On Friday Microsoft released Windows 10 build 10130 to the
Fast ring. With Windows 10 now officially set to go out the door on July 29, we're
getting closer and closer to the final bits.
It seems like only a few days ago when I was digging into
the leaked Windows 10 Insider Preview build 10125 ... probably because it was
only a few days ago. The good news is that all of the significant improvements
in build 10125 -- including, notably, the improved Start menu -- carry forward
to the officially released build 10130.
Those with the last official release, 10122, and those with
the leaked build 10125 are finding it easy to upgrade to build 10130. Simply
click (or tap) Start > Settings > Update > Windows Update; click
Advanced Options; at the bottom make sure you're in the Fast ring; then go back
and click Check for Updates. That process will work no matter which Technical
Preview or Insider Preview build you're using.
Here's a quick rundown of the new stuff:
The Start menu can now include links to specific predefined
locations, such as Documents, Downloads, and many more. (If you upgraded from
10122 to 10130 and File Explorer and Settings don't appear on the left of the
Start menu, click Start > Settings > Personalization > Start >
Customize List, and put them back in.) There are also reminders when you
install new apps and an alphabetical grid when you click on a heading letter.
In Tablet Mode, there's a Back icon next to Start. I talked about all of these
changes in my post about build 10125.
As mentioned last week, the Edge browser can now run YouTube
videos full-screen. What used to be "Print as a PDF" is now called
"Microsoft Print to PDF." For all 10 of you who use Windows 8.1 in
Metro mode, the new Win10 Tablet Mode lets you swipe down from the top of an
app to bring up the app's commands: A hamburger substitute.
Cortana has cute new graphics when you set it up.
There are new icons that you can read all about in Gabe
Aul's Windows blog. I swear they're trying to out-Jony Sir Jony Ive with
comments like, "We explored Swiss graphic design, Dutch product design,
and modern architecture (among other design fields and styles) to inform and
inspire the design process. The icon evolution will continue as we push more
consistency and better functionality." New Microsoft-speak?
In the Windows Universal Photos app, I can now get Albums to
work (hooray!). But they're a joke compared to Google's newly announced Photos
app. Have you seen the automatically generated Stories, based on your Google
uploaded photos? Not even from the same century, in Internet years.
The Insider Preview Release Notes for build 10130 contain
few surprises. (t/h WZor)
I've been running build 10130 on four PCs, and for me it's
considerably more stable than build 10125 -- about on par with 10122. At least
the Start menu doesn't freeze as much and the apps only occasionally disappear
while running. There's lots of missing stuff, lots of bugs, and there's no
music in the Store. Autohiding the taskbar doesn't do anything, nor does
Network Beta (although it's rumored that the app may tie into a new Internet
service from Microsoft, or maybe a VPN). There are at least two common hard
errors on shutdown: explorer.exe gets a 0x00 and DDE Server gets a 0x88. People
is still a toy app.
In summary, 10130 is nowhere close to "really
stable" or feature complete -- and many pieces don't work -- but that's
why we're beta testers, right?
Ed Bott reports in ZDNet that Newegg jumped the gun and
listed OEM System Builder editions of Windows 10 as available Aug. 31. The Home
version lists for $110 and Pro for $150. Everything must be taken with a grain
of salt, of course: As a pre-order at Newegg, prices are flexible. The ad has
since been pulled.
With Windows honcho Terry Myerson drawing a line in the sand
for July 29 availability, we're definitely down to the wire.
Source From:- http://www.infoworld.com/
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