When Microsoft announced Windows 10X, a variant of Windows 10 designed specifically for dual-screen devices, the company also revealed that its Surface Neo device will be the first to run the new operating system.
Leak reveals Windows 10X – a new operating system for dual-screen devices
Windows 10X has leaked onto the web, and it gives us a glance at the new interface, features, and changes that Microsoft is expected to ship in the coming months. (Also, watch this video that demos the new operating system.)
In a nutshell, Windows 10X is a new lightweight variant of Windows 10 originally planned for dual-screen and foldable devices. However, it has been reworked for single-screen devices (at least initially). Also, this is not a new version that you will download to upgrade your computer. Instead, it is another expression for new laptops and other devices to compete with Chrome OS.
Although Windows 10X is being touted as a new variant of Windows 10, it does not feel like Windows anymore. This new version is very simple, more visually appealing, and it feels more like a window to the web rather than a system to use desktop applications, which makes it clear that Microsoft is trying to go after the Chrome OS market and low-end devices. It is basically a new system, and the company seems to have used a different name to differentiate the two operating systems even further to avoid possible confusion.
Windows 10X is expected to launch at some point in 2021, but Microsoft has yet to confirm the release date and the devices that will initially ship with this new streamlined version of the operating system.
While Microsoft canceled its Windows 10X operating system, the company is clearly reusing large parts of that work with Windows 11. Windows 10X was originally designed for dual-screen devices, before shifting toward traditional laptops and then being canceled. Windows 10X included a number of refined and simplified aspects to Windows, and most of that work is present in this leaked version of Windows 11.
The reasons Microsoft gives for developing Windows 10X keep shifting. When Microsoft first announced Windows 10X in 2019, the company said it would run only on dual-screen and foldable PCs, and the operating system would be designed specifically to make the most of that unique hardware. (Instead of the screen + hardware keyboard combination found in most laptops, dual-screen PCs have two screens connected with a hinge, while foldable PCs have a screen that folds in the middle, essentially creating two screens out of one.)
Leaks of Microsoft's Windows 10X for single screen PCs reveal a simplified OS with an emphasis on simplicity. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1453799284784-2'); ); Windows Central and The Verge obtained pre-release copies of the system, originally designed for foldable and dual-screen devices but later repurposed for single-screen PCs. Introduction of the dual-screen Surface Neo has been delayed since a prototype was unveiled in 2019 and Microsoft subsequently positioned its new OS for use on low-cost devices that will compete with Google's Chromebook.Windows 10X features a new Action Center and Start Menu. Gone are the lengthy displays of system display icons. The old System Tray has been removed from the Task Bar and instead, the Action Center shows the time and a list of commonly used functions such as volume, bluetooth, audio device selection and wi-fi.Devices using Windows 10X will automatically synch with Microsoft's OneDrive accounts, so users will have copies of their documents, music and photos secured in the cloud. Basically all files will be synched, except for downloaded files. Windows 10X will require users to create a OneDrive account if they don't already have one. Connections to local accounts will not be accommodated. The Start Menu will no longer feature Live Tiles, which permitted customized notifications of new emails, app updates and calendar appointments, but instead will display a simple list of apps and recently accessed documents. Settings for notifications have been moved to the Action center. And File Explorer also simplified, will resemble to sparse interface familiar to users of OneDrive.The search function, now built into the Star Menu, appears to be faster than previous versions, according to early testers. Results show local files along with data collected from the Bing search engine.Apps such as the Registry Editor, Group Policy Editor, Control Panel, Windows Run and Task Manager have been removed.Legacy desktop apps will not work in windows 10X. All apps must be purchased through the Microsoft Store, at least for now. Support for desktop apps may be available later this year.A handy new gesture has been introduced. The three-finger swipe, along with snap-assist function, allows users to swiftly connect two apps side by side. There is no need to position and resize the apps, it's done automatically and instantly.But app screens in windows 10X cannot otherwise be resized. On the assumption that the OS will be used on smaller devices that will not clearly display small text on shrunken portions of screen real estate, Microsoft restricts apps to full screen size only.Windows 10X cannot be purchased separately. It will come pre-installed on new PCs specifically built for the new OS. These computers are expected to be low-cost models targeted for educational or corporate use.The first models featuring Windows 10X are expected from Microsoft partners Dell and Lenovo, possibly as early as this spring. 2021 Science X Network
You can now get a glimpse of what Windows 10X will look like on single-screen devices using Microsoft Emulator. Previously, the emulator from Microsoft allowed you to test Windows 10X features on a dual-screen setup, but Gustave Monce noticed that there are now options for single-screen devices. Right now, there are options for a larger device and a smaller device, each with a single screen. Single-screen support is within the latest version of the emulator, but the feature is hidden within the application.
