Initially, Windows 10X was expected to have a new feature called the "Wonder Bar" that was reminiscent of Apple's Touch Bar but wider and designed for dual-screen devices. Now that Windows 10X is being positioned for single-screen devices, the Wonder Bar has been removed from recent builds of the OS. Whether you prefer the device in laptop, tablet, book, or "tent" mode, Windows 10 fluently adjusts to ensure the best user experience. The taskbar adapts to its hosting device as well, spanning both screens of a dual-screen device. You can effortlessly drag and drop apps and windows between multiple screens and specify which screen you want each app. As we hinted at, the interface is the key difference between Windows 10 and Windows 10X. Windows 10 is designed for devices like laptops or tablets with just one screen.
Is Windows 10 S Better Than Windows 10 So, that means you'll see icons at the bottom of the screen for your Start Menu, apps, and programs, as well as the date and time. Microsoft had redesigned the Start menu experience on Windows 10X with a focus on productivity. It features a system-wide search bar along the top that can also search the web, and a grid of installed apps below that in place of live tiles. It sits on the left side screen on dual-screen devices and essentially serves as a "launcher" with a search bar on the top, a list of apps and websites, and suggested content on the bottom. However, according to Microsoft, compared to Windows 10, Windows 10X will be simple, sleek and faster. Windows 10X was a new version of Windows that has been built from the ground up for new PCs, and was supposed to begin shipping on hardware in 2021.
It's built on top of a new modern version of Windows called 'Windows Core OS' that guts legacy components and features in favor of contemporary user experiences and enhanced security. It will allow a broader range of apps to run on Windows 10X devices than Windows 10 S does, while preserving security. And there's still the potential for Windows 10X to take advantage of dual-screen devices in the future.
Able to be used on less expensive hardware than Windows 10, it's meant for schools and businesses with users who don't need full-blown desktop apps — the same group Microsoft is now targeting with Windows 10X. The search bar is prominently displayed and functions similarly to Windows 10. However, Microsoft eliminated many of the legacy components and features you would expect to see in a Windows platform. Thos features include the Control Panel, File Explorer, and more. For those of you who have grown tired of listening to Cortana while setting or resetting a new Windows 10 device, well, you can now enjoy the sound of silence with a Cortana free setup experience. End-users might see its most outward-facing feature first; that is, it will provide a way to accommodate foldable PCs and dual-screen laptops.
We predict significant demand for these devices due to their innovative design and plethora of use cases. With Windows 10X, Microsoft is hoping to compete directly with Chromebooks for minimalistic, secure, browser-based laptops built on the Windows 10 platform. Unlike Windows 10, Windows 10X featured something called "state separation" which is how the OS lays itself out on a drive. Windows 10 today installs everything into a single partition, which means the user can access system files, as can apps and potential attackers. On Windows 10X, everything goes into its own read-only partition.
So OS files are locked away, as are app files, as are drivers, and the registry. The only thing the user and applications can access are the user partition. So, just like on Android and Chrome OS, when the update is ready to restart your PC, it'll just restart like normal, and won't take 15 minutes to finish installing before you're back up and running.
Windows 10X featured a new shell — the user interface — that was built with modern technologies. It's an adaptive user experience that can adjust depending on the "posture" of your device. For example, with a foldable PC, the user might want to use it in several different ways; as a laptop, or tablet, or in tent mode for movies. Because of this, the user interface must adapt to provide the best experience no matter which way your device is being used.
Since Windows 10X runs separately from apps, drivers, and other files, Windows 10X updates will be much faster than Windows 10. On Windows 10, it will download the OS update, apply it and reboot, which takes minutes even on a high-end computer. Windows 10X, instead, will install the update in a different partition and switch to it once completed. This allows Windows 10X to download and apply updates in less than 90 seconds.
Windows 10X will run Universal Windows Platform apps — lightweight apps that you download from the Microsoft Store — right out of the gate. It's not clear yet whether it will be able to run all of those or only a subset. Interestingly, even UWP apps run inside containers in Windows 10X, but a different type of container. These "Native" containers tap native Windows 10X features, take less of a hit on system resources, and deliver greater security and privacy controls than containers for Win32 apps. As for Windows 10X on dual-screen and foldable PCs, Microsoft is being noncommittal. From what we know, it is shaping up to look like Windows 10X will mainly remain exclusive to the devices with dual-screens.
