14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just introduced Windows 10 preview build 11099, which is the second release of the Redstone branch and the first of the year.
As expected, Microsoft has not included any big changes in this build, and Gabriel Aul, head of the Windows Insider program, says that the same will happen for the next few releases too, as the company is working to improve performance and fix as many bugs as possible.
“As with the previous build, this build does not include big noticeable changes or new features yet. Our focus through the holidays was on structural improvements to OneCore, which is the shared core of Windows across devices,” Aul has explained in a post today.
“The code refactoring and other engineering work we’ve been doing to optimize OneCore is nearing the point where we will be ready for teams to begin checking in new features and improvements. It will still be a few builds before any really noticeable changes show up, depending on when teams begin lighting up new features in their areas.”
A faster release cadence
Aul has also reiterated that Microsoft will soon switch to a faster release cadence for the Windows Insider program, adding that those who are currently enrolled in the fast ring will see builds landing almost as often as in the company's own internal channels.
This obviously means that more bugs are likely to be found, and Aul emphasizes that users who do not want to deal with issues all day long should actually switch to the slow ring.
Redstone is the codename of the next big Windows 10 update coming in the summer of 2016 and will include significant new features, among which extension support for Edge browser. Microsoft is expected to start testing these features in the next few updates to Insider builds, after the aforementioned bugs are squashed.