Microsoft announces Windows 10X, its new OS for foldable and dual-screen PCs

Today at an event in New York City, Microsoft made a wide range of announcements around its Surface portfolio of hardware. One thing that it showed off was its dual-screen Centaurus device, now called Surface Neo, and the OS that the device will run is called Windows 10X.

Coming in the holiday season of 2020, rumors of Windows 10X have been around since last year, although we knew it as Windows Lite. As expected, it's based on Windows Core OS, which modularizes different components of the operating system.

Obviously, Centaurus will be one of the first Windows 10X devices, as will Lenovo's foldable PC. At first, all Windows 10X devices will be Intel-based, and you won't have the opportunity to bring an existing device over to X mode. This is only for new dual-screen and foldable PCs.

Windows 10X is designed to be modern, so it doesn't have some of the same limitations that Windows 10 proper has. It should update seamlessly in the background, something that Windows has always struggled with. One thing we weren't sure about is if Windows Lite would be able to run Win32 apps, and it turns out that it will, but they will run in containers.

Microsoft demoed the new software and hardware at its events, showing apps launching on the screen you picked, and then expanding them to work across the screens. When you flip up the attached keyboard on the Surface Neo, it automatically adjusts the screen.