Are you ready for the first big Windows 10 update?
Windows 10 first became available at the end of July this year as a free upgrade for users of Windows 7 and 8. Just three months later, Microsoft has begun rolling out the first major update to the new operating system. Businesses will need to gear up their software testing services to make sure they’re ready to cope with it. It also has wider implications for the way Windows will work in the future.
What has changed?
The new update, known as Threshold Two, includes a number of changes. Context menus have improved, and there’s the option to add an extra column of live tiles to the Start menu. A new messaging app is also integrated into the system in addition to Skype.
The Cortana search assistant will be rolled out to more countries with this update. It will now be available to Windows 10 users in Australia, Canada, India and Japan.
What hasn’t been added is support for plug-ins in the Edge web browser, something that has been widely expected but that now seems unlikely to appear until the summer of 2016. There are some changes to Edge, however, as it gets new tab previews. The Mail app now allows for multiple accounts so you can combine your mail from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and other mail services in a single inbox.
Why it matters
Unlike previous updates for Windows that were delivered in the form of Service Packs, the Threshold Two will actually become Windows 10. This means that people installing the operating system for the first time will get the new version rather than having to install an earlier one and then update it.
This change to the delivery of the system means that businesses will need to ensure that their software works on both old and new versions. For companies like https://www.bugfinders.com, this means additional testing to ensure compatibility. For users, it means new installs will be up-to-date straight away, minimising the risk of unpatched software allowing malware to creep into the system and removing the hassle of downloading lots of patches after an install.
The release of Threshold Two marks a significant change for Windows and its users. It heralds the start of a future where the operating system will be continuously updated rather than having new versions appear every few years.
