Microsoft updates Windows 10 preview weeks ahead of final release

Microsoft updates Windows 10 preview weeks ahead of final release

Windows 10 will be released on 29 July 2015, Microsoft announced at the beginning of June. With the Windows 10 launch just weeks away, Microsoft rolled out a new build Wednesday to Windows Insiders, the group that tests early versions of the software.

The release to manufacturing (RTM) build is the version of Windows that Microsoft sends to hardware manufacturers so they can pre-install it on new devices. Even if Build 10240 is not officially the RTM build, a designation that’s becoming less defined as Microsoft revamps its update process, the latest build will likely be very similar to what Microsoft will send to manufacturers and what those who update from Windows 8.1 will see.

“Over the past few days we’ve been preparing our release pipelines and processes, and this build is one step closer to what customers will start to receive on 7/29,” Microsoft’s Gabe Aul writes on the Windows blog.

The newest build includes an updated version of Microsoft’s new browser, Edge. The latest version of Edge is significantly faster than Chrome and Safari, according to Aul. The Office suite was also be updated and Aul says the “preview” labels will be removed “in about one week.”

Both Windows 10 Pro and Home versions will be available on 29 July. Volume licensing customers will be able to download Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education on Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC) from 1 August.