Latest Windows 10 beta build 14328 draws well-deserved praise

[Karlston]

Significant concerns linger, but Windows 10 appears to be on track for a worthwhile Anniversary Update

I spent the weekend working with the latest Windows 10 beta, build 14328.rs1_release.160418-1609. If you're in the Insider Program and on the Fast track, you probably installed the latest version over the weekend. Microsoft can be unpredictable, but all indications are the rollout has finished.

 

With the Anniversary Update (previously known as Redstone 1) widely expected to be released in July, Microsoft's getting down to the wire when it comes to introducing new features. And going by what we've seen in the last beta build and this current one, the features are arriving fast and furious.

 

Remarkably, even with all of the new features, this build is quite stable. I've seen some reports of installation difficulties (driver problems still reign supreme) and a few complaints about Edge crashing on right-clicks and odd Edge rendering problems. Windows Feedback seems to trigger a false positive with Malwarebytes, and a handful of testers are having debilitating problems. I had problems with wake-from-sleep. But these are likely teething pains. By and large, the build's doing well -- a remarkable achievement, considering how many new features are on offer.

 

You can read the official list of new features on Gabe Aul's Windows Experience blog. Aul emphasizes Windows Ink (separate discussion here), the newly reformatted Start menu, improvements to Tablet mode (primarily to bring back some features in Windows 8.1), many new Cortana features, a much-needed reworking of the Action (Notification) Center, a few new capabilities in the Taskbar, reformatting and beefing up the Settings app, Lock Screen improvements, a Universal Skype app, and a whole lot of "other."

 

The one feature everyone is talking about? You guessed it: the new Start menu -- or Start "experience," for those who are politically correct. Unless you're addicted to your pen or insist on using Tablet mode, the Start menu will likely capture your attention, too.

 

Reaction to Microsoft's major changes to the layout of the Start menu ranges from enthusiastic endorsement to threats of mutiny. Start, after all, is the universal anchor that binds all keyboard-toting Windows users ... at the wrists and ankles.

 

As you can see, the live tiles part on the right remains largely unchanged. The left side, though, has undergone major changes. It likely will change again before the Anniversary Update arrives.

 

For those of you who were hoping Microsoft might restore Windows 7-style customizability to the Start, uh, experience, you're out of luck. There's no way to add menu items, no way to customize your shortcuts, no Explorer-based Erector Set for constructing hives of cascading commands. Start10 and Classic Shell fans aren't going to see new competition.

 

Those of you hoping to gain some control over the massive All Apps alphabetized list -- a legacy of Windows 8 -- won't be very happy with the new Start either.

 

That said, I've used the new Start extensively and think it's better than the one in the original Windows 10 and the nearly identical one in the Fall Update, build 1511. That may be damning with faint praise, but it's a step in the right direction.

 

The Windows 10 Start menu right now has a single column on the left, populated by a link to user info at the top, a Most Used list, an optional spot for Microsoft advertising, and four immutable entries: File Explorer, Settings, Power, and All Apps.

 

The new Start experience adds a mini column with a hamburger tile at the top and four immutable icons: User info, File Explorer (with a weird new icon), Settings, and Power. The new second column contains Most used, the old advertising slot, and the massive undifferentiated All Apps list. You see All Apps, all the time.

 

Click on the hamburger icon and you see text to go along with the four icons: the user name, File Explorer, Settings, and Power. The menu itself can be dragged to resize, but it won't go all the way to the top of the screen -- just like the current Start menu.

 

Opinions on the new experience range all over the place, but it bears noting that the All Apps list remains as monumentally unstructured as ever. Microsoft pioneered the use of folders to group together programs on the desktop in Windows 2.0. On the working (left) side of Start, we aren't yet back to that level of control.

 

You'll note that the File Explorer icon no longer appears in the Taskbar -- a design decision I expect to be summarily voted down in beta feedback.

 

Speaking of the Taskbar, in a multimonitor setup the clock now appears on all monitors. When you click on the time, you see today's events as logged in your Outlook Calendar. It's not quite as cool as Google Now cards, but it's a start.

 

The Notification area, er, Action Center also has a few new tricks. The New Notifications icon now sits to the right of the time. Individual apps can show "hero" images, which were first introduced in the Win10 Mobile beta build 14322. If you click on the Wi-Fi tile at the bottom of the Action Center, you go to the Network fly-out, which is probably where you want to be. And you can control all of your playback devices from the Sound tile.

