Windows 10 preview comes online

Microsoft has put the ‘technical preview’ of Windows 10 online. Users who enroll in the ‘Windows Insider’ program can start downloading the installation file. The final version will be released in 2015.

The first file that users need to download is 4.6MB in size and contains an installer. The iso files are also online. There is only a test version for x86 and x64 devices: tablets with ARM processors and smartphones will have to wait, although those too will move to Windows 10 next year.

Users need a Microsoft account to sign up for the Windows Insider program. That costs no money. The Redmond software company recommends the preview version of Windows 10 only for people with technical knowledge. Installation on a primary computer is not a good idea, according to Microsoft, because it is still a test version.

In Windows 10, Microsoft for desktops moved the live tiles to the start menu, which returns after it disappeared in Windows 8. Multiple desktop support has also been added, the taskbar includes a button for switching between programs, and Windows Store applications now run in windows with the usual minimize, resize, and close buttons.

It is not the first time that Microsoft has put a preview version online well before the release of a new version of Windows. This already happened with Windows 8 and 7, among others. Windows 10 will be released in 2015, Microsoft said, but the company has not yet given an exact date.