Windows 10X is now Microsoft’s real answer to Chrome OS

After years of waiting, it looks like Microsoft now has a real answer to Chrome OS. A new, near-final version of Windows 10X has leaked and offers a first look at Microsoft’s changes to the upcoming operating system to prepare it for laptops. Windows 10X started life as a variant of Windows 10 designed for dual-screen devices. It was supposed to be launched alongside Microsoft’s Surface Neo, a tablet-like device with two separate nine-inch screens that fold out into a full 13-inch workspace.

Microsoft revealed last year that Windows 10X is being reworked for “single screen” devices like laptops, and Surface Neo has been delayed. While the company has spent years differentiating Windows 10X for foldable, dual-screen hardware, it now looks more like Chrome OS than ever.

The latest leaked version is a near final form of what will be available on Chromebook-like devices later this year. Windows 10X is not an operating system that you will be upgrading to or an update that will appear for existing machines. It will only ship on new hardware, and it’s a lightweight version of Windows designed for those who might be tempted to buy a Chromebook instead.

Windows 10X already looked a bit like Chrome OS on dual-screen devices, but it’s even more obvious now that it’s designed for single-screen laptops instead. Microsoft has simplified almost every area of ​​Windows in Windows 10X, to the point that it looks like a portal to the web rather than a portal to Windows apps.

The Start button is now centered on the taskbar, with a Start menu that acts as a launcher. It doesn’t have the live thumbnails found on Windows 10; instead, it’s a list of recent apps and documents. You can also search the web for apps, documents, or even content through Microsoft’s Bing search engine.

Comparisons to Chrome OS are immediately evident here, with a launcher and the focus on web apps. You can even install Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) from the built-in Chromium Edge browser and pin them to the taskbar.

This Windows 10X taskbar is also an area of ​​the operating system that has been massively simplified. You might be used to seeing a lot of system tray icons from apps, but these are non-existent in Windows 10X. Instead, there’s a simple action center that displays the time and pops up to reveal quick settings like shutting down a machine, turning on a VPN, connecting screens, or shutting down. volume management. This also includes access to notifications and an updated widget to control media playback.

Windowing in Windows 10X has also been simplified compared to Windows 10. You can drag and drop apps to run them side by side, but there is no way to allow apps to resize freely. As a result, the middle button you’re used to seeing in the top right corner of apps (which toggles between fullscreen and windowed modes) has been removed in 10X. You can just minimize the apps or close them here. Laptops that shipped with Windows 10X will also support gesture trackpad for multitasking apps.

Microsoft has also been working on a modern version of File Explorer in Windows 10X. It is primarily designed to access OneDrive cloud files, but you can also manage files uploaded here or from USB storage. There is no way to access local files in this new file explorer because 10X is primarily designed for cloud storage.

It looks like Microsoft may not be offering desktop app support in Windows 10X, at least initially. Microsoft has developed container technology to run traditional desktop applications in a lightweight virtual machine. This was originally designed to be used to ensure that legacy apps work well with dual-screen devices and don’t hit battery life or interfere with how apps are displayed across multiple screens. .

Microsoft is still working on this container technology and it is showing up as a developer-only mode in this latest version of 10X. This could mean that end users will not be able to install regular desktop apps on Windows 10X when it ships. Regardless, it’s clear that Microsoft is focusing here on a combination of apps from the Microsoft Store as well as web apps.

In some ways, Windows 10X looks like a preview of some of the UI and UX changes we’ll likely see in Windows 10 later this year. Microsoft is planning a “radical visual rejuvenation of Windows,” which will include a modernized Start menu, file explorer, and built-in apps that will make Windows 10’s overall user interface more consistent.

Microsoft has yet to officially confirm the delivery date of Windows 10X or the laptop makers that will launch devices with this operating system variant. It’s clear that this is a more direct attempt to challenge Chromebooks, after Microsoft has tried for years to clumsily position Windows 10S as an alternative. That project failed and turned into simple S mode. In contrast, Windows 10X seems like a much bigger effort to recreate the simplicity of Chrome OS with the added benefit of Microsoft services and apps.