Here's our first look at Windows 10X in use

Microsoft announced Windows 10X back in 2019 as an operating system designed for use on dual-screen devices. Then last year, the company changed direction, and announced that it would be pivoted to work on single-screen devices, such as laptops.

While the OS is yet to release, a near-final working build of the OS has leaked, which has allowed people to get it installed and running.

In this video by Windows Central, we can see the OS running on a PC. The video showcases the redesigned UI of the OS, something we had only seen in screenshots before.

Windows 10X has revamped interface, starting with its most distinctive feature, the updated taskbar. The taskbar features icons relocated to the center, with the Start menu now being completely redesigned. It also features a new notification center with redesigned shortcuts. The OS also has a heavily simplified File Manager and launches all apps fullscreen.

Windows 10X is a stripped-down version of Windows. This OS is not meant as an upgrade or replacement to the current Windows 10 on desktop but rather for low cost Chromebook-style notebooks and tablets. The biggest concern with this version would be that it doesn't support any legacy Windows app yet, which means you're limited to apps from the Microsoft Store and web apps.

Having said that, not everything about this version seems bad. The refreshed UI seems like a good thing to bring to the current version of desktop Windows, as long as Microsoft doesn't insist on also bringing that terrible File Manager replacement. It's a fresh new look for Windows, even though it looks fairly similar to Chrome OS and somewhat similar to iPadOS.

Windows 10X is expected to be available as a pre-installed OS on devices slated to launch later this year.

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