Designer will offer the option of using a timeline in your presentation.

All these Office and Windows 10 uopdates cooincide with what shoudl be a collection of new Microsoft Suface machines, all of which will run the latest version of Windows and certainly support touch and ink. Overall, it’s a good day for Windows fans.