All the ways Windows 10X looks like Chrome OS [Gallery]

Windows 10X was originally planned to be released on dual-screen devices, such as the Surface Neo, before it hit laptops. Last May, Microsoft announced a “pivot” to “focus on Windows 10X single-screen devices” amid increased work at home. An “almost final version” of Windows 10X has leaked and reveals some important similarities to Chrome OS.

The Verge’s Tom Warren tonight shared a pair of videos on Twitter showing the construction of Windows 10X. For one ZDNet last July report, this operating system is expected to be released in the spring and targeted “mainly at companies (especially first-line workers) and education”. Given the time, what is being shown today is probably the initial version sent.

We see first that the Windows 10X home screen consists of a taskbar and wallpaper. It is not clear whether files, folders and applications can be pinned to a desktop, but Chrome OS does not have this feature either. This approach is simpler to help maintain synchronization between devices and not have files placed in more than one location. In the meantime, apps open or pinned to the taskbar are centralized, as on Chromebooks, instead of being filled from left to right in Windows 10.

The first item below opens a full-screen launcher that starts with a “Search the web or on your devices” field. For comparison, Chrome OS warns users to “Search your device, apps, settings, web …”

This is followed by a grid that displays “apps and websites”. The first is presumably comprised of Universal Windows Platform applications, as there are rumors of 10X (via Windows Central) for not offering native support for legacy Win32 software, while Progressive Web Apps are the latter category. From this launcher, Microsoft, like Google with Android apps, is not distinguishing the nature of the apps.

Only 15 applications are shown at a time, with a “Show all” button in the upper right corner. A “Recent” section below this shows the files and is more dedicated than the Chrome OS carousel to highlight one or two documents, guides and applications.

In the meantime, tapping the hour in the lower right corner opens “Quick settings”. Organized in a grid, users can make changes without leaving this panel, while there is a slider to adjust the volume. Like Chrome OS, it can be scaled down to show only key preferences, while your profile image also appears here.

Another great similarity to the Chromebook experience is how “Notifications” are displayed on cards just above Quick Settings with “Clear all” in the upper right corner.

Visual similarities aside, the most important part of Windows 10X may be the setup process. In this construction, Warren notes how a Microsoft account and Internet access are required for registration. This is not unlike Chrome OS which requires a Google Account – although “Browse as a guest” is always available – to keep bookmarks, apps, files and settings in sync across devices.

Along with the reliance on online applications, this path that Microsoft is following for Windows further proves that Google had the right idea with Chrome OS. The central concept of Google in 2009 – with the first consumer devices arriving two years later – was that a cloud-centric operating system would be the future.

The past decade has shown that online document editing, cloud photo / video storage, streaming games and web applications are sufficient to meet the needs of most people. As part of this new reality, applications and services are not restricted to a platform, but online for any operating system with a browser. This allows the hardware of the actual computer to be commoditized and highly accessible.

Microsoft is now following the same path to offer the cheapest devices that compete best with Chromebooks. Although “Windows 10” is still in “Windows 10X”, it is clear that the cloud is the main driver of experience. Meanwhile, the visual similarities to Chrome OS – not Windows – more or less prove that people are familiar and comfortable with the web model, so much so that the interface paradigms of the past can be eliminated by something much simpler. .

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