Google Exec Says Windows 10 S Validates Chrome OS Design Philosophy
Google VP Prabhakar Raghava said in a recent interview that the very existence of Windows 10 S is “a validation of the approach we've taken.” Raghava went on to add, “What educational institutions have demanded is simplicity. It's a real test tube for all of us, whether it's Microsoft or any of us.”
Previously known as Windows 10 Cloud prior to its official unveil, Windows 10 S features all of the underlying technology that makes Windows 10 a competent operating system, but throws in a number of “gotchas” that may annoy regular consumers (but are more appreciated in a school setting).
Windows 10 S is only able to install and run Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps that are found within the Windows Store. Microsoft has locked things down so tightly that Win32 apps won’t even install. While Microsoft will allow competing browsers to be installed on Windows 10 S (as long as they are made available in the Windows Store), the operating system will still default to the Edge browser for all links. So, if you click a link from within an app or from your favorite email application, you’ll always be presented with Microsoft Edge.
In addition, Microsoft makes Bing the default search engine in Edge and Internet Explorer — a setting which you cannot change.
Microsoft has a formidable adversary in Google’s Chrome OS. According to a recent report from Futuresource Consulting, Chrome OS currently commands 58 percent of the U.S. market in primary and secondary schools.