 

If you have a pen with a driver that's Win10 compliant, Windows Ink is worth a gander. (Surface Pro and Surface Book users can run to the head of the line.) The Windows Ink Workspace turns your pen into a viable input method and navigation tool. A new pen toolbar makes it easy to switch ink colour and width, erase, and perform simple pen calisthenics, including a new "ruler" that makes it easy to draw straight lines.

 

Apps haven't caught up to the new pen shenanigans yet -- OneNote, Edge, and Photos are the only major not-built-for-pen apps that fully support pen functionality -- but the writing's on the wall. Pen and voice are well on the way to becoming fully supported input mechanisms. It won't be long before you can put your finger and your mouse away.

 

I keep expecting a deluge of new features in Edge, but there's nothing of interest in this build. If you want to see something funny, use Edge to run a video on YouTube. Do you get a notification in the upper-left corner that "YouTube works better with Chrome. Yes, get Chrome now"? Seems that YouTube (owned by Google) has a slightly jaundiced view of the new kid on the block.

 

Cortana is growing wings and oozing Halo-esque synthetic intelligence into more nooks and crannies of Windows. Cortana responds to voice commands even when your screen is locked. She (forgive my anthropomorphism) can put photos inside reminders and show photo-encumbered notifications in the Action Center. She'll search your OneDrive files. She even sets herself up -- you don't need to enable her any more.

 

Creepy, isn't it?

 

The flip side of the story: It's very hard to turn off Cortana. If you ask Cortana how to turn off Cortana, you get a nonsensical response that refers to icons no longer present. The Settings icon inside Cortana includes options for responding to "Hey Cortana," scanning email for flight and appointment information, and keeping app and setting history. There are also ancillary Web-based tools to clear Web search histories, as has always been the case with Cortana.

 

But in this build I can't find a way to turn her off. (Turning her off in build 1511 is easy -- click on the left of the Cortana search bar, choose the Notebook icon, then Settings.) If you have build 14328 Pro or Enterprise, you can use the Group Policy editor to turn off Web searches (Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search), and thus keep Cortana from collecting your Web search history. In build 14328 Home, I don't see any such options.

 

If you know a better way, please hit me in the comments here or on the AskWoody site.

 

There are lots of small improvements. The Lock Screen, by default, doesn't show your email address. (Doh!) There are volume controls on the Lock Screen. (Doh squared.) You can switch desktops by swiping with four fingers (if your touchpad driver is sufficiently sentient). The Settings app has a potful of new settings. It remains to be seen if the new Universal Skype app will work any better than the old Skype app. You can control multiple playback devices (think speakers vs. headphones) from the Taskbar.

 

As for the bigger picture, Microsoft is making considerable improvements to the 10 hurdles to Windows 10 adoption I talked about in February. Unfortunately, we don't yet have the ability to easily control patches -- although there are jury-rigged workarounds that work. Security and nonsecurity patches are still jumbled together. There's no privacy on-off switch -- in fact, Cortana's getting much worse. OneDrive, Edge, and Skype are all in RSN mode. And we still have no idea if Win10 upgrades will be free after July 29.

 

All in all, Windows 10 looks a whole lot more interesting now than it did a year ago. We'll know in a few months, but perhaps the tide has truly turned.

 

Source: Latest Windows 10 beta build 14328 draws well-deserved praise  (InfoWorld - Woody Leonhard)

[heyyahblah]

Ok the W10 start menu wasn't bad in 1511 as it is now, for people that need text or to read to see WTF is going on but this? What the hell is this now man? Completely ridiculous. What moronic feedback is giving this crap?

[D1v1n3D]

lets hope microsoft digs such a deep hole that it forces Linux to the forefront that's all I'm hoping for. If I never have to use or work on a Windows Computer again that would be heaven.

[Airstream_Bill]

52 minutes ago, D1v1n3D said:

lets hope microsoft digs such a deep hole that it forces Linux to the forefront that's all I'm hoping for. If I never have to use or work on a Windows Computer again that would be heaven.

I believe I get you Feelings.  Ha ha.  I have a hard enough time just keeping mine the way I would like it to stay. 

[haxzion]

Some serious laughs over here. This is not an OS it's a circus.

