Specifically, the company says Windows 10X will no longer be exclusive to Intel laptops. That means it will also be available on the growing number of ARM laptops driven by Windows 10 on ARM. Windows 10X was initially announced last October. At the time, Microsoft said it would launch this year alongside the Intel dual-screen Surface Neo. That launch was supposed to happen alongside the (now already released) Surface Duo. Microsoft later said the Surface Neo has been postponed, although the company insists not cancelled outright. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the company to revaluate the needs to customers. With that in mind, Microsoft said Windows 10X would debut on single screen laptops. In fact, until the Neo launches OEMs are unable to make a dual-screen device running the platform. However, Microsoft did not change the fact Windows10X would only work with Intel computers and will not run Win32 apps. Over the year, Google’s Chrome OS has continued to make inroads into enterprise and Apple has recently delivered the game-changing M1 ARM-based chip and MacBooks. If the future of personal computing is not ARM, it will at least play a major role.
ARM Support Coming
Of course, Microsoft is already on board with Windows 10 on ARM. Now the company says Windows 10X will also work on ARM devices, eventually. That’s an important decision because it arguably helps fulfil the role 10X is promising to play. As a modular version of Windows 10, the new platform can work across form factors, including devices with low power. It is Microsoft’s response to Chromebooks that are available at low cost. Windows 10X is still expected to launch before the end of the year.
