Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Windows 10 Cloud won't stream from the cloud, but will compete with Chrome OS

By

A Windows 10 laptop sitting atop a desk.
Microsoft is reportedly moving to finalize its mission to provide one complete operating system that works on all device sizes and classes. To do this, it plans to roll out a new “shell” that will work with all devices, from smartphones to PCs.

This shell is rumored to roll out in the full-blown version of Windows 10 this year alongside Windows 10 Cloud, which was thought to be a cloud-based version of Windows 10 that can run on any device, with any hardware configuration, due to its streaming capabilities.

Recommended Videos

But new reports say Windows 10 Cloud won’t be a streaming operating system. Instead, the platform will target Google’s Chrome OS installed on Chromebooks, which relies on web-based apps that can be used online and offline made available through the Chrome Web Store. Chrome OS is light and fast, and is highly popular in the educational and mainstream markets due to its performance and price level.

Related

Thus, with Windows 10 Cloud, the operating system will only be compatible with Universal Windows Platform apps sold through the Windows Store. Microsoft may be using the “cloud” term because of this version’s vapor-like lightweight design and dependence on apps that only reside in the cloud. The name may also be used for OEMs to distinguish this license-free version from the full-blown Windows 10 release.

Listings for Windows 10 Cloud began showing up builds of Windows 10 starting with software development kit version 15003. There are actually two versions: Windows 10 Cloud with Media Player pre-installed, and Windows 10 CloudN without Media Player. The platforms are expected to go live later this year, and the company may even officially announce Windows 10 Cloud during its BUILD conference in May.

The news arrives after unnamed industry sources said that Microsoft would reduce its Windows 10 licensing fee for device makers in March to combat the growing Chromebook market. Despite Windows 10 Cloud, which will likely be offered for free to OEMs, Microsoft may still reduce Windows 10 licensing fees for specific laptop sizes and configurations for customers who want a little more than what’s offered on the Windows Store.

Unnamed sources claim that Microsoft wants to offer a version of Windows 10 that’s extremely safe and simple to use, but cheap enough in price to compete directly with Chrome OS devices. However, Microsoft has no plans to publicly market Windows 10 Cloud with that mindset, so it will be interesting to see how Windows 10 Cloudbooks will be sold alongside Chromebooks without a direct comparison being offered.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Kevin Parrish
Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Windows 11 might pull ahead of Windows 10 in one key way
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

Windows 11 has been around for nearly a year, but the debate on how it stands up against Windows 10 is still going strong. That's why custom computer builder Puget Systems revisited that very topic, with the results finding that Windows 11 might pull ahead of Windows 10 in one key area.

This one key area involves content creation, and Puget Systems detailed that in several tests, made gains over Windows 10 in the last year. Those gains are mainly due to monthly Windows 11 patches, and the launch of new CPUs. Yet Windows 10 also performed faster in some tests, too, where the hardware running the tests were the same.

Read more
Chromebooks might get another great feature from Windows laptops
Google Meets on an HP Chromebook.

Some premium Windows laptops have a nifty feature that can detect your presence and lock the screen for your security, or even track you to improve your digital well-being. This is something that current ChromeOS devices don't yet support, but there's now an indication, spotted by Chrome Unboxed, that it might already be in the works for a new Chromebook model.

This is all being fueled by a listing in the Chromium repository that mentions "body detection" for a Chromebook that goes by the name of "Crota." This Chromebook apparently has the 12th-generation Intel Alder Lake CPU and could be coming in early 2023. Adding to that speculation is the fact that @wistron is attached to the email domain in the listing, which Chromeunboxed finds is typically associated with Dell's involvement in a project.

Read more
5 helpful Windows shortcuts you didn’t know about
The keyboard tilted up on the Surface Pro 8.

Along with a mouse, the keyboard is the core way to interact with your PC, so you're probably familiar with common shortcuts in Windows like cutting, copying, and pasting.

But did you know there are several shortcuts that go beyond just these basics? From triggering the Xbox Game Bar for screen recordings to opening File Explorer, we take a look at five of these helpful shortcuts that you probably didn't know about and how they can save you time during your busy day.
Windows Key + E to open File Explorer

Read more