Microsoft will not launch lightweight Windows 10X

Billed as a competition to the Chrome OS, the 10X operating system was expected to come along with new dual-screen devices like the Surface Neo before the pandemic hit the world.

"Instead of bringing a product called Windows 10X to market in 2021 like we originally intended, we are leveraging learnings from our journey thus far and accelerating the integration of key foundational 10X technology into other parts of Windows and products at the company," said John Cable, head of Windows servicing and delivery, in a blog post on Tuesday.

Microsoft said that its teams continue to invest in areas where the 10X technology will help meet its customer needs as well as evaluate technology experiences both in software and hardware that will be useful to its customers in the future.

"This shift in thinking is an incredible example of the company's value of a growth mindset at work and exemplifies our customer-first focus," Cable said.

Microsoft said that in the current environment, people continue to rely on PCs more than ever.

"As a result, we are initially taking a measured seeker-based approach to the rollout of the May 2021 Update. We are throttling availability up over the coming weeks to ensure a reliable download experience for all, so the update may not be offered to you right away," Cable informed.

The May 2021 Update is available initially to select devices running Windows 10, version 2004 or later who are interested in experiencing the latest feature updates and are ready to install this release on their device.

As a first half (H1) of the calendar year release, all editions of the May 2021 Update (version 21H1) will receive 18 months of servicing and support, beginning from Tuesday, the company said.