14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 Cloud seems to be Microsoft’s latest secret project, and although the company doesn’t say a single word about it, more information reaches the web through unofficial channels.
And today, ISOs that allow users to try out an early version of this Windows 10 SKU got leaked as well, which means that anyone who knows where to look should be able to download and give it a try. As usual, we won’t provide any download links because of obvious reasons, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find the ISOs with a few quick Google searches.
Also, keep in mind that you’re not supposed to install this on your main system, so if you’re really curious to see what Windows 10 Cloud is all about, you'd better set it up in a virtual machine.
Windows 10 Cloud
First and foremost, it’s worth noting that the name of this OS has nothing to do with its purpose. Although it’s called Cloud, the new SKU is all about Windows Store apps, and does not run in the cloud as some people might be tempted to believe.
At first glance, it’s a continuation of Windows RT, the tablet-oriented operating system that debuted in 2012 on Microsoft’s own Surface RT.
Windows 10 Cloud is designed to support only Windows Store apps, and Microsoft documentation describes this as a “security” feature because malware that’s usually distributed with Win32 apps cannot reach your device in this version.
Of course, the Windows 10 Cloud build 15025 is just an early build of the new Windows 10 version and some things do not work as expected, while others do not make much sense. For example, it appears that you cannot install Project Centennial apps right now, even though they are available in the Windows Store. That’s very likely to change, though, especially given Microsoft’s investments in universal apps.
Furthermore, just like it was the case of Windows RT, Windows 10 Cloud feels and works just like a full version of Windows 10, so aside from apps, there’s not much to make a difference at first glance. Most pre-installed apps are also available, and so is Edge browser with support for extensions.
In the end, this leaked build provides us with a closer look at Microsoft’s Windows 10 plans, and we bet it shouldn’t take too long until the company officially acknowledges this new version.