Microsoft has released Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 10049 today. Part of the release is the new browser codenamed Project Spartan. It's the first public release of the browser. Windows Insiders that receive updates according to the "fast ring", will be able to download build 10049 of Windows 10.
The ISO's for the "slow ring" testers should be released later, according to Microsoft. The new build has been released a week after build 10041 and besides Project Spartan, the new release contains some small fixes and changes.
The Spartan browser comes with Cortana built-in, however Microsoft's digital assistant is currently only available to American users. Cortana runs in the background and assists the user when browsing. With Spartan it's possible to make notes on webpages and share these on social media or by email. The browser also contains a feature that (partly) removes the layout of a webpage to make it easier to read.
Spartan also contains a new render engine that should be safer and faster than the engine currently powering Internet Explorer. The new browser will become the default in Windows 10, while Internet Explorer 11 will be part of Windows 10 for legacy reasons.
Windows 10 build 10049 is far from complete, according to Microsoft. The company underlines that some of the functionality won't work properly (for everyone). It's expected that the final release of Windows 10 will see the light in the second half of 2015.
