Explorer is exiting Windows--slowly. Project Spartan is the newest version of the Windows 10 Technical Preview, and provides a sneak peek at the brand new browser that will gradually replace the esteemed Internet Explorer, first launched in August 1995. Microsoft has made Spartan available for testing via a new build.
Microsoft gave the public its first glimpse of Project Spartan in January, at the showcasing of the tech giant's Windows 10. The browser runs on a new rendering engine whose goal is to boost performance and offer more data sharing.
Project Spartan is clearly the main feature of this latest build of Windows 10, according to Tech Crunch. The newest one is six builds higher than the last release, revealing that Microsoft's programmers have been busy as bees.
The most significant new features of Spartan will be something called "inking." This allows typing or writing directly on a particular web page and sharing notes through methods such as email and social media.
With the newest US version of Technical Preview, Project Spartan offers support for Cortana, the Microsoft personal assistant. Cortana will provide extra information about the topic being searched, according to CNET.
Another feature of the newest build of Project Spartan is a private reading view. A new-and-improved Reading List will let user store what they want to read in one location, so they can read it later at their convenience.
How can people test Project Spartan? They must be running Build 10049, the newest version of the Windows 10 Technical Preview, in order to try out the new browser. However, it is currently only available for the Windows 10 PC version.
According to various blog posts from Microsoft, Project Spartan's latest build contains several bug fixes. It is a work in progress. Still, after a nearly 20-year run, it seems that Explorer will have a suitable replacement in Spartan.