How Windows 10X Looks Like Chrome OS [Gallery]

How Windows 10X Looks Like Chrome OS [Gallery]

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Windows 10X was originally intended to start on dual-screen devices, such as the Surface Neo, before coming later on laptops. Last May, Microsoft announced a “pivot” to focus on single-screen Windows 10X devices, amid the work-from-home boom. An ‘almost final version’ of Windows 10X has now been leaked and it shows some important similarities with Chrome OS.

The edge Tom Warren shared a tonight pair of videos on Twitter with the Windows 10X build. Per a ZDNet in July last year, this operating system was supposed to launch in the spring and is aimed at “mainly for businesses (especially first-class workers) and education.” Given the timing, this is probably the original version offered today.

We first see that the Windows 10X home screen consists of a taskbar and background. It’s not clear if files, folders, and applications can be pinned to a desktop, but Chrome OS does not have that capability either. This approach is simpler to help with the care of cross-devices and not to place files in more than one place. Meanwhile, the open or pinned apps are centered in the taskbar, as on Chromebooks, rather than being left-to-right in Windows 10.

The first item below opens a full screen launcher starting with a “Search the web or on your devices” field. By comparison, the one on Chrome OS asks users to “Search your device, apps, settings, web …”

This is followed by a grid that contains both ‘apps and websites’. The former presumably consists of Universal Windows Platform programs, since 10X (according to Windows Central) for not supporting original Win32 software, while Progressive Web Apps is the latter category. From this launcher, Microsoft, like Google with Android apps, does not distinguish the nature of applications.

Only 15 programs are shown at a time, with the “Show All” button in the top right corner. A ‘recent’ section below uploads files and is more dedicated than the carousel Chrome Chrome has to highlight one or two documents, tabs, and applications.

In the meantime, open ‘Quick Settings’ if you tap in the right-hand corner at the right time. Users can change it without leaving this panel, while there is one slider to adjust the volume. Like Chrome OS, it can be reduced to show only key preferences, while your profile picture also appears here.

Another important similarity with the Chromebook experience is how “Notifications” are displayed in maps just above the quick settings with “Clear All” at the top right.

Apart from visual similarities, the most important part of Windows 10X can be the setup process. From this format, Warren notes that a Microsoft account and Internet access are required for registration. It does not differ too much from the Chrome operating system that requires a Google Account – although “Browse as Guest” is always available – to keep bookmarks, apps, files and settings synced across devices.

Along with the reliance on online applications, Microsoft proves that Microsoft had the right idea with Chrome OS. Google’s main idea in 2009 – with the first consumer devices coming two years later – was that a cloud-centric operating system would be the future.

The past decade has shown that the online editing of documents, the storage of photos and videos in the cloud, the flow of games and web applications are enough to meet the needs of most people. As part of this new reality, applications and services are not shut down on one platform, but rather available online for any operating system with a browser. This allows the actual computer hardware to be commoditated and very affordable.

Microsoft is now following the same path to offer cheaper devices that can compete better with Chromebooks. While ‘Windows 10’ is still in ‘Windows 10X’, it’s clear that the cloud is the general manager. Meanwhile, the visual similarities with Chrome OS – not Windows – more or less prove that people are familiar with the web model, so much so that the interface paradigms of the past can be done away with for something much simpler.

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