Crashes crashes and even more crashes.Enjoy your unified crashes

[Sylence]

judging an OS on its beta phase is the stupidest thing ever

[cyberber]

Well I'm enjoying this version on 5 different computers and its very stable I haven't a single crash since I installed it last Thursday so for all the people that complain I see no fact to this just a narrow mind attitude.

Just now, cyberber said:

Well I'm enjoying this version on 5 different computers and its very stable I haven't  had a single crash since I installed it last Thursday so for all the people that complain I see no fact to this just a narrow mind attitude.

 

[Holmes]

Each build is going to crash on some systems and not on others.  Im sure when redstone comes out that there are going to be alot of users complaining because they can over there computers crashing and there are going to be users who love it and have no problems.  SOme of the users that are complaining are blaming a driver crash or a crash that doesnt have to do with the operating system on the operating system itself because those users are scapegoats they want to place blame somewhere and they decide to blame windows ten because its convenient.

[steven36]

They still not figured  out how  make a start menu right again yet?  they had  no problems making them from Windows 95-Windows 7 . Once they removed it  for windows 8  and lied to us about putting it back in a update  and pushed  out Windows 10 betas out as stable 3 mouths ahead of schedule they still cant remember  how to add it back right  and its been 3 years.  thank goodness  for classic shell

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/179756-microsoft-finally-admits-defeat-will-bring-start-menu-back-in-future-windows-8-update

 

When they mess up they are going blame it on the end user anyways.they always do.

 

Microsoft: You Are the Reason Why We Killed the Start Menu

Quote

But now Microsoft is blaming the actual consumer for its removal. Chaitanya Sareen, principal program manager at Microsoft, said during TechEd in Amsterdam that users began to fall out of favor for the Start button in Windows 7, preferring to pin their favorite applications to the taskbar instead. This observation was based on telemetry gathered by the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Start-Button-Start-Menu-Windows-8-Metro-Microsoft,16153.html

 

I pray Anniversary Update  means they stop giving it away as a free upgrade and leave windows 7 and 8.1 users alone  windows 8.1  is only .2 years old 7 years of windows updates left . if this is so im all for it  but you can't  believe nothing you read they may keep giving it away free if they think they never  can make money selling it but  only trough adware with bing 

 

22 hours ago, D1v1n3D said:

lets hope microsoft digs such a deep hole that it forces Linux to the forefront that's all I'm hoping for. If I never have to use or work on a Windows Computer again that would be heaven.

Companies  like AMD  are ruining Linux  too dropping support  for Proprietary drivers in  new releases when a lot of Linux users are using older hardware and there new hybrid drivers wont work but on newer GPUs  is not very much different than what Microsoft done too Intel  skylake  I wont never waste my money on AMD  for windows or Linux again. 

 

Windows 10  betas as stable ,   AMD Linux  with no Proprietary drivers for older hardware ,  Firefox becoming  like Chrome  its been a bad year so far for the software industry  !

 

 

 

 

 

[Sylence]

11 hours ago, steven36 said:

its been a bad year so far for the software industry  !

 

only in your point of view  

[steven36]

4 hours ago, saeed_dc said:

 

only in your point of view  

Just my point of view ?

Quote

Windows 10 update will not be forced upon you ever again

http://www.technewstoday.com/29107-never10-makes-sure-you-are-never-bugged-about-windows-10-update/

last i checked there's  several software's people use because they want to update too windows 10  period they didnt make software just for me .

 

Quote

PC sales in Europe continue to decline with 10 per cent drop in Q1

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2455190/pc-sales-in-europe-continue-to-decline-with-10-per-cent-drop-in-q1

 

Quote

 PC Sales Off to a Terrible Start in 2016, but Apple Inc. Comes Out Ahead

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/19/pc-sales-off-to-a-terrible-start-in-2016-but-apple.aspx

 

Quote

 

 

 

According to documents filed with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Yahoo paid Mozilla $375 million in 2015, and is obligated for the same amount each year through 2019 under a five-year contract.

 

Yahoo's annual payment was about $100 million more than Google paid Mozilla during their last deal, which ran from late 2012 to late 2014. Mozilla ended its association with Google in November 2014 when it switched to Yahoo to generate revenue. Computerworld arrived at Google's annual payments of $275 million using Mozilla's financial statements, the most recent of which portrayed 2014.

