Windows 10x is the operating system of the future, designed for devices with little memory and RAM. Here's how it will work
The coronavirus pandemic has greatly reduced the mobility of hundreds of millions of people around the world, almost to zero in fact, and this has had a huge impact on the way we use technology. Less mobility means less use of mobile devices and a return to the computer: compared to the same period in 2019, Windows 10 usage is up 75% this year.
This was communicated in a post on Microsoft's official blog by Panos Panay, Chief Product Officed of Windows and Microsoft Devices. But Panay also communicated something else: the plans for Windows X have changed. What was originally supposed to be the operating system that would accompany the launch of the Surface Neo, Microsoft's revolutionary dual screen device, a bit tablet and a bit laptop, will be made available first for single screen devices. So the classic laptops. In this announcement many also glimpse a second piece of news: the launch of the Surface Neo is postponed. According to Panay, in any case, Windows 10X has been designed with flexibility in mind, so it can safely debut on a single-screen device.
Windows 10X: what it will look like
For what has been communicated so far, and which is likely to no longer be 100% valid, Windows 10X will be a lightweight and modular version of Windows 10, featuring a simplified and redesigned interface following the canons of "fluent design" theorized by Microsoft for some years. In practice there will be a new Start menu, a management of multitasking based more on gestures than on clicks and a structure "under the hood" composed of modules of code that are loaded (and updated), or not loaded (and not updated), depending on the device you are using.
While Windows 10 is an operating system "good for all", able to be compatible with millions of different configurations on which it works the same way, Windows 10X should be an operating system more tailored, that adapts to the device. That's because, unlike desktops and laptops, the mobile devices for which Windows 10X was initially designed don't have a lot of storage space, a lot of RAM and a lot of power to "waste" on the operating system alone.
Windows 10X: why Microsoft changes strategy
The answer is always the same: the coronavirus. The pandemic has disrupted the supply chain of the entire electronics industry, causing many products to skip presentation, some of which have been postponed until a later date. It's also predictable that once the pandemic has passed, for an initial period of time users' affordability will be less than originally anticipated.
This means they will buy less expensive devices and spend the money on devices they already know and trust. Like laptops if they need a laptop, or a desktop if they need to set up a fixed location. At this point Windows 10X becomes the operating system for laptops and Windows 10 with the May Update is the operating system for phase 2 on desktops.