Toshiba will include a dedicated Cortana key on new Windows 10 PCs

Cortana will get a physical home on Toshiba devices running Windows 10.

Cortana assistant animated circle

Toshiba will include a dedicated Cortana button on every PC the vendor plans to release with Windows 10. The company says that the Cortana key will appear “across the board, top to bottom” on every device. The new key will be located in the top-left corner, close to the function keys.

The Microsoft digital assistant was first introduced with Windows Phone 8.1 and now Microsoft is bringing it to Windows 10. On phones, tapping and holding the search key will launch Cortana, where users can immediately ask questions in natural language, set reminders, and various other tasks.

The digital assistant, when configured, will always be actively listening for the key phrase “Hey, Cortana”. However, thus far it’s been more practical to launch Cortana manually.

According to Toshiba, the idea of adding a new Cortana key, is to make sure the assistant is listening when you need to. The PC vendor will also be adding high-fidelity array of microphones on its Windows 10 devices to improve the assistant’s ability to understand what the use is saying.

While incorporating a dedicated Cortana button on PCs running Windows 10 sounds like a good idea, keep in mind that you can always launch Cortana using the Windows + C keyboard shortcut, enabling the “Hey, Cortana” option, and clicking the search box on the taskbar.

Via PCWold

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.