 

But as Computerworld has noted before, Firefox's user and usage shares, both global and U.S. only, have been in a long-term slump. With a diminished share, Firefox makes a less effective search vehicle for Yahoo.

Since the November 2014 Yahoo-Mozilla deal went into effect, Firefox's global user share as measured by Net Applications has fallen 2.7 percentage points, representing a 21% decline.

 

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3060108/internet/yahoos-firefox-deal-risks-dropping-into-the-red.html

 

Quote

Unfortunately, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS no longer supports the current AMD Catalyst driver, also known as “fglrx.” AMD graphics card users may want to stick with Ubuntu 14.04 until AMDGPU has matured. That is, if you’re using the card for gaming or other demanding chores. AMD graphics will work just fine if you’re performing standard desktop activities.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3058857/linux/ubuntu-1604-lts-gives-fans-new-reasons-to-love-this-popular-linux-desktop.html

 

What people buy and use speaks  for itself  and people don't buy windows  pcs much since 2013 and they use software  to stop windows 10 from installing , Never before tell they gave windows away as a free upgrade to millions  of users  did windows users argue among  themselves. when  something cost a 100 or 200 bucks  the majority  dont even care. When it cost them money they just turn the blind eye tell they need too buy a new PC. 

 

I seen people  pirate software that only cost  1 or 2 dollars much less pay a 100 dollars.  there's people at my home  that have money to buy any pc they want and still they use pcs  that came with vista upgraded to windows 7 still.  No one needs Windows 10 to just to surf  the internet .  If its not a game and you're try to sell software for much money nowadays  people will just laugh at you.    Firefox  is a dead fox  and AMD Linux users that need hardware alteration are not going to update  . there's  a difference  in point of view and the cold reality of the way things are in 2016.

 

[Holmes]

People do buy pcs I just went to microcenter and looked at the laptops nobody there why because it was five minutes to closing time.  For your information firefox is not dead where do you get this **** from I kknow that answer you like making **** up.

[Sylence]

6 hours ago, steven36 said:

Just my point of view ?

http://www.technewstoday.com/29107-never10-makes-sure-you-are-never-bugged-about-windows-10-update/

last i checked there's  several software's people use because they want to update too windows 10  period they didnt make software just for me .

 

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2455190/pc-sales-in-europe-continue-to-decline-with-10-per-cent-drop-in-q1

 

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/19/pc-sales-off-to-a-terrible-start-in-2016-but-apple.aspx

 

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3060108/internet/yahoos-firefox-deal-risks-dropping-into-the-red.html

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3058857/linux/ubuntu-1604-lts-gives-fans-new-reasons-to-love-this-popular-linux-desktop.html

 

What people buy and use speaks  for itself  and people don't buy windows  pcs much since 2013 and they use software  to stop windows 10 from installing , Never before tell they gave windows away as a free upgrade to millions  of users  did windows users argue among  themselves. when  something cost a 100 or 200 bucks  the majority  dont even care. When it cost them money they just turn the blind eye tell they need too buy a new PC. 

 

I seen people  pirate software that only cost  1 or 2 dollars much less pay a 100 dollars.  there's people at my home  that have money to buy any pc they want and still they use pcs  that came with vista upgraded to windows 7 still.  No one needs Windows 10 to just to surf  the internet .  If its not a game and you're try to sell software for much money nowadays  people will just laugh at you.    Firefox  is a dead fox  and AMD Linux users that need hardware alteration are not going to update  . there's  a difference  in point of view and the cold reality of the way things are in 2016.

 

 

lol by mentioning all the previous posts you still doesn't make sense because we already talked about every one of them and proved them wrong so  some of the speculations are even bullshit.

[WALLONN7]

21 minutes ago, saeed_dc said:

 

lol by mentioning all the previous posts you still doesn't make sense because we already talked about every one of them and proved them wrong so  some of the speculations are even bullshit.

 

What's more than proven is you and @steven36 w-i-l-l never convince each other...

[Sylence]

6 minutes ago, WALLONN7 said:

 

What's more than proven is you and @steven36 w-i-l-l never convince each other...

 

if you see i'm not the only one saying that

[steven36]

18 minutes ago, WALLONN7 said:

 

What's more than proven is you and @steven36 w-i-l-l never convince each other...

