The problem stems from Microsoft’s decision to only allow software installation on Windows 10S if it comes via the official Windows Store. Right now the Store is a wasteland and avoided by both Apple and Google among many others. But it’s about to get worse.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop is the Windows 10 S launch device, but it is severely compromised by the... [+]
Whereas many thought the solution would simply right itself as customer pressure pushed companies to publish through the Windows Store, it turns out there’s a bigger issue and one that hits web browsers in particular because Windows Store policy states:
“Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate HTML and JavaScript engines provided by the Windows Platform.”
This is not the language Chrome is written in (nor Opera) so in order for Google to make the world’s most popular web browser available on Windows 10S it wouldn’t just have to repackage and list it in the Windows Store, it would have to completely rewrite the core code of the browser. Even then Windows 10S does not allow users to change the default browser from Microsoft Edge and the search engine from Bing.
In a statement Microsoft told MSPoweruser:
“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...If people would like to access apps from other stores and services, they can switch to Windows 10 Pro at any time.”
Upgrading to Windows 10 Pro from Windows 10 S will cost $50, though there’s a free upgrade promotion until the end of 2017.
Windows 10 S is Microsoft's newest operating system, but it is likely to confuse a lot of users... [+]
Of course Microsoft isn’t the first to lockdown browser control. iOS has the same browser coding restrictions forcing Google to use WebKit as the base for Chrome on iOS rather than its own Blink engine which it uses on Android. But there’s far more pressure for Google to be on iPhones and iPads than PCs running a new niche Windows operating system - especially one designed to compete directly with Google’s own burgeoning Chrome OS.
But the tech world is nothing if not hypocritical.
Technically Chrome OS doesn’t allow for an alternative browser to be installed, though there is a workaround using the Google Play store which is Chrome OS-compatible. Furthermore I suspect customers will be a lot more resistant to being locked into Edge and Bing than Chrome and Google search.
So far Microsoft has yet to specify what the ‘S’ in Windows 10 S stands for. If the operating system doesn’t become more flexible in its restrictions, customers are going to pick their own word…
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