The way Microsoft expects Windows 10S to work, Google Chrome browser might never come to the “Chromebook Killer” operating system. The new Education laptops that MS plans to bring to the market will never see the most popular browser of the day.
The Windows Store Policy states the following about apps on Windows 10S:
Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate HTML and JavaScript engines provided by the Windows Platform.
According to Zdnet, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that policy in a statement on May 9:
Windows Store apps that browse the web must use HTML and JavaScript engines provided by the Windows Platform. All Windows Store content is certified by Microsoft to help ensure a quality experience and keep your devices safer. With this policy, instated early this year, the browser a customer chooses in the Store will ensure the protections and safeguards of our Windows platform. If people would like to access apps from other stores and services, they can switch to Windows 10 Pro at any time.
This means that Chrome, which uses its own rendering engine, will not be able to ship the way it is, for Windows 10s. However, Google can still make a browser that looks like Chrome, for Windows 10s. This is what they are currently doing on iOS. Chrome on iOS uses Apple’s Webkit components with the Chrome UI.
Google might still decide to release Chrome for Windows 10s if the platform becomes popular. That is an if for the future. For now, what’s your prediction?
why is everyone complaining about google not being on their new computers? The only computers that were hit with this ransomeware problem has only been Microsoft computers. Google I don’t believe was even touched by it! I have two chromebooks by Acer and I feel very secure using them with only google being used
This might be like the chicken or egg scenario. Will Windows 10S be adopted to any significant degree if Chrome isn’t available for it? Or will the majority immediately upgrade to Pro so they can install Chrome.
Of course if the School is in charge of the hardware/software platform, maybe that won’t matter. I seriously can’t imagine this catching on though.
The other question is, will Microsoft tell us how many of the Windows 10S devices sold get upgraded to Pro, or will they try to obscure the numbers to make 10S seem more popular than it actually is?