Microsoft's silence on the Windows 10 1809 delay is deafening Nov 9, 2018 13:34 EST · Hot! with 93 comments On October 2, Microsoft surprised pretty much everyone by releasing the Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809). The reason that it was so surprising is because it skipped over an entire ring of testing. The way it usually works is that the RTM build starts out in the Fast ring, it's promoted to the Slow ring, and when it gets to the Release Preview ring, that means it's slated for release to production. In fact, that's exactly what the Release Preview ring is designed for. It's for people that want the update early. These testers expect a build that's ready for production, but they're opting in a little earlier than regular users. If there are any last-minute show-stoppers, Microsoft can catch them before the feature update is released.