Windows Insider Switches to Channels Today

Two weeks after it announced the change, Microsoft is switching the Windows Insider program from rings to channels today.

“Channels have arrived,” the Windows Insider account tweeted today. “Expect the changes to land in your Windows Insider settings over the next few hours.  Remember, we’ve done the mapping for you, so there’s no direct change you need to make.”

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As I wrote at the time of the original announcement, this change is largely symbolic, with Microsoft claiming that it’s moving to a “quality-based” build model. But it’s really just a name change. The Fast ring is being renamed to the Dev Channel without any other changes, the Slow ring is being renamed to the Beta channel without any other changes, and the Release Preview ring is being renamed to the Release Preview channel; here, there is one change, but it’s only for businesses: Microsoft will support businesses that deploy the Release Preview channel to some of their users.

I assume that today’s note means that we’ll see the channel language used in Windows Insider settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program).

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Conversation 10 comments

  • red77star

    29 June, 2020 - 3:36 pm

    <p>DOA. They should close Windows Insider program, hire professional QAs and have beta release for general public followed by final release like it should be.</p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      29 June, 2020 - 3:56 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#550841">In reply to red77star:</a></em></blockquote><p>Who are you to decide how it should be? Chrome and Firefox do well with testing like this.</p>

      • kitron

        29 June, 2020 - 3:59 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#550851">In reply to lvthunder:</a></em></blockquote><p>Firefox and Chrome have a good system to collect feedback, bugs, etc. Feedback hub is kinda of a joke. I would say hire more QA staff, improve feedback mechanism and keep insiders.</p>

        • red77star

          29 June, 2020 - 4:03 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#550853">In reply to kitron:</a></em></blockquote><p>You cannot have same development approach between operating system and application. It is just not the same. They only way for Windows is to close Windows Insider Program and hire professional QAs.</p>

          • Paul Thurrott

            Premium Member
            30 June, 2020 - 8:36 am

            It’s not the only way. They could and should have both.

        • darkgrayknight

          Premium Member
          29 June, 2020 - 6:40 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#550853">In reply to kitron:</a></em></blockquote><p>Microsoft should have professional QAs that also run their own testing on each channel, expanding their hardware to cover cases not being directly covered in the Insider channels.</p>

  • JH_Radio

    Premium Member
    29 June, 2020 - 5:01 pm

    <p>First Channel Daily? 🙂 </p>

  • sentinel6671

    Premium Member
    29 June, 2020 - 10:28 pm

    <p>Put my Surface Pro 3 in the Beta Channel. I like what Paul said on Windows Weekly last week. The best thing an individual can do, if they want a voice in the process, is to participate.</p>

  • saint4eva

    30 June, 2020 - 1:28 am

    <p>Channels make much sense, and easier to relate with. </p>

  • ghostrider

    30 June, 2020 - 3:48 am

    <p>The 'Insider' program has failed time and again. The majority of Insiders, ie unpaid lackies, don't have the Q&amp;A methodical testing skills – or time, or inclination required to do the necessary testing. Most get a new build and deploy it as a VM, have a quick look, and move on. Who has the spare time to deploy and re-deploy and test thoroughly new builds? They're not getting anything really from MS to make it even partially worth their time and effort.</p><p>MS need to get their own internal team back up to spec. Stop expecting devs to do all the first pass testing – MS internal builds should be handed over to a dedicated team who have the tools to do the job. MS should also only ship finished builds when they're actually signed off by Q&amp;A and are deemed stable. Keeping to a fixed release schedule is always going to mean bugs are released into the wild, so just ship when ready. If that means 6, 12 or 18 months between major releases, so be it.</p>

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