New Update: Windows 10X spotted running on a MacBook with an M1 chip and Lumia smartphone

New Update: Windows 10X spotted running on a MacBook with an M1 chip and Lumia smartphone

Not to mention on Microsoft’s Surface Go

(Image credit: Future)

Windows 10X was recently leaked within the sort of what’s apparently a near-final build, and enterprising developers have already got that version of Microsoft’s lightweight OS running on a MacBook (with M1 chip) and a Lumia smartphone, also because of the Surface Go.

Windows 10X is that the inbound spin on Microsoft’s desktop OS which is extremely much a stripped-back and simplified version, with some major differences in terms of the interface and overall functionality – plus it’s also designed to run on devices with an ARM CPU (and not just Intel chips).

The leaked build was successfully run on an ARM-based MacBook M1 using QEMU virtualization by developer @imbushuo, and reportedly performs well on the Apple notebook. (This dev previously ran Windows 10X on an Intel-powered MacBook).

Lumia 950 XL

Furthermore, other developers, those that are a part of the LumiaWOA (Windows on ARM) project, have gotten Windows 10X running on a Lumia 950 XL phone, albeit with limitations (as Windows Latest, which spotted this, notes).

hi pic.twitter.com/1v0yE12yJH

— Sunshine Biscuit at scale 🍪 (@imbushuo) January 17, 2021

Rumors of us porting Windows 10X to the Lumia 950 XL are exaggerated

(Yes, we're doing this) pic.twitter.com/KEE5lN2yV9

— Gustave Monce (@gus33000) January 16, 2021

Also, as you would possibly guess, this wasn’t a very easy feat to realize.

Finally, an extra spotting of the Windows 10X leaked build witnessed it happily chugging away on one among Microsoft’s own Surface Go tablets. Apparently it runs ‘fine’ in terms of performance levels, but there are sticking points, most notably the shortage of Wi-Fi support.

The mentioned instructions are tweeted here if you would like to see them out.

Windows 10X makes tons of changes to the interface, as we mentioned at the outset, and turns the beginning menu into something that feels more like the launcher on Chromebooks. Indeed, this first incarnation of Microsoft’s OS, built for single-screen devices – the first intention was for 10X to get on dual-screen machines first – looks considerably like an attack on Chrome OS.

Windows 10X 20279 running on the original Microsoft Surface Go LTE. Same as last year, sadly, no WiFi, no Cameras.

Thanks to @NTAuthority @thebookisclosed @gus33000 and entire @Inside_Windows Community!

We'll publish new instructions soon on https://t.co/iOPTFVXKvl. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/9jYXd5PyjS

— Daniel Kornev (@danielko) January 17, 2021

Of course, the simplification that Windows 10X majors in means the removal of what some would concede to be key aspects of a desktop OS, including the shortage of ability on the multitasking front, and not having the ability to run traditional Windows (Win32) apps – although support for the latter should arrive eventually (though maybe not any time soon).

App support will initially be limited to universal (UWP) and web apps, although apparently there's a reasonably slick implementation of the latter from what we’ve heard.

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