Microsoft Insider and Windows 10 Technical Preview Launched

It has been about 24 hours since we officially got introduced to Windows 10, the newest operating system instalment from Microsoft. A few lucky members of the press and other invited guest got the first experience when they could play with the demo systems after the conference. The rest of us had to wait until today to make our own impressions of the new system. Even though it wasn’t a long time we had to wait, it still felt that way.

I believe this to be a great OS and I like the new route Microsoft has taken on their development and feedback. Microsoft is no longer a sure winner when people pick their operating system, as more and more user-friendly alternatives pop up. With steam OS on the distant horizon, the gamers aren’t the secure customer group they used to be. Windows 8 didn’t get the warm welcome Microsoft had hoped for, and as they said during the press conference, “We know you’re a vocal bunch.” This time around, they want to use this their advantage.

The Microsoft Insider site is live and everyone can sign up to be part of it. If you already got a Microsoft account there isn’t much to do besides log in. If you don’t have one, you’ll have to create one. Then you agree to some terms and conditions after which you can download Windows 10 Technical Preview in either 32- or 64-bit versions. The download sizes are 3.8 and 2.93 GB, so that isn’t to bad. There are three languages available: English, American English, Simplified Chinese and Portuguese. I’m sure more will follow soon. You can sign up and download it right here.

System Requirements:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster
• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
• Free hard disk space: 16 GB
• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
• A Microsoft account and Internet access

Important Notes:

• Some PC processors and hardware configurations aren’t supported by Technical Preview.
• To access the Windows Store and to download and run apps, you need an Internet connection, a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768, and a Microsoft account.
• After you install the preview, you won’t be able to play DVDs using Windows Media Player.
• If you have Windows 8 Pro with Media Center and you install the preview, Windows Media Center will be removed.
• The preview won’t work on Windows RT 8.1 and Windows N editions.
• The preview is not available for Windows Phone.
• A small number of older, 64-bit CPUs might be blocked from installing the preview.
• If you’re running Windows 7 without SP1, you can only upgrade to the preview by downloading an ISO file. If you install Windows 7 SP1, you can upgrade to the preview by using Windows Update or by downloading an ISO file.

There are a lot more disclaimers and warnings that this is an unfinished system. Expect bugs, crashes and more; but you can be among the first in the world to test the new functions.

The data-protective amongst our readers should be aware that the preview collect a lot data about the usage and system and sends this on to Microsoft. You should read the Privacy statement carefully before you download and install Windows 10 Preview, if that’s something that worries you. I doesn’t need to though, but some like to keep their secrets.

Another note I’d like to add is that Automatic Updates are enabled and you can’t turn them off on the preview version. This is of course to bring everyone the newest fixes and improvements as they’re ready. And Microsoft doesn’t just want your feedback in form of anonymous data. They also want to hear your suggestions, ideas and discoveries. The Windows 10 preview has a Feedback app installed and there’s also the option of going directly to the forums.

Thank you Microsoft for providing us with this information

Image courtesy of Microsoft