Microsoft's OS Doubles Up for Tablet Computing
Image from Microsoft
2020 has been eventful and somewhat productive in the past few months. It’s already February and we are seeing much in the way of tech releases and upcoming announcements. It isn’t ever year that a new operating system gets shown off and in this case, a new variant of Windows 10, suitably called Windows 10X is set to present an emphasis on UI for touch devices once more. It was way back in Windows 8 that I first experienced the push towards a touch orientated interface. The execution was questionable and I decide to stay on Windows 7 for a while longer before 10.
Microsoft are going a little further with their laptops, particularly the Surface Neo that features two touchscreens. I could compare it to a folding tablet but the architecture being used packs a punch and it can run all Win32 applications just fine. Windows 10 exists on ARM but that’s not something I’ve bothered to use due to the limited functionality and lack of general computing power. Windows 10X still presents some limitations but I feel this approach to security and redundancy is going to be examined closely in the coming months. The container system allows running of Win32 applications and native apps, let’s call them X apps. The actual OS is then locked away as a read-only file system and is hoped to allow great optimization and security.
This new architecture may improve stability and for mobile computing it could be the next best thing with focus on productivity and touch UI. I’ve been greatly interested in the next form of touch devices and since they showed off the Surface Neo I wasn’t too sure how feasible this would be for computing in general. It seems a tailored OS with the intention to provide a better experience for consumers is in scope. While the limitations may be a deal breaker for power users, general users who want simplicity and functionality might be a prime target audience. It seems to be a middle ground between watered down tablet computing and normal architecture. I think the changes made will appeal to many as it will provide adequate computing power with an intuitive interface. I will definitely be testing one upon release, it’s still early days in development and I’m sure a community of users will emerge once released.
