Microsoft must have liked Google's idea of designing computers based on a light operating system, closed and all made of applications such as Chromebooks, since it lent the new operating system Windows 10 S, the official name of what until a few days ago it was called Windows Cloud . Windows 10 S is Microsoft's new lightweight operating system, designed to be cheaper and less intensive than Windows 10 Home or Pro, i.e. compared to the versions found on most laptops and desktops today.
Windows 10 S is a version of Windows 10 designed to work on every PC, even if not particularly powerful or expensive, in a fast way as if it were an iPad or an Android tablet.
To be clear, Windows 10 S, operating in a similar way to Chrome OS on Chromebook, is a system that works only with apps controlled by Microsoft on its Store and does not allow the installation of traditional desktop programs to which we have been accustomed until today .
Windows 10 S is a simplified customized version for students, who can therefore buy a complete PC at a lower price, where there is no risk of problems due to bad configurations or the installation of malicious programs.
The characteristics of a PC with Windows 10 S, therefore, must be: instant start and start, rapid execution of programs and applications, multitasking without delays and complete security so as to make it impossible, even if desired, to compromise the system through malware or viruses.
While this seems like something very nice, users, to get this level of protection and speed, have to work on these PCs without going beyond what is allowed by the system.
While for some this type of system can be very limiting, the reasoning behind this type of computer is not at all wrong in my view.
As owner of a Chromebook for several years I can say that, actually it is a good thing to be able to have a laptop that from the day of purchase to today has always remained identical, always fast, without ever a configuration or virus problem and without any possibility to do damage.
In fact, most computer users are not interested in experimenting, tweaking, tinkering with hidden commands or changing particular options, but simply want a working computer to work or surf the internet.
Even if you remain very limited in the type of programs that you can use, at a lower cost than usual, you can get a fast and "battle" PC, perfect for daily activities, with a long battery life, to work with Office programs, for travel and as a secondary PC from sofa or bed.
Windows 10 S is still Windows 10, not based on cloud apps like Chrome OS, but made of apps only, designed especially for teachers and students, as well as, I add, for the elderly and the less experienced who don't want to have any more concern about system updates and security.
In Windows 10 S, however, there are many limitations, including:
- The browser is only Microsoft Edge (or Internet Explorer) and you cannot install Chrome, Firefox or others.
- You cannot install traditional desktop programs, but only apps from the Store (it is still possible to convert Win32 programs into apps for Windows 10)
- Command prompt, system registry and other internal Windows tools are protected even if they can still be used if desired.
A good thing is that Windows 10 S can also be transformed into Windows 10 Home or Pro, paying the license for a lower price.
For those who want to try it on their PC, you can install Windows 10 S from Windows Pro in a simple way, with the possibility of returning to Windows 10 Pro at any time.
Windows 10 S will never, however, be an operating system sold alone or available to everyone, even if it would be nice, even to revitalize or make older laptop PCs lighter.
It is to be expected, however, that it will only be pre-installed on some low-cost PCs on sale after summer 2017.
