Windows On Weight Watchers? 'Lean' Version Spotted
If your computer has so little storage that it can't easily run Windows updates, Microsoft may soon have a solution for you. Eagle-eyed Twitter user Lucan spotted a reference to "Windows 10 Lean" in Microsoft's latest "skip ahead" build for its Windows Insider beta testers.
While Microsoft has been mum, telling Laptop Mag that it has no comment, Lucan speculates that Windows 10 Lean is a lighter-weight version of Microsoft's operating system that's made for low-end computers that have weak processors and small storage drives.
The main clue that this new OS option is for low-end PCs is the smaller size; Lucan reports that it is 2GB smaller than a typical Windows 10 Pro install, which would be perfect for budget devices. It would also leave room for updates on devices that sport only 16GB of storage.
Elimination of features such as the wallpaper, Registry Editor, and the Microsoft Management Console could streamline operation on low performance computers like the HP Stream or the Lenovo Ideapad 100S.
The focus seems to be on cutting certain features that the target user would not use, in favor of an OS that will stay efficient and quick. Others speculate that Windows 10 Lean could become an option for mobile devices. However, just saving a mere 2GB isn't particularly impressive, so perhaps there are more changes than we know.
There is no reported date of release for this install option, but Microsoft could make an announcement at its upcoming Build conference.
This is not something that a typical user could do so they have to go to the expense of getting a professional to do it for them. A light version of Windows 10 which does not create the file windows.old might be a solution.
I have a better idea. How about stripping out all the useless Windows 8 / 10 included Tile apps along with whatever engine is used to capture and report telemetry data. That would be an ideal place to start.
We went the cloud direction just like many other F500 corps. There are some things that can and do work well as cloud apps... but the fad of 'cloud everything' is already fading under an avalanche of substandard network throttled performance. Windows is safe for a while yet... especially if they keep innovating.