Microsoft has built Windows Insider-like programs 20 years ago to simplify developer testing

In 2014, Microsoft announced the Windows Insider Preview program to allow all users to participate freely in the project to download and experience the latest version of Windows 10.

In the beginning, this test plan also used the name of the technology preview program. After years of development, the project has already millions of testers.

Interestingly, it seems that Microsoft has launched a similar program 20 years ago, around 1999. This program is mainly used to simplify developer testing.

Old betas, especially of projects Microsoft was very passionate about, never cease to disappoint. Here's a selfhosting mechanism in 1999's Codename Neptune. The idea that something like today's Insider program (in terms of ease of use) already existed back then is wild. pic.twitter.com/tM4IJASCE0

— Albacore ☁️ (@thebookisclosed) January 5, 2020

Twitter netizens announced that Microsoft had launched the Microsoft Neptune test program for internal use in the Windows 95 and Windows 98 era.

The purpose of this test program is to provide updates to testers using a self-hosted mechanism so that developers responsible for testing do not need to download image files.

Even in that year, Microsoft had designed and developed an automatic update mechanism. When there was an update, the software would pop up a prompt asking the user to restart immediately or periodically.

This is almost the same as the design logic of the current Windows 10 system update. It is likely that the engineers who participated in the development at that time are still responsible for the development work.

However, due to confidentiality, this type of test program was limited to Microsoft’s internal use. At present, this information can be found online because a version was leaked.