By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Microsoft confirmed today that it is not pushing through with Windows 10X. The next-gen operating system was supposed to open Windows to a new market of ARM-powered devices and slated for a 2021 launch. Windows 10X was Redmond's answer to Google's ChromeOS as a viable conduit for lightweight computing. The first red flag came some time ago with the announcement that the company's Surface Neo was cancelled. This dual-screen tablet showcased multi-mode computing. With the Surface Neo cancelled, Microsoft no longer had a flagship device to serve as a platform blueprint for OEMs, like Lenovo's ThinkPad X.
“Following a year-long exploration and engaging in conversations with customers, we realized that the technology in Windows 10X could be used in more ways and serve more customers than we originally imagined,” Microsoft's blog post notes. “We concluded that the 10X technology shouldn’t just be confined to a subset of customers.” The idea, it seems, is to use some of the more unique features of Windows 10X and roll it into future versions of Windows 10. Considering that Windows 10 is made up of layers upon layers of legacy code harking back to Windows 95, adding some of Windows 10X's slick interface bits may seem superficial.
“Instead of bringing … Windows 10X to market in 2021 like we originally intended, we are leveraging learnings from our journey thus far and accelerating the integration of key foundational 10X technology into other parts of Windows in Windows Insider preview builds," Microsoft's blog post said. Those are a lot of words that sound like "it doesn't work like we wanted so, we're scrapping it for parts."
This news, released on the day of rival Google's I/O pow-wow, doesn't impact Microsoft or its current users today. Instead, it casts a bit of a pall over anyone hoping for post-modern OS from Microsoft suited to devices other than PCs and two-in-ones. With their Android-powered Surface Duo device in relative stasis, and no next-gen computing device or OS on the horizon, we can only wonder what's coming next from Microsoft.
Now, if Microsoft can make Windows 10 more nimble and efficient as well as find ways to run it on ARM, there might be hope, but that doesn't seem to be a priority right now, which again, is fine for now. Here's hoping Microsoft has better news up its sleeve come the fall when it refreshes its Surface devices and Windows.