Microsoft’s Gabe Aul today announced, that Microsoft is dropping a new Windows 10 build (Build 10041) for users in its Windows Insiders program.
While we’ll discuss the new bug fixes and features a bit later, what’s interesting about this build, is the fact it is the first one coming out after Microsoft promised faster build roll-out for Windows 10. Gabe says that 10041 was built on Friday, and users are getting it less than 48hrs after the majority of Microsoft’s engineers in the Operating Systems Group receive it.
Gabe further said that newer builds will be coming out even faster. He says,
For those of you in the Fast ring we do expect to deliver builds with newer features and fixes more often, but you’ll also see more bugs with fewer workarounds.
However, you need to take this with a pinch of salt. Microsoft has confirmed, that do not expect “daily” or “weekly” builds out of them. Gabe further says,
We will still have regular periods where we’re integrating new code that needs to spend time stabilizing, so we’ll have some weeks where we expect builds to flow out (we call them “flighting windows”) and some where we’ll hold back.
As for new features and bug fixes, the latest build has plenty of them. Here’s a summarised version of the same :
- Better Start Menu : Start now has transparency, and Microsoft seems to have addressed issues with the All Apps list like making the All Apps button easier to use with touch. Dragging and dropping apps from All Apps or your most used apps list to pin them to Start was a top request, and this has been added.
- Improvements to Virtual Desktops : You can now drag a window to a Virtual Desktop! Previously, you had to right-click and use a context menu. You can also drag a window to the “+” icon to both create a Virtual Desktop and move the window to it in single step. We also now support a filtered taskbar.
- A new Lock Screen layout : Microsoft says it is experimenting with the Lock screen as a place to share some “did you knows” as well as tips and tricks to help people learn Windows 10. Some of you may have noticed the Lock screen lighting up with beautiful imagery and a “Welcome to the Windows Insider Program” message with the previous build we released back in January (9926). Between now and the final release, Microsoft will be rolling out more of these – first in the U.S. and France. In other countries, for now you will continue to see rotations of beautiful imagery.
Other notable features include Cortana’s expansion to other regions. Microsoft says Cortana now also works on the desktop in China, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain – in addition to the U.S.
