Windows Preview Apps for Windows 10

[Ian S.]

Microsoft announced a slew of apps that are being updated to go along with Windows 10 . Track the development and changes of the apps here.

 

Here we go!

 

Office Universal

http://blogs.office.com/2015/01/22/next-chapter-office-windows/

 

Project Spartan

-Annotation Capability

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2015/01/22/project-spartan-and-the-windows-10-january-preview-build.aspx

 

Messaging

-In Line Text Reply

http://blogs.skype.com/2015/01/22/skype-in-windows-10-preview-built-into-windows-10-so-you-can-do-more-with-friends-across-devices/

 

 

Outlook, Contacts, Calendar

 

 

Xbox, Music, Photos

http://news.xbox.com/2015/01/xbox-one-phil-spencer-unveils-new-experiences-for-xbox-one-and-windows-10-gamers

-Plays your collection of Music from OneDrive (The Locker Service that was rumored)

 

 

 

 

[Osiris]

The circular contact photo reminds me of every second design you see on Dribble and Behance. Not saying its a good or bad thing just many small elements to these changes which rather than evolving with metro to accommodate more options, more choices more doing it seems to be departing it slightly.

 

Design aside these look good and unlike the versions that launched with win8, highly functional. 

 

Ticked music, I mean we haven't seen or gotten any details about it but gees its got to be better than the backwards step of a music player WP8 users got stuck with.

[zhangm Supervisor]

Looks like there's plenty to be excited about testing, but I'm mostly looking forward to the new Office, Spartan browser, and Music apps.

[Ian S.]

The circular contact photo reminds me of every second design you see on Dribble and Behance. Not saying its a good or bad thing just many small elements to these changes which rather than evolving with metro to accommodate more options, more choices more doing it seems to be departing it slightly.

 

Design aside these look good and unlike the versions that launched with win8, highly functional. 

 

Ticked music, I mean we haven't seen or gotten any details about it but gees its got to be better than the backwards step of a music player WP8 users got stuck with.

The circular icon is used by iOS and Android as well for contacts. Also seen on account.microsoft.com. I found it weird, but a welcome change if they are consistent.  

[LUTZIFER]

I sure in the hell hope there's been improvements for the XBOX Music app. It's god awful on Windows 8.1.

It's the best Windows app there is, and I use it all the time, but it's still very bad. And I mean all of em, not just the ones included with Windows.

There are no apps at all that are 100%. The worst Android app is still better than the best Windows app

Actually the Mail app isn't too bad, it's usable. Simple, but does the job, doesn't crash too often.

I imagine Windows 10 will have a better Store app. Hopefully.

[TAZMINATOR]

I imagine Windows 10 will have a better Store app. Hopefully.

 

See if you like this format in the store:

 

[123456789A]

These look way better than the fruity mess of colors Neowin posted yesterday.

[Ian S.]

My big question is whether Spartan will be updated through the store or through Windows Update.

[TAZMINATOR]

My big question is whether Spartan will be updated through the store or through Windows Update.

 

I think it comes with new build of Windows 10 next week.

 

Not sure it will be available for other Windows such as Windows 7, 8.x

[nosense]

It's not coming next week to windows 10. It's coming later , it could be 1-3 months before we get it.

 

Not sure if it's going to be updated through windows store or windows update. I'm thinking it will get updated in windows update.

I think it comes with new build of Windows 10 next week.

 

Not sure it will be available for other Windows such as Windows 7, 8.x

[Ian S.]

I think it comes with new build of Windows 10 next week.

 

Not sure it will be available for other Windows such as Windows 7, 8.x

That was not really my question, I want to know how the updates will be delivered to Spartan, not how it will be first arriving.

[Jan Veteran]

Dayum the People app looks gorgeous. All round good improvements compared to Win 8 but it all still needs a ton of polish.

[+Zagadka Subscriber²]

Really looking forward to Spartan, settings convergence, and Cortana.

 

Other things look great, too, but those are the ones I am looking forward to using. Being able to move between devices in the Windows ecosystem - the sync of media etc - is exciting.

 

I'm less excited about the store. I'm not a big fan of centralizing programs under one umbrella. Putting Win 8.1 there was especially bad.

[onewarmslime]

What's really bugging me about the IM app is how much space there is between messages. From the screenshots it doesn't look like you'll be able to read a whole lot of text without having to scroll up. Sadly they've followed the trend of skype and facebook....

[BajiRav]

I sure in the hell hope there's been improvements for the XBOX Music app. It's god awful on Windows 8.1.

It's the best Windows app there is, and I use it all the time, but it's still very bad. And I mean all of em, not just the ones included with Windows.

