Our lives are characterized by a multitude of activities. Our everyday lives may be planned and structured. And yet there are always surprises in a world that is becoming increasingly complex, international and interconnected. Incidentally, it is no longer a surprise that the German railroads are late and that there is still no improvement in sight. However, the fact that there are deviations in the world of IT and software can sometimes be a surprise - and this does not always have to have a positive effect. The Windows Insider Program was created to actively avoid such negative experiences, provide feedback and evaluate new functions in the community and in cooperation with Microsoft.
Windows Insider Program
The Windows Insider Program is a Microsoft community that deals extensively with pre-release versions of Windows 10. After registering for free, Insiders receive so-called Insider Previews (pre-release versions of Windows 10) as regular Windows Updates.
As a Windows Insider you have a Numerous advantages and possibilities:
- Trying out new functions
- Visit exclusive events
- Part of a large community
- Give feedback directly to Microsoft
The Windows Insider Program is a very important program for Microsoft. Not only does it provide the company with a second quality control with very diverse, realistic scenarios for different users. Microsoft also provides different versions of Insider Previews in different rings:
Fast Ring
You belong to the first to receive the new functionsuse and evaluate them. At the same time, however, errors can occur more frequently as the new functions and modifications are still in their infancy.
Slow ring
Insider previews from the Slow Ring receive already processed feedback from the Fast Ring. Therefore, they are more stable, but still contain exclusive insights into new features before release.
Release Preview Ring
Here you will receive Windows versions already released ahead of schedule without great risk, but at the same time still the opportunity to provide specific feedback.
For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that anonymized statistics are continuously sent to Microsoft in order to evaluate the reaction to new functions and to determine and identify performance and compatibility problems.
Sense or nonsense?
The Windows Insider Program has fallen into a bit of disrepute, especially in recent weeks: The major Windows 10 October 2018 update was extensively tested by Insiders and yet the final version contained a bug that should not have happened: Many users complained about the loss of personal data in the Documents, Music, Videos and Pictures folders after the update had been carried out. This was a real bogeyman for Microsoft opponents and conspiracy theorists. In any case, Microsoft withdrew the update due to this error and is now working hard to find a solution. This naturally raises the question: Couldn't this error have been avoided with the Windows Insider Program?
No, not necessarily, because such an update process to a new release version of Windows (Windows 10 October 2018 Update) is not tested every day by the insiders. It is simply impossible for Microsoft to comprehensively test the hundreds of thousands of different hardware-software combinations. Microsoft is also moving with the times, optimizing Windows in various places, streamlining it and adding new functions at the same time. An unprecedented level of complexity prevails. And it is precisely for this reason that the Windows Insider Program is important in order to test individual hardware and software combinations in addition to the already very extensive tests on Microsoft's part.
And last but not least, we must not forget: There are Ninjacats!
Joining
There are no qualitative requirements to become an Insider. All you need is Windows 10 and a Microsoft account with which you can register: In the Windows 10 settings is available under the item Updates & Security the Windows Insider Program. You can also select the rings there.
You can find more information here:
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