Microsoft’s Gabe Aul updated the Windows blog on Wednesday with news that a new version of Windows 10 is now available to download. This new build, 9879, includes new windowing and gesture improvements, tweaks to OneDrive usage, improvements to Internet Explorer, and more.
Based on user feedback, the Windows 10 team has now made it possible for usersto hide the Search and Task View buttons on the taskbar. This is accomplished by simply right-clicking on the taskbar to bring up the menu and unchecking the appropriate button. This is supposedly one of the top suggestions provided by Windows 10 users.
Aul said that the team has tweaked the minimize and restore animations so they’re not quite so “jarring.” The update also makes finding the charms and full screen buttons easier in Modern UI apps. A number of crash and hang issues have also been addressed in this build, so users should see a smoother platform this time around.
The new build introduces five new gestures for precision trackpads. To search, simply tap on the pad with three fingers. Moving three fingers up brings the Task View, and three fingers down tells Windows to show the desktop. Flicking three fingers left and right cycles through the open apps, and moving left or right opens Alt-Tab.
“Starting with this build, OneDrive will use selective sync,” Aul said. “This means you choose what you want synced to your PC and it will be. What you see is really there and you don’t need to worry about downloading it. You can choose to have all of your OneDrive files synced to your PC, or just the ones you select.”
This new build now allows users to play MKV files in Windows Media Player and other music apps. Build 9879 also brings to the table new UI improvements, such as allowing users to pin their favorite folders. There are also now new icons, but Aul pointed out that Windows 10 is a work in progress, so those icons may be changed or nuked in future builds.
Finally, the Windows team has added a new Insider Hub app so that Insider participants can quickly get announcements and news regarding the program. The Windows Feedback app has also been modified so that it’s easier to provide Microsoft with the relevant information. Users can quickly send screenshots, find previously submitted feedback and more.
As for requests for ISOs, Aul said that these will be released, but only after the update has gone through the proper distribution, namely Windows Update.
“If you want to be FIRST and FASTEST to get the build, you’ll need to use our Preview Builds mechanisms (either automatic or Check Now in PC Settings to download). If you must have an ISO, you’ll have to be a bit more patient,” he said.
Aul said that this release on Windows 10 will be the last major distribution this year for Windows Insiders.
