According to The Verge, the software maker has said it plans
to experiment more with features for Windows 11 testers to evaluate that may
never ship.
"As part of this ongoing evolution, Insiders will see
us lean more heavily on the Dev Channel as a place to incubate new ideas, work
on long-lead items, and control the states of individual features,"
explained Amanda Langowski, the lead for the Windows Insider Program.
She added, "In some cases, these concepts will never
ship, but by experimenting more, we can better refine experiences, and deliver
solutions in Windows that truly empower our customers to achieve more."
Some A/B testing like this before has been seen before,
where a subset of Windows Insiders will get access to a feature before
Microsoft rolls it out more broadly to testers. In the future though, there
could be variations on features that won't be fully documented by Microsoft.
A number of Windows enthusiasts look out for new features
every time Microsoft releases a new build, using flags in the operating system
to switch hidden features on and see what Microsoft is experimenting with.
"We also recognize that some of our more technical
Insiders have discovered that some features are intentionally disabled in the
builds we have flighted. This is by design, and in those cases, we will only
communicate about features that we are purposefully enabling for Insiders to
try out and give feedback on," said Langowski.
The Dev Channel for Windows 11 testing will now be truly
where experimental features appear, leaving the Beta Channel to include
features that are closer to what will ship to everyone. This could mean that
new features even show up in the Beta Channel first, if they're closer to
shipping.
Microsoft has planned to give Windows 11 testers a window in
which they can switch from the Dev Channel to the Beta Channel, to avoid the
more experimental features that are on the way.
That will likely coincide with the February release of
features, including Android app support, taskbar changes, and the redesigned
Notepad and Media Player apps.
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