Windows 10 Build 16226 - Another Big Update
On June 21, MS released Windows 10 Build 16226 to Fast Ring Insiders.
This was another big update with a lot of new features for Edge, Gaming, Input Methods, OneDrive, Touch keyboard, Hyper-V, Windows Explorer, Settings and more. The build also contained nearly 40 fixes that came out of the recent Bug Bash.
The good news was that the build installed pretty well on all my platforms. With the previous 16215 my desktop ran horribly and I had to revert back to 16199 - but 16226 fixed those issues and seems to be running smoothly.
On my laptop - I had to uninstall/re-install Cisco AnyConnect & NAC post update and still waited post install for Conexant Audio drivers to install.
But the updates themselves are still slow - typically well over an hour end-to end and even longer on my Dell tablet - so with all the improvements to differential downloads, etc - the overall experience is slower.
Looking more closely at the Edge improvements, I have to say that MS is trying hard to improve the experience. The problem is I still just don't use it. It shows how tough it may be for MS to recover market share in browser.
At the same time MS is loosing apps. One notable this week was the NY Times app. The whole UWP model appears to be failing. While there are certainly some great Windows 10 apps out there - MS still seems to be struggling to draw ISVs to the UWP Model. They'd rather develop for iOS or Android.
Similarly - MS is missing a huge opportunity around their LinkedIn acquisition. So for example the People App - why can't I have it contain all my LinkedIn contacts. Hell there isn't even a decent LinkedIn App for any form of Windows.
And then there is Windows 10 S and the new Surface Laptop. While I have not tested it personally, the reviews around 10 S - the limited to store only version of Windows 10 - have been pretty blah. Partly because there are still many apps not available in the store.
On the hardware front - iFixit the well known tear down site gave the new Surface Laptop a score of 0 - yep zero. Basically there is zero ability to upgrade or replace anything without breaking the device. And that's a shame.
In this writers opinion - MS is trying way too hard to try and be Apple for no good reason. And while MS can now claim that they have a like for like offering across all PC devices - who cares. If Apple had to rely on the iPad, iPad Pro, Macbook, Macbook Pro and iMac for their revenue they would be about 1/15 the size.
Apple makes their money on iPhone - period. Via product sales themselves and then the associated Store revenue - Apple has a huge engine there - which more than rivals anything that Windows and Office has.
And MS really doesn't have an answer there. Windows Phone is a failure and regardless of what happens with Windows on ARM - MS has lost the mobility war to Apple / Google. This is where innovation is happening - not on the PC platform.
Even well known MS followers who have been testing the new Surface Laptop have mentioned that they don't use touch or Ink & pen or hello or continuum. Now - I'm not saying that these are not interesting capabilities - but I am saying they are not compelling.
Okay - so off the soap box and back to Windows 10 Build 16226. One thing notable is the pace of build releases. Versus a pretty much weekly rhythm with the two previous branches - we've had only 2 in nearly 5 weeks. And I'm wondering if that is going to be the new normal - with a build every 2 weeks or so.
On the one hand I'd welcome fewer updates with more content in each one. But on the other like so many Insiders I had gotten addicted to the new build every week rhythm - so when a week passes with out an update - your like - "what do you mean there is no update this week"
Anyway - Windows 10 Fall Creators Update branch is chugging along.
This was another big update with a lot of new features for Edge, Gaming, Input Methods, OneDrive, Touch keyboard, Hyper-V, Windows Explorer, Settings and more. The build also contained nearly 40 fixes that came out of the recent Bug Bash.
The good news was that the build installed pretty well on all my platforms. With the previous 16215 my desktop ran horribly and I had to revert back to 16199 - but 16226 fixed those issues and seems to be running smoothly.
On my laptop - I had to uninstall/re-install Cisco AnyConnect & NAC post update and still waited post install for Conexant Audio drivers to install.
But the updates themselves are still slow - typically well over an hour end-to end and even longer on my Dell tablet - so with all the improvements to differential downloads, etc - the overall experience is slower.
Looking more closely at the Edge improvements, I have to say that MS is trying hard to improve the experience. The problem is I still just don't use it. It shows how tough it may be for MS to recover market share in browser.
At the same time MS is loosing apps. One notable this week was the NY Times app. The whole UWP model appears to be failing. While there are certainly some great Windows 10 apps out there - MS still seems to be struggling to draw ISVs to the UWP Model. They'd rather develop for iOS or Android.
Similarly - MS is missing a huge opportunity around their LinkedIn acquisition. So for example the People App - why can't I have it contain all my LinkedIn contacts. Hell there isn't even a decent LinkedIn App for any form of Windows.
And then there is Windows 10 S and the new Surface Laptop. While I have not tested it personally, the reviews around 10 S - the limited to store only version of Windows 10 - have been pretty blah. Partly because there are still many apps not available in the store.
On the hardware front - iFixit the well known tear down site gave the new Surface Laptop a score of 0 - yep zero. Basically there is zero ability to upgrade or replace anything without breaking the device. And that's a shame.
In this writers opinion - MS is trying way too hard to try and be Apple for no good reason. And while MS can now claim that they have a like for like offering across all PC devices - who cares. If Apple had to rely on the iPad, iPad Pro, Macbook, Macbook Pro and iMac for their revenue they would be about 1/15 the size.
Apple makes their money on iPhone - period. Via product sales themselves and then the associated Store revenue - Apple has a huge engine there - which more than rivals anything that Windows and Office has.
And MS really doesn't have an answer there. Windows Phone is a failure and regardless of what happens with Windows on ARM - MS has lost the mobility war to Apple / Google. This is where innovation is happening - not on the PC platform.
Even well known MS followers who have been testing the new Surface Laptop have mentioned that they don't use touch or Ink & pen or hello or continuum. Now - I'm not saying that these are not interesting capabilities - but I am saying they are not compelling.
Okay - so off the soap box and back to Windows 10 Build 16226. One thing notable is the pace of build releases. Versus a pretty much weekly rhythm with the two previous branches - we've had only 2 in nearly 5 weeks. And I'm wondering if that is going to be the new normal - with a build every 2 weeks or so.
On the one hand I'd welcome fewer updates with more content in each one. But on the other like so many Insiders I had gotten addicted to the new build every week rhythm - so when a week passes with out an update - your like - "what do you mean there is no update this week"
Anyway - Windows 10 Fall Creators Update branch is chugging along.
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