Windows 10X leak promises Chrome OS battle

Stripped-down Google lookalike aiming to broaden reach

The stripped-down Google lookalike is aiming to broaden Microsoft’s reach.

Microsoft looks set to take on Google’s Chrome OS with the launch of Windows 10X later this year, but experts believe it won’t just be targeting Chromebooks.

Microsoft’s stripped-down Windows 10X was teased for months as the OS for the delayed dual-screened Surface Neo, but according to a polished-looking version leak, the changed global market means the first outing for the OS could be far more utilitarian.

“The initial target was the dual-screen Surface Neo, but Windows 10X was flexible enough to be repackaged for a variety of use cases,” said Stephen Kleynhans, vice president for digital workplace infrastructure and operations at analyst firm Gartner. “One of these uses was a pared-down laptop experience designed around a web-based interface and a simplified user experience, such as the 10X version which has leaked.”

Kleynhans believes that Windows

10X will have a broader appeal than Google’s Chromebooks. “In this sense, a device running Windows 10X could be a direct competitor to a Chromebook, but Microsoft has lots of potential ways it could deliver Windows 10X to the market, and it may not be a direct assault on the well-established Chromebook,” Kleynhans said.

“Microsoft will position this as a corporate device, an area where Chromebooks have not yet gained significant traction, tying them to Microsoft 365 offerings and tuning the operation for business users, rather than consumers or students.”

Kleynhams suggests Microsoft will target “frontline workers or those who don’t need the flexibility or autonomy provided by regular Windows on a PC”. The lack of support for Win32 apps in the leaked builds will, however, pose problems for some business applications.

Windows 10X has a modular design, which could mean the leaked version will eventually have sister versions for other form factors. “I think it is more about a more flexible OS that allows Windows to run efficiently on very different devices,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Creative Strategies.

“We know that some of the initial plans for 10X focused on dual screen have been changed because of Covid-19, but I hope that the vision of a more modern, light and highly dynamic OS remains true to what Microsoft wants to deliver,” Milanesi said.

“That might be things as mundane as smaller devices like the Surface Neo, but also VR headsets too.”