Windows 10 Build 14383 - Redstone 1 is Complete

Today - MS released Windows 10 Build 14383 to Fast Ring Insiders for both PC & Mobile.

 First and most importantly - MS removed the "Evaluation" watermark from the lower right corner of the desktop indicating that this is a Sign Off release.  A Sign Off release is effectively the beginning of the "RTM" cycle as final code is being checked in.   Some other enthusiast sites have mentioned that 14386 may be the actual Release Build.

 The 14383 announcement called out about a dozen or so fixes for both PC and Mobile.  As with many of the recent releases I was not experiencing any of the specific calls outs - so not much to report on that front.

 Is the Anniversary Release ready for public consumption and should you upgrade ?

 For PC - I definitely say yes.  

 Redstone is a very measurable improvement over Threshold and I highly recommend upgrading.

 As I have stated repeatedly in recent posts - if you have not upgraded to Windows 10 - do so NOW.  The Anniversary Edition is scheduled for an Aug 2 release - that is 4 days AFTER the Free Upgrade offer for Windows 7 & 8/8.1 ENDS.  So your initial free upgrade will be to Threshold - then you will automatically receive Redstone when it releases.

 For Mobile - it's a mixed bag.  

 Personally I think Windows 10 Mobile is better than 8.1 and the inclusion of all the updated apps that you will never see with 8.1 is worth the upgrade.  It runs well on supported hardware (I'm using a Lumia 735), but it just doesn't feel as polished as the PC edition does.

 My recommendation is very simple.   If you are interested in Windows 10 Mobile and your hardware supports Redstone - so basically any Windows Phone with 1GB RAM or higher - then join the Insider Program and upgrade.   Do not wait for the carriers - it will take them at least 6 months to prepare a release.   

 I do not recommend upgrading and then attempting to recover apps/settings via a restore.  I would start fresh.  You will still need to do some housekeeping as MS still insist on installing legacy apps based on your model/carrier.  Which is just stupid.  You'll end up with a bunch of crap you don't need or want.  This is where MS has failed its customers with Windows 10 Mobile.  

 I am still of the belief that the best thing that MS could do for it's customers is make Windows 10 Mobile available via the Windows Device Recovery Tool and allow folks to do a clean base install of Windows 10 Mobile with no legacy apps/data as well as upgrade any firmware needed to best support Windows 10. But unfortunately they will never do that.   

 If you can download an ISO and create a bootable USB to do a "clean install" on a PC, why can't you do it on your phone.   Any of us who have a long history with Windows devices remember how easy it used to be to flash your device to a new or custom build via downloads from sites like xda-developers.  MS has the capability to do this and simply refuses - because they still hide behind a legacy OEM model that provides no real value to MS, its' customers or I argue the vendors and carriers.

 Until MS gets their head out of their ass and treats phones like PCs and allows the enthusiast community to hack away regardless of hardware vendor - then Windows Mobile will never amount to anything.  MS needs to remember that part of what made Windows - Windows was the enthusiast community.  

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