‘Microsoft is working on Windows CorePC for alternative devices and form factors’
Microsoft is said to be working again on a new Windows version intended for alternative devices and form factors. The company previously tested such Windows versions as Core OS and Windows 10X, but stopped doing so each time. Now the company is said to be working on something called CorePC.
Windows CorePC would be a continuation of the previous plans around Core OS, writes Windows Central based on sources within the company. Windows CorePC is a codename for a variant of Windows that can run Win32 applications, but can run on alternative devices such as phones, tablets, foldables and other form factors. The operating system could be configured to allow different features and apps to work on certain devices.
According to Windows Central’s sources, the operating system is divided into different states, creating many read-only partitions that are not accessible to all components and software in the operating system. This way, the operating system could also receive security updates more quickly and be easily reset. With that decision, Microsoft hopes to make the OS competitive with Android or iPadOS, or with laptop operating systems such as Chrome OS.
Microsoft would like to release a version that only includes Edge and some web and Android apps. That version should be suitable for PCs and laptops with low specifications. Such computers are often used in education.
Another part of the operating system would be specifically aimed at applications involving artificial intelligence. This concerns, for example, software that can read the screen and based on that can start applications or provide additional information, or that can look up information from images. This would require separate, more powerful hardware, for which the operating system is optimized.
It is not yet clear at what stage of development Microsoft is with CorePC. The version should be ready simultaneously with a major Windows update in 2024, writes Windows Central. In recent years, the company has often tried to create a new Windows version that is suitable not only for laptops and desktops, but for potentially all devices. That started with the Universal Windows Platform, which in addition to Win32 apps also had to be able to handle apps for Windows Mobile. Later, Microsoft worked on Windows Core OS, which ran Win32 virtually. However, that was shelved and replaced with Windows 10X. This would work on devices with multiple screens, among other things, but Microsoft also stopped that project earlier.