Speculation about a new edition of the Windows operating system, called Windows Cloud, got a shot in the arm with references to new versions of the OS found in recent builds.
A Twitter sleuth known as "The Walking Cat" posted ascreenshot of in Windows 10 for PCs build 15003, showing references to "Cloud" and "CloudN," the latter of which is believed to be a version without Media Player pre-installed, according to on Petri.com.
ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley claims that Windows 10 Cloud is pretty much a newer version of Windows RT, the mobile OS based on Windows 8 designed to be more locked down and controlled and using only authorized apps. RT was a dismal failure on early Surface tablets, and a Windows 10 version never emerged.
Windows RT was also an ARM-based OS for Surface RT, Surface 2, and third-party ARM-based Windows PCs and tablets. It only ran apps built specifically for RT, which were sold through the Windows Store. The decided lack of app support had a lot to do with sealing its fate, but if Windows 10 Cloud is x86 and running on the Windows 10 core, it will have many more apps to choose from.
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Foley says the OS will run only Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps that are installed from the Store, indicating a locked down experience. Despite its name, Foley said it has nothing to do with the cloud. Rather, it's meant to be a lightweight OS designed to compete with Chromebooks, providing a "simpler, safer and cheaper version of Windows 10," as she put it.
The fact that these references are showing up in the Creator's Update, which is due in April, is no accident. Microsoft will hold its annual Build conference for developers in May, so it's not a stretch to imagine Windows 10 Cloud making its grand debut at the show, along with final code for Creator's Update. RSVP registrations for theBuild conference, which takes place in Seattle, have already opened.
If it is indeed aimed at Chromebooks, then Google must really have them spooked to come out with a separate OS version to compete with Chrome OS.