Windows 10 could turn into a Chromebook killer

When Windows 8 was released, Microsoft already knew Google Chromebooks were going to be a problem. Google’s ability to cater to the super-low-end of the budget spectrum, has garnered an increasing number of fans of the Chrome OS platform, due to its extreme portability and simplicity, as well as an extremely solid ecosystem, built for users on a budget.

Low cost, powerful apps, portability: the trifecta of a killer product whose popularity shows no sign of slowing down, until now.

According to recent reports, Microsoft has come up with a plan to slow, and potentially halt, Chromebook dominance in the budget computing category, with a low-end device of its own, which couldn’t have come at a better time.

The $149 Windows 10 laptop, sources say, will be powered by an Intel Atom processor. The specs will most likely be minimal, and most higher-end apps won’t run in the same way as they would on a mid-range Windows laptop, if at all. By the same token, high-end specs are irrelevant when the target audience’s needs are as simple as communication, web browsing, social networking and office applications.

Microsoft Windows 10 versus Chrome OS

Compared to Google Chromebooks, A Windows 10 laptop, at a similar price-point, is hard to pass, especially as Microsoft’s new operating system is beginning to look a lot like Chrome OS on steroids:

For one thing, both operating system have the ability to install and run apps on the fly, through their respective stores.

Next, Both Windows and Chrome OS can run on devices with very limited specs, and still offering a smooth experience.

Finally, both operating systems offer similar social connectivity, communication capabilities and cloud-based office applications.

However, if the rumors are true about a Windows 10 laptop with such low price tag, the ability to run native Windows applications, has the potential to tip the scale in Microsoft’s favor.

This last aspect will play a crucial role in the decision making process of a low-budget consumer. Suddenly faced with the choice between a Chromebook that can only run Google applications, and a Windows laptop that can run both Windows, and Google apps, consumers will see little value in restricting their options, no matter how much they love to stay within Google’s ecosystem.