Continuum Insight #3: What PC features matter most for Continuum for phone?

Having the ability to run apps in a window instead of full screen would great. Also apps should behave more like what you expect on the PC instead of being reminded it's actually your phone. The Command Bars (i.e. Photos app) should be on top instead of the bottom. Tabs in Edge shouldn't keep reloading as 3GB RAM shouldn't do that even on a low end laptop.

A big request I'd like to suggest is converge Edge as a Universal app with one app package and feature parity between both desktop and phone. I want to annotate the web on my phone or if using continuum I want that feature there too. When Edge extensions come I want to see them on Phone too instead of just desktop. I might say use the Pinterest extension on my phone to pin the images currently in view then plug my phone into Continuum mode have the ability to select and pin whatever is on the whole webpage.

In other words, I hope that one day in a few years when Continuum is fully mature, I want complete feature parity: Full access to the file system, run classic Desktop apps, multiple windows, a Task Manager, multiple desktops, etc. Have full windows.

And thanks for asking for our feedback most importantly, and hope you can make it happen.

While I haven't had the chance to try Continuum myself yet (if all goes well I get to try it this week), I have heard one request quite often: the ability to run applications side by side. I don't think that having actual movable windows is as important as the ability to at least run applications side by side with easy drag and drop compatibility (etc, etc).

F12 Developer Tools in Edge would also be nice, but I guess that's more of a general Feedback item.

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to provide feedback. :)

Hi Jason,

I like the Start menu in the desktop version, but 90% of the time I use keyboard shortcuts like Win+S to start an app. When I tried the Continuum for the first time, none of the Win + (key) combos worked (and I filed a feedback item on that). I'd love to have at least these initially: Win+S, Win+D & Win+L (you never know who might crawl behind you).

Regards,

Hristo

Fix Edge performance problems in Continuum. At the moment, it is way too slow to even be reliable. Add extension support for Edge mobile. Run apps in Windowed mode. Snapped apps. Pinning apps to taskbar. Make notification center transparent to match the desktop one.

Get rid of top bar, cellphone bar, and just add everything to the taskbar to match a regular desktop pc look. Make the taskbar look exactly like the PC taskbar. Add all the battery, cell info, notifications to the "System Tray" like on a regular PC taskbar. On a laptop, the battery information, wifi, network, notification icon, etc. are all in the "System Tray" icon at the bottom. Why not make Contiuum the same? Why make it look different by adding the top bar?

Add Cortanna Search in the taskbar just like on a Desktop PC. Basically, make Continuum taskbar exactly like the PC taskbar.

PLEASE ADD THE ABILITY TO ADD USB SMART CARD READERS that work with MS RDP app - So we can use with RDP for people who have multi-authentication logons that require their credentials and smart cards.

I've said it many times, but the best feature out of all Windows 10 (especially Mobile) is Continuum. It really is the fruit of the universal app concept, adapting to both screen size and input type, but on a single device and even in a single experience.

I have yet to try Continuum, but from all the I have seen it's pretty good, but still in it's infancy. Since it's basically a desktop in your pocket, it should behave more like the desktop version of Windows 10 with snapping and all. The top ARM CPU's in most smartphones today should be as capable as Intel Atom Bay Trail processors released in cheaper Windows 8/8.1/10 apps for the past two years, which I feel perform magnificently (for what they are) in full Windows 10. As such, the experience should be vastly similar to the standard Windows 10 desktop experience and that's what everyone else who buys into the Continuum hype expects.

You need multi-tasking and side-by-side apps. You need less restrictions on what you can run and what you can't. If an app can't scale, then leave it forced into a "docked" app. Full Windows 10 File Manager. Windows drivers for all common accessories (input devices, printing devices, display devices). Can continuum do multiple displays (via USB)? It should! Future hardware should do it in the dock with two monitor support, since anyone who does any productive work uses multiple monitors (or maybe those ultra-wide ones people use now).

Anyway, Continuum SHOULD function like a desktop version of Windows 10 because that's what people expect. Nobody wants to learn a new paradigm when they don't have to, and they don't expect to when the product has the same name.