It shouldn't surprise anyone that it won't see the light of day, and it also means the Redmond company can focus on making Windows 10 better instead.

Microsoft's Windows 10X project started out as a Chrome OS alternative, with a fresh interface designed around the web browser, new security model for running apps, faster update process, light enough to run for many hours at a time on inexpensive laptops with less beefy internals, and an adaptable shell that would work great on various modern form factors such as convertibles and 2-in-1s.

The project changed its scope over time, as Microsoft sought to make Windows 10X the perfect operating system for foldable devices such as the Surface Neo.

According to Brad Sams over at Petri, Microsoft is shifting resources from the project to focus on Windows 10, and Windows 10X will join Windows RT and Windows 10 S in Microsoft's graveyard of failed experiments.

By contrast, Windows 10X was designed around the use of cloud-powered web apps, as Microsoft wanted to make it attractive for casual users, educational institutions, and small businesses -- in other words, a Chrome OS killer.

This means that at least some ideas behind Windows 10X are making their way into Windows 10, such as a more coherent interface where you won't see icons made using several design languages, some of them dating back to Windows 95.