Windows 10 PC & Mobile Build 14379 - The March Continues

Today June 30, just 1 day after the release of build 14376, MS released Build 14379 for both PC and Mobile to the Fast Ring.

 So much for my thoughts that MS might slow the pace of build releases as the Anniversary date approached.   14379 is actually the 9th build released this month.  

 The announcement only called out 4 fixes for PC
  • We fixed an issue where the size of the Credential UI might not be big enough to display the contents on a PC with High DPI. 
  • We fixed an issue where Action Center might crash after dismissing a large number of notifications. 
  • We fixed an issue where Centennial app launches from Start or Cortana wouldn’t count towards those apps bubbling up in Start’s “Most used” list. 
  • We fixed an issue where no note would have keyboard focus after minimizing then reopening the Sticky Notes app. 
and 2 for Mobile
  • We fixed an issue that could result in a stray focus rectangle becoming visible in certain apps, such as Groove or Cortana, after bringing up the keyboard. 
  • We fixed an issue where the aspect ratio of images on live tile wasn’t preserved if they need to be shrunk, leading to them appearing stretched. 
But as most recent builds there are probably dozens of other fixes that were not listed.  

Also - as with most of the recent builds I had not been experiencing those specific issues - so no comments on those.

For Mobile I immediately tested the clipboard problem I have been reporting in the last few posts.  Unfortunately the news was not good.  I went into Outlook and copied a few words from an email.  I could not paste them into any app - Cortana, Edge or Word.  Clipboard did work correctly within Word - so I could copy something in Word and Paste in another part of the document.  But it is really sad the the company that effectively created the clipboard and copy/paste across apps can't seem to get it right in Windows 10 Mobile.  

Right after 14376 I started experiencing issues with the new Store app crashing which was noted in the Feedback Hub as a back end problem and MS fixed it this morning.  Store seems to work fine with 14379. 

As I've stated in several posts, the Anniversary Edition of Windows 10 for PC is a really nice upgrade to the Threshold 2 (10586) released back in November.  I like the overall improvements made in Redstone 1 and I recommend upgrading.

On mobile it is another story.  One the one side, I like having Windows 10 on my phone and all of the new apps associated with it that will never get upgraded in Windows Mobile 8.1.  And while the OS seems stable and fast, you can tell that Windows 10 on legacy devices is the red-haired step child.  I may have had a different opinion if I had been running a shiny new 950 versus a 735 but I don't really think so.  

With PC you can supplement some key things like browser and install Chrome. With Mobile your stuck with Edge which while an improvement over IE Mobile it still is not were it needs to be.  

With PC you can still easily side load apps outside the store.  Today for example I easily installed Logitech's My Harmony app with no problems what so ever. With Windows 10 Mobile you can't.  And without a competitive portfolio of top apps - your experience is limited.  

And while the Store, Groove, MSN apps, Photos and Camera, etc are all much better than they were in 8.1 - they still really don't hold a candle to the overall experience you get with an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy.  And with some apps like Maps just being horrible, especially turn-by-turn, you can see why Windows Phone just did not sell.  

So my position on Windows 10 Mobile is this...  

If you're happy with Windows Phone 8.1 - stay there until you're ready to replace the phone and then make a decision on what's next.

If you want to experience Windows 10 and the new apps - join the Insider Program, Fast Ring and upgrade.   You can always go back to WP 8.1 via the Device Recovery Tool if you don't like it.   And don't whine about it taking forever to get 10586 from your carrier - they don't care.  

And I would not recommend buying a MS 5 series Windows Phone just to get Windows 10.  So not the 950/950XL, 650 or 550 - they are lame duck devices, just like the one you're running now.  MS needs to fire sale them starting in July. 

Have a Happy 4th of July.






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