Windows 10X reportedly cancelled -- light-version of Windows 10 will never be

Word is going around that Microsoft has cancelled the Windows 10X project. We've been hearing about this operating system for years, it was envisioned as a simplified, light version of Windows 10, optimized for use on Chromebook-like devices.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft pitched the operating system for a new class of dual-screen devices, but last year the development focus shifted to single-screen laptops. The main idea behind Windows 10X was to turn Windows 10 into a Chrome OS rival by making it a more modern and cloud-based version of Windows, with a simplified user interface, a new Start menu without Live Tiles, better multitasking, and a new app container with security and performance enhancements.

Back to basics for Microsoft

Over the past year, Chromebook sales have exploded as demand from the educational market has skyrocketed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Verge thinks some of the Windows 10X features will find their way into Windows 10 -- but for now this looks like yet another failed attempt at creating an alternate version of Windows.

It’s clear Microsoft is getting back to the basics, after more than a decade of trying to simplify Windows. Windows RT first debuted in 2012, and then Windows 10 S arrived in 2017. Both failed to simplify Windows, but Windows 10X had some interesting changes that will undoubtedly make their way to Windows 10. -- The Verge