Microsoft Adds Project Spartan Browser To Windows 10 Preview

Project Spartan, Microsoft’s next generation web browser, has been included in the Windows 10 technical preview for the first time, allowing Windows Insiders to test out some of the features of the successor to the much-maligned Internet Explorer.

The browser was unveiled alongside Windows 10 in January, claiming to be a new option for the modern web with a focus on security, reliability and speed, as well as continuous updates that allow it to keep up with the latest trends.

Project Spartan test

Microsoft says there will be some rough edges to this first release, Cortana integration, annotations and a ‘distraction free’ reading mode are all ready to use, with more features included in future updates.

“It’s important to note we’ll have more features and many improvements coming to Project Spartan before we make it broadly available,” said Microsoft’s head of operating systems, Joe Belfiore. “This preview is NOT a polished, ready-for-everyone release. For Windows Insiders, we’re excited to make Project Spartan available for your feedback, only a short time after we made it available for use internally at Microsoft.”

While the company readily admits Build 10049 is “pretty much all about Project Spartan,” the update fixes a number of bugs and introduces some new ones, meaning the update isn’t suitable for all users, especially developers creating universal apps for the platform.

Windows 10 will be available as a free update to Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users and is designed to work the same on a smartphone as it does on a PC. The first technical preview for handheld devices was made available in February to a limited number of phones, but a new version is set to be released in the next few weeks, covering a much wider range of handsets.

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