I  dont see those peoples post that  keeps trolling me  no how  only you others do  i got tired of  to convince anyone so really when they talk too me now  its useless    

[WALLONN7]

9 minutes ago, saeed_dc said:

 

if you see i'm not the only one saying that

 

You and millions of one hand... He and millions of other... Nothing changes...
The point is both of you remind me the eternal "war" between opposite... It never ends... Nobody wins...
 

[Sylence]

2 minutes ago, steven36 said:

I  dont see those peoples post that  keeps trolling me  no how  only you others do  i got tired of  to convince anyone so really when they talk too me now  its useless    

 

same feelings here  

 

1 minute ago, WALLONN7 said:

 

You and millions of one hand... He and millions of other... Nothing changes...
The point is both of you remind me the eternal "war" between opposite... It never ends... Nobody wins...
 

 

well I don't see it that way

[steven36]

14 minutes ago, WALLONN7 said:

 

You and millions of one hand... He and millions of other... Nothing changes...
The point is both of you remind me the eternal "war" between opposite... It never ends... Nobody wins...
 

Just ignore him when he speaks of me  i  am ,  there's no war .and its not  you're fight  someone i can no longer see can't bother me  . If he wants too talk too himself let him  .

[Holmes]

The problem is you mention **** in your posts that is not true and dont provide evidence to back it up like no pcs have sold since two thousand thirteen and firefox is dead and then when saeed_dc argues that your wrong and it doesnt end with your likking you start using entitlement (you love to call users fanboys shills and my personal favorite trolls) and you play the victim.  You instigate the arguements you get into and claim its "the way I am" (personally I just see that as your excuse to get away with ****).  The software industry hasnt been badd and pcs do sell and firefox is not dead.

[steven36]

 

 

Iggy

 

[Holmes]

Do you want a cookie?  You just now figured that out lawls (if hes ignoring this i dont care lawls).  For your information iggy is mediocre.  I think iggy azalea is nothing compared to montana manning.

[steven36]

 

Im sorry bro but i never got any benefit  out someone who uses windows 7 trying to convince  others  too that they should use another  flavor  you should practice what you preach! . If you get in trouble  with the staff here because you keep trolling me it want be my fault i only know you're  there but i cant see you're  post any longer  so they cant blame me for it. 

[Holmes]

No he doesnt get a cookie and I was rigght he mentioned trolling aggain and have started playing the victim lawls man I hate being right.  The staff are going to clean this topic and what I said stands pcs do sell the software industry is not bad and a new version of firefox just released its not dead as for the latest build of windows ten I want redstone now cant start using windows ten again yet (real life **** is stoppingg me from freeingg diskkk space) when I do that might be when redstone gets released lawls.

[steven36]

The results  is in people  just dont  like  the truth,  Windows 10 growth slows down again MAC OSX  gains  and Linux  loses  as well thanks to AMD  and any loss for it is big because it has a small market share

 

http://betanews.com/2016/05/01/windows-10-growth-slows/

 

And  it wont be much longer  than when EDGE will have more users than Firefox once they get add-ons .  Most every version of IE and  only IE 11 gets updates and still more use it over Firefox .

https://www.netmarketshare.com/browser-market-share.aspx?qprid=2&qpcustomd=0

 

If Microsoft  dont give Windows away free another year at the rate its going even with last minute updater  is it will be lucky to have reached   20% by July 29th.

 

I dont see how they expect redstone to  make a big difference  if they dont plain to give it away free longer . April 2016 and still 86%  of people use something besides windows 10. If it takes on a paid model  it most likely will slow down to about the growth  of windows 8x was or even worse . they cant even give it away free good , just like Linux  I stayed  on older LTS release because of AMD  drivers . Why fix whats not broken?

Quote

 

techagnostic trparky • 39 minutes ago

I have seen it quoted many times over the years that the vast majority of consumers never upgrade their PC OS. They do it through the purchase of a new PC.

What we are seeing is that smartphones and tablets are pushing the purchase of a new PC out further as people use their PC less.

14.35% of pretty good for less than one year on the market. It has passed Windows 8 and Windows 7 continues to drop steadily.

 

 

 

I agree Most people buy pcs with windows on them and never upgrade them  they buy windows when they buy new pcs and everyone is buying smartphones and tablets instead and windows 7 keeps keeps losing users  and windows 10 is not making no big gains ,