Microsoft Windows 10 Preview Build 10166 brings us closer to the finish line
A new Windows 10 Preview build was released on Thursday, to Fast Ring Insiders. The announcement was made yesterday morning by Gabe Aul, in a post on the official Windows Blog. According to the post, and our experience with the last three builds, Windows 10 look and feel seems to be complete, leaving the Windows team with the task of ensuring that the operating system is free of bugs, and stable, until July 29th, where we’ll be getting the final product.
Gabe Aul strongly recommends Insiders who are still running older builds, to upgrade to either 10162, or 10166, as these are the most stable and complete builds so far, and the closest to what we can expect as the final release.
Since build 10162, there has been substantial improvement, not only as far as the look and feel of the operating system, but also in the way of internal telemetry, performance and battery life.
Microsoft Wi-Fi App
Users in the Seattle WA area, will also have a new app to try with Windows 10. Microsoft Wi-Fi will automatically look for reliable paid Wi-Fi, and offer to purchase high-speed internet on the fly.
Users in proximity of an accessible paid Wi-Fi hotspot, the message “Buy Wi-Fi from Windows Store” will appear within the list of wireless networks form the taskbar.
The app uses the Windows Store payment system, so users can pay for Wi-Fi using their credit and debit cards, as well as Microsoft Gift Cards, PayPal, or even through their own mobile carrier.
At the moment the feature is only available to users in Seattle, with a wider roll out as soon as the field testing period is over.
Right on schedule
July 29th is only a few weeks away, with the development team now almost completely focused on bug fixes, and a few other minor details. The good news, is that even as Windows 10 launches at the end of this month, the updates will keep on rolling, providing users with constant improvements.
As the first wave of Windows PCs reaches stores worldwide, chances are that any bugs missed at the official launch, will be spotted and eliminated by the time devices are shipped with the operating system. The same goes for owners of existing devices who plan on taking advantage of the free upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.