Windows 10 build 17035 - Continued Edge Improvements
On Nov 8, MS released Windows 10 build 17035 to Fast Ring & Skip Ahead Insiders.
The main focus of this build was on new features for Edge including what MS calls Near Share - a BT based local quick sharing capability, the continued evolution of the Settings area by adding Sound control, and then input improvements from on-screen keyboard and handwriting panel to Japanese Input methods. Along with these new features where around 35 fixes.
MS also added one new feature to it's Store app which is the ability to purchase a limited portfolio of Surface hardware and accessories via the app. To me just like the ability to purchase Office is long overdue - but at least now it's available. And with the holiday season coming - why isn't the new xBox One X in there ?
I was only able to install 17035 on one of my test machines as my test laptop runs an AMD CPU and during the release announcement MS noted a bug check issue with AMD based machines and blocked the update until they could fix the issue. As of this post on the morning of 11/9 the issue has not been resolved.
As I mentioned in my initial observations about the Redstone 4 branch, I am not expecting huge feature additions during this branch - but rather more continued movement in the directions of consolidating settings, fluent design elements as well as the release of Windows 10 Core for the upcoming ARM devices.
With the said - here is the challenge. Let's use the new Sound settings as an example. The Settings panel for Sound is extremely simplified with a speakers section and a microphone section with Level controls and some troubleshooting wizard buttons for each and then links to the legacy UI for detailed properties and control. Similarly if you right click on the sound system tray icon you get the same controls you've always gotten and bypass the Settings page all together.
So the good news is this particular group of settings is transitioning to the new Settings UI and will evolve over some period of builds. The bad news is it may take 2 branches to get this right and in the mean time - you'll have two UIs and varying control depending on which function you need to control.
This to me in a nutshell is the challenge with Windows 10. My biggest complaint about the current Windows experience from a UX perspective is that it is a mash up of UI elements that date as far back as Windows 2000 & XP through Windows 7 and now Windows 10. The end result is a patchwork of elements that provide a very inconsistent experience. Why MS can't seem to accelerate this movement to Settings I can't seem to wrap my head around.
One of the design goals of Windows 10 was to provide a modern experience that would simplify the UX as well as support touch/pen navigation. The current mash-up complicates a cheese sandwich.
And while MS continues to work on Edge, it also continues to lose market share. According to NetMarketshare.com all versions of Edge only support about 4.6% market share and has been slowly dropping in 2017. IE share is over triple that at 15% - but is now dwarfed by Google Chrome at nearly 60%.
I know I don't use it - so I don't even test it when I get new builds.
So now I'll wait to see if I get 17035 for my AMD based machine today or maybe a new build Friday.
The main focus of this build was on new features for Edge including what MS calls Near Share - a BT based local quick sharing capability, the continued evolution of the Settings area by adding Sound control, and then input improvements from on-screen keyboard and handwriting panel to Japanese Input methods. Along with these new features where around 35 fixes.
MS also added one new feature to it's Store app which is the ability to purchase a limited portfolio of Surface hardware and accessories via the app. To me just like the ability to purchase Office is long overdue - but at least now it's available. And with the holiday season coming - why isn't the new xBox One X in there ?
I was only able to install 17035 on one of my test machines as my test laptop runs an AMD CPU and during the release announcement MS noted a bug check issue with AMD based machines and blocked the update until they could fix the issue. As of this post on the morning of 11/9 the issue has not been resolved.
As I mentioned in my initial observations about the Redstone 4 branch, I am not expecting huge feature additions during this branch - but rather more continued movement in the directions of consolidating settings, fluent design elements as well as the release of Windows 10 Core for the upcoming ARM devices.
With the said - here is the challenge. Let's use the new Sound settings as an example. The Settings panel for Sound is extremely simplified with a speakers section and a microphone section with Level controls and some troubleshooting wizard buttons for each and then links to the legacy UI for detailed properties and control. Similarly if you right click on the sound system tray icon you get the same controls you've always gotten and bypass the Settings page all together.
So the good news is this particular group of settings is transitioning to the new Settings UI and will evolve over some period of builds. The bad news is it may take 2 branches to get this right and in the mean time - you'll have two UIs and varying control depending on which function you need to control.
This to me in a nutshell is the challenge with Windows 10. My biggest complaint about the current Windows experience from a UX perspective is that it is a mash up of UI elements that date as far back as Windows 2000 & XP through Windows 7 and now Windows 10. The end result is a patchwork of elements that provide a very inconsistent experience. Why MS can't seem to accelerate this movement to Settings I can't seem to wrap my head around.
One of the design goals of Windows 10 was to provide a modern experience that would simplify the UX as well as support touch/pen navigation. The current mash-up complicates a cheese sandwich.
And while MS continues to work on Edge, it also continues to lose market share. According to NetMarketshare.com all versions of Edge only support about 4.6% market share and has been slowly dropping in 2017. IE share is over triple that at 15% - but is now dwarfed by Google Chrome at nearly 60%.
I know I don't use it - so I don't even test it when I get new builds.
So now I'll wait to see if I get 17035 for my AMD based machine today or maybe a new build Friday.
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