Microsoft has an event set next month, and it could take the stage to announce its version of a Google Chromebook. Reports suggest that it will introduce the software together with its own hardware. Per an internal Microsoft document obtained by a source, it appears as though Microsoft's new hardware will be low-end devices that could compete with Google's cloud-focused Chromebook laptops.
Earlier this month rumors circulating on the internet of Microsoft's plans to host a Windows 10 Cloud event could potentially announce a new, modestly priced device. Last April 12, Microsoft announced an upcoming event, to be held on May 2, along with the tagline "Learn what's next" and comes with a hashtag #MicrosoftEDU. Aligning with recent reports that the company has been working on a "conventional" laptop to join its Surface lineup, it's highly believed that Microsoft is working on a device nicknamed the "Windows 10 CloudBook", which targets the education sector.
The Microsoft document showed the minimum hardware specifications for "Windows 10 Cloud performance". The chart includes decent specs like quad-core Celeron or better processor, a 4GB of RAM, and either 32GB or 64GB of storage - the kind of specs you can find in a Chromebook. The spec also documents plainly that Microsoft considers Chromebooks its chief competition. Moreover, Microsoft is also pitching an "all-day" battery life and most probably designed for students, something Google always does with Chromebooks. In a comparison of "performance benchmarks," Microsoft's target is 10-plus hours of "all day" battery life, with cold-boot times of 20 seconds and resume times of under 2 seconds.
The document does not list a suggested pricing. However, According to a source, the Windows devices should be exactly the same as the typical Chromebooks, which means a starting price of around $200, topping out a $500 for a more powerful variant.
