Windows 10X is a streamlined version of Windows designed to be compatible with foldable and dual-screen devices. Windows 10X was announced back in October and Microsoft is planning to release it in the 'holiday 2020' with Surface Neo, but many details so far have been scarce.
Today at Microsoft 365 Developer Day, Microsoft revealed the technical details of its new dual-screen experiences. At the event, Microsoft revealed how dual-screen devices are optimized for the existing apps and games. For developers, Microsoft has also highlighted how the existing apps can be modified to work on three dual-screen patterns including Windows, Android, or the Web.
"Your code is important, and our goal is to make going on this journey with us as easy as possible. This starts by maintaining app compatibility and ensuring your existing websites and apps work well on dual-screen devices. Windows 10X is an expression of Windows 10 and for the first-time apps will run in containers to deliver non-intrusive updates and improved system resources for extended battery life," Microsoft said.
As part of today's announcement, Microsoft is also releasing a new
Windows 10X Emulator that can be used to develop apps and test them in Windows 10X.
This emulator will be available through the Windows Insider Preview SDK and will be available later today for download.
What we know about Windows 10XThanks to leaked documents and LinkedIn job posts, we've already gotten a brief look at Windows Core OS-based 10X OS and here's everything you need to know about it.
New InterfaceThe major differences between Windows 10 and Windows 10X are the user interface and the placement of core components.
For example, Windows 10X doesn't come with a live tile-based Start menu. Microsoft has replaced the traditional Start menu with icon-based Launcher, which is similar to Android and iOS.
Similarily, Windows 10X comes with a new Action Center that has been redesigned to quickly surface the important system settings on the desktop.
Like all versions of Windows, the 10X also comes with a Taskbar but it offers center-aligned Taskbar at the bottom of the screen with a blank desktop above it.
The Windows 10X Wonder BarWindows 10X introduces a new feature called the 'Wonder Bar' that is shown on the lower screen that includes a virtual touchpad, an emoji and GIF selector, draggable images, and more.
Wonder Bar"On Windows 10X, the OS has been designed to respond to the keyboard and posture to reveal what we call the Wonder Bar. This feature enables the familiarity of a laptop while increasing productivity by hosting system-provided input accelerators, and a virtual trackpad for precision mouse input," Microsoft stated in a
blog post.
Compose ModeFor devices like Surface Neo, Microsoft is also working on Compose Mode, a new feature that reportedly enables a productivity-based experience.
Compose Mode lets you toggle between the touch and keyboard input on a device like Surface Neo where you can place the keyboard on one of the screens. The feature also uses a portion of the screen for emoji, gif, and ink support.
Win32 apps supportAlthough Microsoft is doing away with legacy components in Windows 10X, the company still plans to offer Win32 desktop apps support via cloud-based virtualization technology.
Improved Windows Update
As per reports, Windows Update is much faster on Windows 10X and feature updates do not take hours to install as they do on the current version of Windows 10.
Like ChromeOS, Windows 10X updates are installed in the background and the update finishes installation with a single reboot.
Dynamic wallpapersWindows 10X also comes with dynamic wallpapers support, a feature that already exists on macOS and it would change the wallpaper variation based on the time of the day.
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