There is, however, some indication to reference to a "levers" feature in leaked documenation that it might come to traditional clamshell laptops too, but that is unconfirmed. Instead, you can expect for Windows 10X to remain exclusive to dual-screen devices like the Surface Neo, and other devices from Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus. Windows 10S is Microsoft's answer to the success of Google's Chromebooks in the education sector. Chromebooks are affordable laptops that run Google's Chrome OS, which is an operating system built around the search company's Chrome browser and is limited to web apps and some Android apps. In Windows 10X, your taskbar will sit on the entire left side of your screen – with so-called "levers" allowing you to pull up the taskbar when needed. Currently, it appears that your favorite websites and applications will feature on this left-side taskbar, alongside recent or 'recommended' files.
As we all know, Windows OS has the maximum device and app compatibility. Both of them can install and run Windows 10 or Win32 applications and there's no restriction as to what can be downloaded in the Microsoft Store. Therefore, you can't update your current Windows 10 device to Windows 10X directly. It's pre-installed on new laptops and tablets specially built for it. If you want Windows 10X, you may expect the new devices from Dell and Lenovo. Windows 10X (codenamed Windows Lite/Santorini), a new version of Windows, was announced back in 2019 and is finally launching this year.
Originally designed for use on dual-screen devicesm, Windows 10X is also coming to single-screen devices. Many have asked questions like will Windows 10x replace Windows 10? How is Windows 10x different from Windows 10 (Home & Pro), should I upgrade, and more.
If you want to dig more, check our Windows 10x vs 10 review below. But then, several months into the pandemic in May 2020, the company did an about-face, announcing that Windows 10X will debut on cloud-focused single-screen devices. Because of that cloud focus, Windows 10X has been designed to work on more lightweight, less expensive hardware than Windows 10. Windows 10X won't replace Windows 10, and it eliminates many Windows 10 features including File Explorer, although it will have a greatly simplified version of that file manager. Its interface is simpler and more stripped down than Windows 10, and it will run only on hardware designed for it, not on hardware that currently runs Windows 10.
Rather than an entirely new OS, Windows 10X is a streamlined version of Windows 10 designed to be compatible with upcoming dual-screen and foldable devices. While Windows 10X was announced back in October with a planned 'holiday 2020' release date, details so far have been scarce. Nobody likes the considerable download and update process for a traditional Windows 10 machine. Feature updates for Windows 10X will now fully install in the background without rebooting the device to complete the process.
Like your cell phone, a prompt will alert you to reboot once the update process finishes. All apps on Windows 10X run in a container, and need explicit permissions to access things that are outside that container. This is already how UWP apps work on Windows 10, and Microsoft will be extending that to Win32 apps on Windows 10X when support for Win32 apps arrives.
Since Windows 10X has a modern core, legacy components such as the classic File Explorer are no longer present. This means Microsoft has built a new File Explorer specific to Windows 10X, and it's built around OneDrive. Windows 10X is a web-first OS, and that includes how you store and manage files on your Windows 10X PC. By default, all your files are synced with your OneDrive account in the cloud while also being available locally on the device. Microsoft is also putting some extra efforts into developing for Windows 10X. It said that developers don't have to do anything to make their apps work with the operating system.
The app should adapt to Windows 10X and dual-screen devices, in either the one-pane, or two pane mode. As for the haredware, according to Microsoft, Windows 10X will work on both Microsoft Surface and devices from several Windows ecosystem partners including ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo. Originally intended for dual-screen devices, Windows 10X will also come to single-screen devices. On the app side, the Win32 containers are designed to get the legacy Win32 apps work on Windows 10X, though they will run in a single, secure container by default. The major differences between Windows 10 and Windows 10X come down to interface.
Because the streamlined operating system is designed for a dual-screen or foldable device, the icon placement and overall design differ significantly. Apps should prove even more stable on Windows 10X as they operate within three unique containers – the Win32 Container, Full-trust MSIX Container, and UWP container. The process allows apps to run isolated from the OS, improving both device security and performance reliability.
Since every part of Windows 10X has been redesigned, the out of box experience has too been updated with a modern look and feel. It still walks you through the Windows setup process, selecting your language, signing-in with a Microsoft Account, and agreeing to terms and conditions, but Cortana is no longer present throughout the set up process. It's a more traditional setup experience, that's been beautified on 10X. Coming down to choosing which operating system is right for you, they'll be a few things to consider. In 2020, if you opt to buy a new dual-screen device running Windows 10X, they'll likely be a learning curve. You'll need to get used to the new Start Menu, as well as the taskbar layout.
Microsoft will likely keep updating Windows 10 as always, so, if you're still using a old Windows 10 clamshell, you'll feel right at home. It now shows up right away in Windows 10X and you won't need to slide up to dismiss it. Although there were no screenshots to prove it, rumor has it that the settings app will also be redesigned with "waves" to cut on on the need to navigate through menus. They'll even be a new "Modern File Explorer" which is heavily optimized for touch, unlike in current versions of Windows 10.