Microsoft originally unveiled Windows 10X alongside the Surface Neo, a dual-screen device that would run on Microsoft's new operating system. But recent reports state that Microsoft is shifting away from the dual-screen strategy, at least for now, and focusing on single-screen devices.
Windows 10X was unveiled back in October of 2019 as a dedicated operating system for dual-screen and foldable devices due to arrive in Fall 2020. But less than a month after the event, leaked documents revealed that Microsoft was rethinking those plans, and in May, the company confirmed that the operating system would launch first on traditional clamshell laptops.
What's shocking is the spring 2022 delay for the more rollout of Windows 10X to traditional clamshell laptops and the dual-screen devices it was originally intended for. To put it into perspective, Windows 10X will arrive a full 18 months after the intended release, by which time Apple will be nearing the end of its recently announced Apple Silicon transition.
As The Verge points out(Opens in a new window), the leaked Windows 11 build adopts the interface Microsoft used in Windows 10X, which the company designed for dual-screen devices but shelved earlier this year.
Windows 11 is the latest major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system, released in October 2021. It is a free upgrade to its predecessor, Windows 10 (2015), and is available for any Windows 10 devices that meet the new Windows 11 system requirements.
Citing security considerations, the system requirements for Windows 11 were increased over Windows 10. Microsoft only officially supports the operating system on devices using an eighth-generation Intel Core CPU or newer (with some minor exceptions), a second-generation AMD Ryzen CPU or newer, or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 ARM system-on-chip or newer, with UEFI secure boot and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 supported and enabled (although Microsoft may provide exceptions to the TPM 2.0 requirement for OEMs). While the OS can be installed on unsupported processors, Microsoft does not guarantee the availability of updates. Windows 11 removed support for 32-bit x86 CPUs and devices that use BIOS firmware.
Windows 11 received a mixed reception at launch. Pre-release coverage of the operating system focused on its stricter hardware requirements, with discussions over whether they were legitimately intended to improve the security of Windows or as a ploy to upsell customers to newer devices and over the e-waste associated with the changes. Upon release, it was praised for its improved visual design, window management, and stronger focus on security, but was criticized for various modifications to aspects of its user interface that were seen as worse than its predecessor, as an attempt to dissuade users from switching to competing applications.[15]
In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Panos Panay Microsoft's chief product officer for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office stated that "as we continue to put customers' needs at the forefront, we need to focus on meeting customers where they are now", and announced that Windows 10X would only launch on single-screen devices at first, and that Microsoft would "continue to look for the right moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market".[22][23]
On August 31, 2021, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 was to be released on October 5, 2021.[55] The release would be phased, with newer eligible devices to be offered the upgrade first.[6] Since its predecessor Windows 10 was released on July 29, 2015, more than six years earlier, this is the longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft Windows operating systems, beating the time between Windows XP (released on October 25, 2001) and Windows Vista (released on January 30, 2007).[56]
A redesigned user interface is present frequently throughout the operating system, building upon Fluent Design System; translucency, shadows, a new color palette, and rounded geometry are prevalent throughout the UI. A prevalent aspect of the design is an appearance known as "Mica", described as an "opaque, dynamic material that incorporates theme and desktop wallpaper to paint the background of long-lived windows such as apps and settings".[87][88] Much of the interface and start menu takes heavy inspiration from the now-canceled Windows 10X.[89] The Segoe UI font used since Windows Vista has been updated to a variable version, improving its ability to scale between different display resolutions.[90] 2ff7e9595c
Comments