There are no apps at all that are 100%. The worst Android app is still better than the best Windows app

Actually the Mail app isn't too bad, it's usable. Simple, but does the job, doesn't crash too often.

I imagine Windows 10 will have a better Store app. Hopefully.

My thought exactly. Xbox Music is horrible on phones I hope these new apps address its performance and functional issues.

 

My big question is whether Spartan will be updated through the store or through Windows Update.

Store app

 

Neowin's Sams also noted that Spartan would replace "Modern" IE, a k a the Windows Store/Metro Style IE variant that was part of Windows 8. The Verge's Warren said he's also hearing Spartan will be a Windows Store app -- and one that will actually be downloadable from the Store.

[Mugwump00]

I sure in the hell hope there's been improvements for the XBOX Music app. It's god awful on Windows 8.1.

It's the best Windows app there is, and I use it all the time, but it's still very bad. And I mean all of em, not just the ones included with Windows.

There are no apps at all that are 100%. The worst Android app is still better than the best Windows app

Actually the Mail app isn't too bad, it's usable. Simple, but does the job, doesn't crash too often.

I imagine Windows 10 will have a better Store app. Hopefully.

 

No love for Tweetium?

[+Zagadka Subscriber²]

If they do, they really, really need a special page on the store app to stress the important system updates to users who don't know anything (like people not knowing about upgrading to Win 8.1, or then to Spartan, etc)

[PGHammer]

That is what Notification Center is for (and it's leverageable by any application).

[Osiris]

I would suggest a combination approach would be the best as until they have a reason to, a lot of people simply don't enter the store they unpin it from the taskbar and forget about it.  MS should have a more standout section though as there are a lot of beautifully designed windows apps but unless you know what they are because you read a review or caught a news item about them on the web they get lost in the sea of crap.  Obvious developer reasons why MS doesn't want to do that but gotta do something.

[George P Global Moderator]

Even if they don't go to the store, for whatever reason, any apps installed will, by default, update automatically. So unless a user changes that setting, which means they'd actually have to open the store app, pretty sure it's in there, then Spartan and other apps will just update without users even knowing or doing anything.

[Osiris]

Even if they don't go to the store, for whatever reason, any apps installed will, by default, update automatically. So unless a user changes that setting, which means they'd actually have to open the store app, pretty sure it's in there, then Spartan and other apps will just update without users even knowing or doing anything.

 

That makes the assumption that they come with the OS.  Some articles suggest Spartan for example will be a windows store download so you'd never get it unless you went and downloaded it.

 

That's not quite the point though I was getting at MS need a way to promote their own apps and quality apps in the store better, eg give people a reason to actually enter the store.

[George P Global Moderator]

Spartan is coming with the OS, all the apps they talked about are core OS apps now, even the Office touch apps. I don't know why there is any confusion over it, when they said it's a store app they use that as a way to show they can update these apps at any time.

 

As far as the store goes, to get more people to use it, you expand it to include more things, which looks to be the case. Xbox music and video looks to be part of it now and I expect they open it up to more desktop apps and games. If you have the apps in there then people will use it more, specially if they can manage legacy apps as well.

[Guest]

Some of the new apps / versions are awful and do not follow the Metro guidelines at all. No MODERN or AUTHENTICALLY DIGITAL at all.

 

Alarms looks like a piece of crap now. The one in 8.1 is beauty.

Calculator shouldn't be uninstallable. Now I don't have a calculator.

Sound Recorder looks like crap.

Games is still a complete and useless mess. It shouldn't exist when the new Xbox app is here.

Using Maps crashes my Hyper-V connection.

[Ian S.]

Some of the new apps / versions are awful and do not follow the Metro guidelines at all. No MODERN or AUTHENTICALLY DIGITAL at all.

 

Alarms looks like a piece of crap now. The one in 8.1 is beauty.

Calculator shouldn't be uninstallable. Now I don't have a calculator.

Sound Recorder looks like crap.

Games is still a complete and useless mess. It shouldn't exist when the new Xbox app is here.

Using Maps crashes my Hyper-V connection.

Not to mention the new OneNote app fills your screen with garbage, they should have a enter Full Screen Mode and switch to the older UI that fills your screen with just the blank canvas.

 

I mentioned this, but the Store is horribly grey with horizontal and vertical scrolling, and a very cluttered UI.

 

There STILL is no Files app for the Modern UI.

[Konstantine]

Any way we can hide those Apps from the Start Menu? I used to mark the 'Metro' Apps as Hidden in Windows 8.1 I cannot find the Apps' shortcuts though. :@