As we all know, Windows 10X is designed for dual-screen devices like the Surface Neo, and other devices from Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus. But the latest reports say they probably won't be released until sometime in the second half of the year. Since it's simply a mode of Windows 10 rather than a separate OS, Windows 10 S more closely resembles Windows 10 than Windows 10X does. And unlike Windows 10X devices, a device that's running Windows 10 S can be switched to full-blown Windows 10 (though it can't be switched back again).
In addition to running UWP apps, Windows 10X will run web apps. Given how few useful UWP apps are available, it's likely that you'll mainly run web apps on it, in the same way that Chrome OS runs web apps. Keep in mind that Microsoft 365 and Office 365 subscriptions include useful web app versions, so even if you can't run the Office desktop apps, you'll be able to still use Microsoft 365 / Office 365 via web apps.
Microsoft originally said that Windows 10X would run Win32 desktop apps like Word, Excel, and other Office apps, but only inside special containers that isolate the apps from the core OS. More recently, however, Microsoft watchers have reported that there will be no Win32 support at all when Windows 10X first ships, though it's likely to be added back in later. It remains to be seen how the Win32 containers will impact performance or whether all Win32 apps will be able to run this way. Last year Asus put a 5.5-inch screen in the touchpad of its ZenBook Pro, while HP dropped a six-inch second screen on its Omen X 2S gaming laptop. Microsoft announced the 2020 Surface Neo, with two 9-inch screens joined by a hinge. Despite these setbacks, Windows 10X should be able to contend for market share against Chrome devices.
Windows 10X offers a simplified and streamlined experience that many PC users are more than ready for today. Let's hope it proves to be one more reason to look forward to 2021. It will essentially serve as a "launcher" with a search bar on the top, a list of apps and websites, and suggested content on the bottom. There's no live tiles, like in current Windows 10, and icons are rather static.
A big difference from the regular version of Windows 10, the Start Menu in Windows 10X will sit on the left side screen on dual-screen devices. Check this post to fix all Windows 10X errors and not working issue. What if I have Windows 10 S and need to run apps outside of the Windows Store? Any Windows 10S machine can be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for a one-time fee of $49. Some machines, such as Microsoft's Surface Laptop, will also come with a free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for a limited period.
Once upgraded to Windows 10 Pro, it is not possible to revert back to Windows 10S. Any apps that are not currently available in the Windows Store will not be able to be installed or run. That includes Apple's iTunes, Google's Chrome browser and the full versions of Adobe's Acrobat, Photoshop and the rest of the Creative Suite — or anything else that is installed via the traditional Windows 7 or earlier way. Anything downloaded from the Microsoft Windows Store will run on Windows 10S, which has thousands of applications available, including free, paid and trial versions of software. That will soon include the full Microsoft Office suite and Spotify, while Slack, Evernote, Netflix, Facebook, Adobe Photoshop Elements and many others are already available. The big difference between Windows 10S and any other version of Windows 10 is that 10S can only run applications downloaded from the Windows Store.
Every other version of Windows 10 has the option to install applications from third-party sites and stores, as has the majority of versions of Windows before it. Windows 10S will also come with Microsoft's BitLocker encryption system for securing your files in case of theft, which some versions of Windows 10 Home do not have available. It will also receive the same updates at the same time as other versions of Windows 10. In Windows 10, you can see your taskbar at the bottom of the screen, and a blank desktop above it . The taskbar will also expand onto the left side of the screen with a more comprehensive list of your available applications.
While Microsoft's original intention was to package Windows 10X with new dual-screen devices such as the Surface Neo at the end of 2020, things have changed. That shouldn't be surprising in a year in which it seems that everything has changed. This should result in updates that take less than 90 seconds to reboot. This is a huge improvement over how Windows 10 does updates today, which can take anywhere between 5 minutes and 20 minutes to reboot, depending on the device.
On tablets, users can now swipe up anywhere on the Taskbar to access the Start menu, making it easier for touch users to access their apps list. You no longer have to hit the specific Start button to access your Start menu. It also has a "recent activities" area that dynamically updates with things the user might want to jump straight into, such as recent Office documents and visited websites. The apps list can be customized, with the ability for users to rearrange which apps show up in the first few rows. Unfortunately, Microsoft has announced that development on Windows 10X has been postponed and will not be launching on new PCs this year.
In fact, it's unlikely Windows 10X will ever launch now that Microsoft is working on a big new user experience refresh for Windows Desktop codenamed Sun Valley and expected to launch at the tail-end of this year. As for release date, Microsoft hasn't said much about when you can expect to see Windows 10X go public. It showcased a prototype version of the OS during its Surface event, and mentioned that devices with Windows 10X will be coming in holiday 2020. That means you won't be seeing it until November or December 2020 at the earliest.
