SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 7 — Although unconfirmed by Microsoft, several specialist technology websites are reporting that the US tech giant could be in the process of developing a simplified and lower-cost version of its Windows 10 operating system.
In a similar way to Google’s Chrome OS, the idea would be to make a pared-down operating system to suit the many less-powerful PCs on the market, as well as users on tight budgets, such as students or web users in emerging countries. In essence, the simplified OS would be a competitor for Chromebook computers and low-cost laptops powered by Google OS.
An ISO file and screenshots of the system have apparently leaked and been published on the Windows Blog Italia website. In terms of design, Windows 10 Cloud doesn’t appear to bring any visible change compared to the current version of Windows 10. However, this version would apparently only allow users to download and use applications from the Microsoft Windows Store, which would considerably limit potential uses.
As its name suggests, Windows 10 Cloud will above all be geared up for cloud computing, designed for devices that don’t have much built-in storage. Users could then use programmes already available in the cloud, such as Microsoft Office.
The concept is somewhat reminiscent of Windows RT, a pared-down version of Windows 8 which, for a while, sold on tablets with ARM processors. This time around, Windows 10 Cloud is expected to work on any Windows device (PC or tablet), irrespective of processor architecture.
Microsoft could officially reveal Windows 10 Cloud in April 2017 at an event primarily dedicated to the Windows 10 Creators update. — AFP-Relaxnews
