Microsoft had a tremendous year in 2016, with several jaw-dropping announcements that have taken the technology industry by storm. Many have even called Microsoft the new Apple, which is a compliment in and of itself. Still, with 2017 fast approaching, it's time to take a look back at Microsoft's biggest moments in 2016 and prepare for an entire new year. Windows 10 Anniversary Update

This year saw Microsoft release its first major feature update for Windows 10. Dubbed the "Anniversary Update", this release featured improvements to the Start Menu, Action Center, Settings and Microsoft Edge, and introduced new features such as Windows Ink, Windows Hello in the browser, and a whole lot more. The Anniversary Update began rolling out on August 2nd for all Windows 10 users, and now accounts for around 86% of the Windows 10 market. That's incredible, and excellent news for developers as it means they don't have to worry too much about fragmentation between the different Windows 10 releases. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more Windows 10 Mobile also benefited greatly from the Anniversary Update, as it was the first Windows 10 Mobile release that felt complete. It mended several software bugs, improved performance, and brought full Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile much closer together. Universal Windows Platform

The Universal Windows Platform went even more universal this year, with Microsoft announcing Universal Apps for Xbox One. This unleashed a whole new market of apps for the Xbox, essentially turning it into a very basic PC. Developers can now build apps that target Full Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, HoloLens, IoT and Xbox One. That's an incredible feat, especially considering that Microsoft is one of the first building a universal platform that works across this many types of devices. Developers can now build apps for over 20 million Xbox One's, using the same tools and assets used to build apps for full Windows 10. Impressive. Not only that, but Microsoft announced a new feature called Xbox Play Anywhere, which allows developers to build one game for Xbox One and Windows 10, and have that game sync cloud saves and licenses across those devices. This means Xbox Play Anywhere games can run on both Xbox One and Windows 10, incredible! Project Scorpio

Microsoft surprised the entire gaming industry this year by announcing its brand new console, scheduled to launch in the fall of 2017, a whole year early. Microsoft originally had no plans to announce Project Scorpio in 2016, but with looming pressure coming from Sony and the PlayStation 4 Pro, the company felt they needed to get something out there and let gamers know Microsoft is serious about 4K gaming. The Project Scorpio announcement delivered, hyping up gamers across the globe, and even piquing the interest of gamers on other platforms. Microsoft is building the most powerful console yet — even more so than the mighty PlayStation 4 Pro — and delivering 4K 60fps at the "highest quality pixels"… whatever that means. Project Scorpio may have been one of Microsoft's biggest announcements in 2016, and we can't wait to see what they've got planned for the platform in 2017. HoloLens goes on sale

Microsoft HoloLens was unveiled in January 2015, but it wasn't until earlier this year that developers could openly go and buy one and have them to use/develop on at home. HoloLens going on sale marked the first step at bringing a fully featured HoloLens product to the market for consumers, and although that hasn't happened yet, getting HoloLens into the hands of developers allows Microsoft to build up a healthy ecosystem of HoloApps that take advantage of the HoloShell. What's more, HoloLens recently went on sale in a number of new countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Australia. Now even more developers can get building HoloLens apps! Surface Studio

Microsoft blew our faces off with its Surface Studio announcement this year. It was known for some time that the company were interested in building an All-In-One PC, but we didn't know exactly what they had planned. When the unveiling finally arrived, it got people talking. The Surface Studio is a one of a kind All-In-One designed for professionals and creators, and has essentially put Microsoft back on the map for professionals whom are currently tied to Mac. What's more, the unveiling video used a variation of the song "Pure Imagination", which we think played a small part in making said unveiling video go viral. With over 10 million views on YouTube, the Surface Studio unveiling is the most viewed Surface unveiling video to date, beating the likes of the Surface Pro 3, Surface Book and original Surface RT. That's no small feat, and something we should all be impressed with. Windows 10 Creators Update