Microsoft's Windows 10S Operating System
Important considerations for RISC Analysis Desktop License users.
Microsoft have let it be known that sometime in the next few years, Windows 10 and above will only support apps and programs installed via the Microsoft Store.
As a precursor to this, Microsoft released Windows 10S in late 2017. (Win 10S only works with apps installed via the Microsoft Store).
Store based apps are built on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). This means that downloadable and installable '.exe' or '.msi' programs (often referred to as Win32 Apps) are not supported.
For example, RISC Analysis, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and various other utilities that have been around for decades can not be installed to Win 10S.
Although Win 10S has been mostly ignored as a default Operating System by PC and Laptop vendors, we have recently noticed an increase in systems shipping with 10S.
Clients purchasing Laptops and PCs with Win 10S, and wishing to install exe and msi type programs would first need to turn off 'S-Mode'.
Our understanding is that turning off 'S-Mode' is essentially the same as upgrading to Win 10 Home or Win 10 Pro - and this is 'one-way' conversion. Once 'S-Mode' is disabled it can not be re-enabled.
RISC Analysis Online version (RISC Analysis DataBox).
As many of our clients know, there is an On-Line version of RISC Analysis, which we refer to as RISC Analysis DataBox.
RISC DataBox supports all modern browsers, with the exception of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. We have solid reasons for not supporting these browsers.
MSIE has not been updated for many years and has issues with modern javascript.
Edge is so lacking in function and full javascript support that it barely qualifies as browser.
Microsoft Edge on Chromium
After over 5 years of development, Microsoft announced in late 2018 that Edge would start using the Chromium browser engine. In other words, Edge will soon be Chrome.
Although a general release date has not yet been announced for Edge on Chrome, as of June 2019 the developer version looks and feels like Chrome and is now supported for use with RISC Analysis DataBox.
The problem this presents is that all current versions of Win 10S were shipped with the MS developed version of Edge, and to use RISC DataBox you will need to use the Chrome version.
Therefore, Win 10S users will need to go to the Microsoft Store and search for Edge.
Among the various Edge products is "Edge Dev Tools Preview".
Install this item from the Microsoft Store.
The installer will add the Edge Dev icon to the desktop.
Can I just download Google Chrome or Mozilla FireFox from the Microsoft App Store?
No, you can not. In early 2018, Microsoft and Google got into a quarrel. As a result, Microsoft pulled all Google Chrome apps from their app store.
It was rumored that Mozilla had been working on a Microsoft app store version of FireFox, but when Google got banned, they nixed the project.
Consequently, neither Google Chrome nor Mozilla FireFox are available via the Microsoft Store.
Summary:
Clients wishing to keep Windows 10S as the O/S will not be able to install any .exe or .msi based programs.
All apps must be installed via the Microsoft Store.
Clients wishing to use the Online version of RISC Analysis (RISC DataBox) will need to use the Chrome based version of Edge (available as "Edge Dev Tools Preview" from the Microsoft Store).
This is because we do not not support the MS developed version of Edge.
Also, since Google Chrome and Mozilla FireFox are not available from the store, and the .exe based versions can not be installed to Win 10S, no other browser can be installed to Win 10S.
Notes:
RISC DataBox is supported on mobile devices (such iPhone, iPad, and Android devices) and various operating systems including Windows, Linux, Mac, etc.
We do not support Microsoft Phones (which are now discontinued).
For non Win 10S users, the Chrome version of Edge is available as a beta/dev version for Win 7, 8, 10 using a normal installer via:
https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/download/
In late 2018 Microsoft let it be known that Win 10S would be discontinued as a stand-alone O/S and instead, all future versions of Win 10 will have S-Mode enablement.
This seems to leave it up to the PC vendor if they are shipping product with S-Mode enabled (which appears to Microsoft's preference for low end systems).
However the situation is vague as to whether of not vendors will need to indicate that a given system is set up this way.
Microsoft have also hinted that they will soon allow developers to distribute UWP based apps directly (without going through the MS Store) and that Win32 Apps (traditional .exe programs) would be limited in the number that can appear on the desktop or pinned to the taskbar.
All in all, the future of Windows appears to be very confused, and certainly not geared to allowing PC owners to decide for them themselves how to use their devices.
