The Windows Insider program was launched back in September with the first public release of Windows 10. It is designed to get people interested in Windows 10 and to encourage users of the preview builds to contribute their views to Microsoft.
In this way, the community can help to shape the operating system that will be powering all of Microsoft’s platforms from later this year. The Microsoft engineering manager responsible for the Windows Insider program, Gabriel Aul, revealed the news on Twitter yesterday, saying: “Wow! We just received our one millionth piece of feedback from the Feedback app! Woohoo! #WindowsInsiders”
The figure indicates how many people are willing to not only test the pre-release operating system but also submit feedback on the good and bad of the platform. The feedback goes directly to the team working on Windows 10 and helps to shape what the final release will be like.
It is currently unknown which user submitted the 1 millionth piece of feedback or whether they were using Windows 10 on a phone, tablet or desktop computer. Aul’s announcement came shortly after the release of a leaked build of Windows 10, 10036, to the Internet which led to speculation by some that the feedback could have come from this unofficially released build.
The news confirms some reports that the development of Windows 10 could become the biggest software beta program ever. With so many users getting involved with telling Microsoft what they have done right and wrong, it also means there is a higher chance of Windows 10 being a operating system that is attractive to the general public.
Windows 10 is expected to be released later this year. It will be available as a free upgrade from Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 and features the return of the start menu for desktop users and the introduction of Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant to Windows 10 on tablets and PCs.
