Microsoft is holding an Office-related event next month, but we got a hint about some of the new features coming to classic Office apps during the recent Surface / Windows 10 event. The company itself wasn't focusing on announcing them and spent more time talking about other stuff, including 3D support in PowerPoint, but we got our first look at the new Inking functionality right after the event, when the official Microsoft Office channel on YouTube uploaded the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjzcBr5aKWs
All of the main Office apps will get the Ink Editor app, mentioned earlier this year during the Build 2016 event. You will be able to add notes and drawings to your document with a pen. Additionally, it will be possible to delete words by just striking through them. You can also select some text by circling it!
Microsoft is also working on the Ink Replay feature that will allow you to use the Surface Dial accessory to easily rewind and replay the ink content in your document. The feature will support Surface Studio, Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 devices only and will be integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for Windows 10.
There are more changes which are worth mentioning.
- Microsoft is also working on bringing a new Digital Ruler to PowerPoint, similar to the one that already exists in Word and allows users to draw lines and move/align objects with ease.
- Segment Eraser for PowerPoint is also in development and aims to simplify the process of erasing shapes in PowerPoint.
As for when these new features will arrive, it may vary: some of them will become available by the end of this year, while others may be postponed to feature updates coming in 2017.
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