It has rained since Microsoft presented Windows 10X accompanied by the Surface Neo. Since then, the development of the modular operating system has changed significantly. Due to emulation and compatibility issues, it only worked on Intel processors. This issue severely limited the ability to create Windows 10X devices.
However, the Redmond team decided to remove support for Win32 applications initially. In this way, they would have a greater margin to fine-tune the emulation layer and solve compatibility problems. In addition, it allows Windows 10X to see the light of day in a greater number of devices, including those that integrate ARM processors.
Microsoft has started testing Windows 10X over ARM
According to Windows Latest, Microsoft has started internally testing Windows 10X on ARM processors. The forecast is that we will begin to see portable devices, with a single screen, with the operating system during 2021. These teams will arrive with both Intel processors and Qualcomm processors. It remains to be seen if AMD also joins the game.
By equipping ARM processors, it will be easier to compete with Chrome OS. As Windows 10X without Win32 support is lighter than Windows 10, it could support a wider range of Qualcomm processors, including mid-range ones. As a consequence, we could see more affordable devices focused on the educational market.
However, we must remember that this first iteration of Windows 10X will be focused on UWP applications and web applications. The lack of Win32 applications (RAIL) will be solved through the Cloud PC service, which will allow these applications to be virtualized in the Azure cloud and run as if they were native applications.
The new operating system stands out for an interface that fully adapts to the device, changing depending on the input used by the user. In addition, it runs applications in isolated environments, removes extensions from the taskbar and has a new update mechanism.