14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve known for a while that Microsoft has been planning an event in the spring to discuss the Windows 10 Creators Update and to introduce new hardware, and now it looks like the whole thing would happen in May.
A new report claims that Microsoft is aiming for early May for a new event that would be specifically focused on Windows 10 Cloud, and although no hardware is mentioned, some news on this front is expected as well.
First and foremost, what’s Windows 10 Cloud? Often described as a lightweight version of Windows 10, the Cloud SKU is more like a successor to Windows RT, and it's an operating system that’s specifically restricted to Windows Store apps.
Given Microsoft’s push for universal apps, Windows 10 Cloud would be aimed at boosting adoption of these apps, though it’s likely to come with options to remove the restriction and upgrade to full Windows 10.
Surface Pro 5
In addition to Windows 10 Cloud, Microsoft is also likely to take the wraps off the Surface Pro 5, a new model of its 2-in-1 device that has been in the works for quite a while.
What’s a bit disappointing, however, is that although the Surface Pro 5 was expected to launch in October and thus got delayed to spring this year, it won’t feature any big changes. The SP5 is more like a subtle facelift of the Surface Pro 4, coming with the typical hardware upgrades and only small improvements in terms of design and features.
This is one of the reasons why Microsoft is expected to center the event on the Windows 10 Cloud, sources say. On the other hand, the second-generation Surface Book is very unlikely to see daylight at this event, so there’s a good chance the new laptop launches in the fall of 2017, two years after the first model.