Hands-on with Windows 10 Preview build 9879
Summary: The latest Windows 10 Preview to be delivered is build 9879. Besides bug fixes, it includes some changes by popular demand, a few controversial design decisions, and one space-saving surprise.
Image 1 of 11
-
What's in Build 9879?
It looks like Microsoft is serious about this new rapid update cadence for the Windows 10 Technical Preview.
The first release of the Technical Preview was delivered on October 1. It was followed three weeks later by a major update, build 9860.
And now, three weeks later, comes build 9879, delivered automatically to any member of the Windows Insiders program who selected the Fast channel in the Preview Builds section of PC Settings.
Like its predecessors, this is a slightly ragged release, but it's packed with enough new features to be worth exploring.
Some of the new additions don't lend themselves to depiction in a gallery of screenshots. This build offers some refinements in the animations that accompany windows opening and closing, for example, and it introduces new three-finger gestures for precision touchpads such as those found on the Surface Pro. It also adds support for MKV video files, a format that has never previously been officially supported in Windows.
In the remainder of this gallery, I call out some of the changes you'll see if you install this build for yourself.
-
Hide the Search and Task View buttons
The single most popular complaint about earlier preview builds was from users who didn't appreciate the two new icons appearing to the right of the Start button. In this build, you can right-click and choose to show or hide the Search and Task View buttons, restoring the taskbar to its classic configuration.
Not yet available is any option to configure how Search works, including replacing Bing with Google or another alternative search engine, or to hide the "Trending Now" column.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.