Spartan Browser Appears in Windows 10 Preview

Microsoft said pre-release versions of Windows 10 would come out more often, and that promise was fulfilled. On March 30, less than 2 weeks after the previous one, a new build 10049 was released with a focus on the Project Spartan browser. Build number has increased compared to the previous release by only six.

Build 10049 fixes some bugs in Windows 10, but the biggest change is Microsoft’s new minimalistic browser, code-named Project Spartan. This is the first official release, although before there were other ways to access it. Because of the novelty, many important functions are missing: there is no history or downloading files. The main Spartan differences already available are:

• Voice control Cortana. The voice assistant can show the weather and stock prices, but there is no data from the calendar and flight schedule yet. Cortana is currently available only to US users.
• On the pages you can leave text notes and draw with a stylus, and then share the received by e-mail or in social networking services. You can also save tags to OneDrive cloud storage.
• A reading mode that focuses the user's attention on the content, not the page elements. The function allows you to save the web page as a PDF file, materials can be collected in a reading list.

Joe Belfiori specifically emphasized that in his current state Spartan is very far from complete. This is not a release for distribution to users, there will be many more additions and improvements in the browser, and only after that it will be made publicly available. Spartan will become the default browser in Windows 10, it will be available on the start screen and on the taskbar. Internet Explorer 11 will remain for compatibility, but you will have to consciously search for its icon to launch. The original page rendering plan was as follows: when compatibility is needed, Spartan uses the old Internet Exporer Trident browser engine, and Internet Explorer can use its new brother's Edge engine. Later abandoned this venture





, Spartan will only have Edge, and Internet Explorer will have only Trident. Thus, the difference between browsers is more obvious. Internet Explorer becomes a tool for maintaining compatibility, which must be run for, for example, special corporate sites or for tests. Spartan is a browser for everyday use, compatible with all major standards. The "top ten" will take into account the wishes of both enterprises for which backward compatibility is important, and ordinary users who are interested in speed and simplicity.

To download the browser you need to join the program Windows Insiderand download build 10049 of the preview version of Windows 10. If the preview version of the “tens” is already installed on the computer, just download the new browser through the update system. On the page https://windows.uservoice.com/forums/285214-project-spartan, you can leave wishes for Project Spartan and vote for them.

Spartan is the code name for the main browser of the future Windows 10 operating system, the release of which is scheduled for the end of this summer. Microsoft is getting rid of the Internet Explorer brand in favor of a new browser with a new engine and minimal design.