No announcement coming at this year’s Build conference

May 2, 2019 06:05 GMT  ·  By

Windows Lite is one of the most anticipated products that Microsoft is working on these days, and while an announcement was expected at this year’s Build developer conference, it looks like the whole thing was silently pushed back.

The reason, according to a report from WindowsCentral, is that the work on Win32 app support hasn’t advanced at the pace that Microsoft expected, so Windows Lite still isn’t able to run legacy programs.

One of the challenges is to get the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser to run on Windows Lite. The original version of Edge, which was developed on the EdgeHTML engine, was deeply integrated into Windows Lite, and now that Microsoft is migrating to Chromium, there’s a lot of work to do in that area.

By switching to Chromium, Microsoft Edge becomes a Win32 app, so Microsoft needs to first get this part ready before the new browser can run on Windows Lite too.

Thorough testing later this year

As for the new ETA for Windows Lite, little is known at this point, but the cited source indicates that Microsoft should begin a new internal testing stage later this year. A public announcement could be made in 2020, again if work advances at the desired pace. The OS is being tested on several Surface models, including the Surface Go and the Surface Pro 6.

Windows Lite won’t be released as a stand-alone operating system shipped as part of an ISO image. It will be based on the Full Flash Update format, which means that Windows Lite will come pre-installed on devices.

Windows Lite could be installed on the dual-screen laptop called Centaurus, if this project gets the green light in the first place. If the two indeed receive the go-ahead, they could help Microsoft pioneer a new product category once again, with partners to then create similar devices with different sizes, hardware, and price points.