Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 10X operating system for education and enterprise PCs could be seeing yet another delay. After rumors indicated a launch catered toward single-screen devices could come as soon as this spring, it’s now looking as though Microsoft might not be ready to release it until the second half of 2021.
Citing internal sources at Microsoft, Windows Central’s Zac Bowden believes that the company wants to push Windows 10X back to “ensure the product is ready and robust for a smooth release.” Despite leaked builds of the operating system recently spreading online, it looks as though Microsoft wants to spend more time ironing out bugs and other issues before making anything official. Bowden also says the company wasn’t able to sign off on a final “shipping build” of the OS back in December.
Of course, this is best treated as just the latest rumor. Microsoft hasn’t officially talked about Windows 10X since it announced that it was refocused for single-screen experiences. Initially, it was catered for dual-screen devices, but the global pandemic shifted those plans and also canceled the Surface Neo, which was set to be the flagship device that runs the OS.
Microsoft is now aiming to sign off on a final build of the single-screen version of the operating system later this spring. Single-screen PCs with Windows 10X would then ship in the second half of this year, according to Bowden. As a reminder, 10X comes with features like a redesigned Start Menu, Taskbar, Action Center, and more.
Microsoft has largely been quiet about Windows 10X, asides from some teases. Windows and Surface chief Panos Panay earlier said he was “pumped” for “next-generation Windows” and promised that it “is going to be a massive year for Windows.”
Other factors contributing to the delay could be the fact that Microsoft might want to put more focus on the regular version of Windows 10 and the “Sun Valley” update. This update has its own set of rumors, many of which point to a big visual redesign coming to Windows 10. Finally, since it’s believed Windows 10X will not ship with support for traditional Win32 apps, there is the possibility that Microsoft could be delaying it to work on a solution to stream these apps on Windows 10X instead.
Either way, Windows 10X is definitely looking as though it’s coming later, rather than sooner. We hope to learn more about it soon, as Microsoft could soon be holding a dedicated Windows event or a Surface spring hardware event.
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