HomeWinBuzzer NewsMicrosoft Furthers Andromeda OS Development with Windows 10 SKU Called Centaurus

Microsoft Furthers Andromeda OS Development with Windows 10 SKU Called Centaurus

Microsoft is reportedly building a Windows 10 SKU that runs its Andromeda operating system for dual-screen hardware.

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's experimentation with dual-screen devices has often led to the idea of a powered by . However, more recently it has become clear the company is focusing Andromeda toward laptop hardware.

Microsoft is rumored to be working on a SKU codenamed Centaurus. Not much is known about this SKU, but Microsoft watcher Zac Bowden suggests it runs Andromeda OS on Intel chipsets.

One of the core selling points of Andromeda will be its ability to run a full Windows 10 desktop experience with Win32 app support. This would help Microsoft bridge the app gap it has faced on mobile before. Essentially, a user could download any app they wanted easily.

On a smartphone, this would essentially mean a full-blown PC in your hands. That's what makes the concept of a dual-screen Surface Phone so appealing.

On laptop, Andromeda's party piece is less unique as all laptops run Windows 10 as a full PC. Indeed, even the dual screen nature of a new device is hardly innovative in the PC world. For example, Lenovo's Yoga Book offered a second screen when its debuted two years ago.

Sure, that device had a digital second screen and not a full panel. We guess Microsoft will be really expanding what a dual-experience means and may well revolutionize how we think of laptop and mobile PCs. However, until a Surface Phone drops, we find it hard to see how Microsoft will fulfil the potential of Andromeda

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We know Microsoft has for some time been working in dual-screened computers, starting with the Microsoft Courier, and then the long-rumored Surface Phone.

It will be interesting to see if Centaurus is a Windows 10 SKU with Andromeda and what Microsoft's full plans are. Despite reports earlier this year that the Surface Phone is on ice, Bowden insists the phone will arrive in 2019.

Luke Jones
Luke Jones
Luke has been writing about all things tech for more than five years. He is following Microsoft closely to bring you the latest news about Windows, Office, Azure, Skype, HoloLens and all the rest of their products.

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