During Build, Microsoft released a new Windows 10 technical preview with several smaller improvements, coming off as a more polished version of the previous build.
The most noticeable area in which the OS has changed is with the look of the user interface. Although the changes to the user interface aren't as major as the previous technical build, Microsoft continues to tweak the OS based on loads of user feedback. As a result, Windows Aero has returned by popular demand. Live Tile animations were also added to the Start menu.
We reported a while back that virtual desktops would be included in Windows 10, and indeed, they are present in this build.
Unfortunately, I was not able to test out Cortana, one of the main areas of improvement in this build. Cortana is reported to have a visual refresh and an updated interface, but every time I tried to use it, I received a network connection error.
I tried to fix the issue by reinstalling the OS, but the issue persisted. When attempting to browse the Internet, I was presented with countless certificate errors. The Windows Store was also not functional, however, so I am forced to assume there is some kind of issue or update occurring with Microsoft's servers that prevented my system from connecting.
Surprisingly, despite the glitch with Cortana, Windows Updates are still working. I'm not sure if this change occurred in an earlier build,or I just never noticed it before, but Windows now notifies you well in advance before an update occurs. This seems very helpful instead of having an update come unexpectedly, requiring you to restart when you're not ready.
One last update I took a look at was the default Music player. It seems essentially the same as in Windows 8, but now you can use it in a window form. Most of the advancements to the Music player seem to be related to the shopping experience inside of the program, however.
Along with these updates came a number of bug fixes and other improvements such as updated system sounds and the ability to launch Win32 applications from the Start menu again.
Overall, the system felt very useable, and navigating the OS was simple. There might be a few glitches, but those seem like they might be on the server side of things and not the OS. Though I noticed a few small glitches in the OS at first, such as not having access to the Start Menu, the problem wasn't persistent.
Windows 10 seems to be nearing its completion with this latest build. Hopefully, Windows 10 will make its full release at the end of July as reported by AMD's CEO.
Follow Michael Justin Allen Sexton @LordLao74. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.
