Deep within some of the most recent Windows 10 Insider builds has appeared the indication of an upcoming Windows Cloud that is rumored to be a new version of Windows.
Microsoft's Upcoming Windows Cloud
According to ZDNet, inside some of the recent Insider test builds, tech experts have discovered mention of a so-far unannounced new version of Windows 10. However, the new edition of Windows 10, known currently as 'Windows Cloud' may have more to do with Chromebook competition rather than the cloud. Alongside other existing Windows 10 editions, this new edition is listed inside new builds as far back as Windows 10 software development kit 15003.
There are listings for both CloudN and Cloud. The CloudN version is made for deployment within the European Union and comes without Media Player pre-installed. In general terms, Windows Cloud is a simplifed version of Windows 10 designed to run only Unified Windows Platform (UWP) applications installed from the Windows Store, according to tech experts. In a way, it is being similar to the Windows 8.1 with Bing SKU or the version of Windows 10 formerly known as Windows RT.
It appears that Windows 10 Cloud is designed with the aim to help Microsoft in its ongoing campaign to attempt to compete with Chromebooks by providing a safer, simpler and cheaper version of Windows 10. Despite its name, it also seems that Windows 10 Cloud has little or nothing to do with the cloud.
It appears that the reason Microsoft chose that name is to indicate that this is company's competitor to Chrome OS/Chromebooks. Because references to Windows 10 Cloud are showing up in Windows 10 Creators Update test builds, it is expected that Microsoft will launch this new edition around April 2017. This would also coincide with the company's campaign to begin rolling out the Creators Update to mainstream users.
Windows Cloud Similar To Previous Windows RT
According to PCWorld, Windows RT was Microsoft's OS that powered the original Surface tablet and the Surface 2. The mobile operating system was criticized by users for its ability to run only a limited number of apps directly from the Store. At the time when Microsoft launched Windows RT, most of Windows applications were designed for the Win32 environment.
In case that Windows Cloud is indeed an operating system somehow similar to Windows RT, it may actually prove to be useful in specific applications. Some tech experts think that Microsoft developed Windows Cloud in order to compete with the wave of Chromebooks sweeping across schools. Statistics show that over half of American classrooms use Chromebooks, because their ease-to-set up and their simplicity to use have made them attractive to school administrators.
With its recent Intune for Education device and app management software, Microsoft aims to recapture the classroom for Windows. A dedicated OS such as Windows Cloud would further lock down those PCs, offering features that Chromebooks lack and making a Windows 10 PC even more attractive.
Windows Cloud will likely be a niche offering. Windows' complexity is valuable for general-purpose computing, but the capability to lock it down to a single app can also be extremely useful. Perhaps Windows Cloud might still maintaining control, while offering just a bit more flexibility.
