14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has started a new approach to improve Windows 10 features, this time turning to so-called Windows Feature Experience Packs for the whole thing.
The purpose of these packs is as simple as it could be: instead of shipping full new builds, Microsoft publishes smaller packs of improvements that are specifically aimed at the features working separately from the operating system.
This way, the update process itself is much more straightforward and faster, and users should thus be able to try out new capabilities without a massive update on their device.
“Through the Windows Feature Experience Pack, we can improve certain features and experiences that are now developed independently of the OS. Currently, only a limited number of features are being developed this way, so we are starting out very scoped. By testing this process first with Windows Insiders, we hope to expand the scope and the frequency of releases in the future. Eventually, Windows Feature Experience Pack updates will get folded into the already existing servicing process for Windows 10 and delivered to customers that way through Windows Update,” Microsoft explains.
First pack live today
The first Windows Feature Experience Pack for Windows 10 users is now live in the Windows Insider program, and it brings improvements for the touch keyboard in a portrait mode, which now supports a split UI, and for the snipping experience that comes pre-loaded with the OS.
“Based on Insider feedback, you can now use the built-in screen snipping experience in Windows (WIN + SHIFT + S) to create a snip of your screen and paste it directly into a folder of your choice in File Explorer to save the screenshot there. Try it out!” the company says.
Going forward, Microsoft to focus more on these packs, though they’re obviously limited by the way features are bundled with the OS. They can only be used for features that are independent of the operating system.