Microsoft appears to be working on a new stripped down operating system that might be branded separate from Windows, the OS that has long been synonymous with the tech giant, according to a new report.
Brad Sams reports at Petri.com that the new OS, which could debut at the Microsoft Build developer conference next year, will be similar to previous attempts at a stripped down operating system such as Windows 10 S in some ways. But it stands out because, as Sams reports, the new operating system may not be called Windows, with a separate name and user interface.
Clues about this operating system are hidden within the latest Windows Insider bills, according to Sams.
Windows Lite?
Windows 10 SDK 18282 pic.twitter.com/WWD2HEl6FE
— Tero Alhonen (@teroalhonen) November 20, 2018
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The idea that Microsoft would even think about branding a new operating system anything other than Windows would have been inconceivable even a couple years ago. But under Microsoft’s continued evolution, Windows is no longer the be-all-end all for the company, as a focus on cloud computing, and by extension, working with the growing world of connected devices, have become key priorities for the tech giant.
Microsoft is going after Google’s Chrome OS, per the report, with this new “Lite” operating system. The goal is to build something that is lightweight, can run on any computer and is always connected.
Microsoft introduced Windows 10 S in May 2017, targeting the education market. However, about a year later, Windows 10 S became a “mode” inside other Windows versions, rather than its own standalone operating system.
Sams reports that Microsoft “killed off” Windows 10 S to make way for the new Lite operating system. If this operating system sees the light of day, Sams and others speculate that a new device for running the OS could be on the way as well.
What's Microsoft Centaurus?
Looks like it's a new WCOS product along with "Lite"
cc @h0x0d pic.twitter.com/jkdeoH3FfF— Gus (@gus33000) December 1, 2018
