If you're a Windows tester, you'll be familiar with the concept of fast and slow rings for the delivery of previews – and Microsoft has now decided that Office Insiders should use the same system when it comes to the deployment of early builds.
In actual fact, Office for Mac users already had the option for slow and fast releases with preview builds, but now that has been expanded to those testing Office on Windows (and Windows Mobile).
For now, those testing the productivity suite on rival mobile operating systems iOS and Android won't get the choice, but it's in the pipeline for them as well.
Doing the preview quickstep
If you select Office Insider Fast, or the fast ring as it's commonly known, you'll get preview builds delivered more quickly, allowing you to play with new features as soon as possible. But these earlier versions are somewhat rougher around the edges, and you may well encounter a good deal more bugs.
The slow ring drips previews out at a slower pace, naturally, but they're more polished.
Talking about the fast ring, Microsoft's Kirk Koenigsbauer, Corporate Vice President, Office 365 Client Apps and Services, commented that "these builds are what Microsoft employees have access to internally."
He added: "Office Insider Fast is best for Insiders who want to use the earliest preview builds to identify issues, provide feedback to help make Office great, and who don't mind a bit of risk using unsupported builds."
Via: Computerworld
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