14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft Surface event later today won’t be all about hardware, as the company is also expected to provide us with a demo of the operating system powering its first-ever Surface model.
Codenamed Centaurus, this new Surface device would require a special version of Windows 10 that will adapt to its dual-screen form factor and help make the most of the increased screen estate in tablet mode, while also rendering correctly in laptop mode.
Until now, this new Windows version was referred to as Windows Lite, but according to reliable leaker Evan Blass, it will launch as Windows 10X.
The name clearly suggests it’ll be a variant of Windows 10, and Microsoft wants to use the strong brand of its desktop operating system to highlight the capabilities of dual-screen devices.
Windows 10X and cloud power
And according to the same source, this OS won’t be optimized just for dual-screen devices, but also for foldables, so Microsoft hopes to conquer this part of the hardware market with its new platform.
Windows 10X will use containers to run applications, and there’s a good chance that the company will employ virtualization to reduce the gap between this slimmed-down version of the OS and its fully-featured sibling.
If this is the case, then Windows 10X could rely on cloud power to run x86 apps, technically using the available hardware only for rendering the interface, while all the processing will take place on Microsoft’s servers.
Certainly, there’s more to find out about Windows 10X, and Microsoft is expected to provide us with a closer demo at the Surface show today.
However, rumor has it that the dual-screen Surface might only be announced today, but sales could actually begin sometime in 2020. Windows 10X, on the other hand, might be finalized faster in order for partners building dual-screen and foldable devices to use it as well.