Microsoft has announced that they will be holding a big spring event to unveil new products this coming May 2. The potential Surface Pro 5 remains the most anticipated product with its Kaby Lake processor but there is likely to be no radical difference between it and its predecessors. That may be a big bummer expectant techies, but CEO Satya Nadella and co. have another ace up their sleeves. It is Windows 10 Cloud, a lightweight version of their latest operating system.

Redmond watchers reported on the Windows 10 Cloud earlier this year after Microsoft pundits had a first look on the software. According to them, this stripped-down version of the OS would only be able to run applications that are designed for both the desktop and the mobile. If the user attempts to install an incompatible program, then the system would flash a message notifying them of the mismatch.

At the time, what the public knew about Windows 10 Cloud came mainly from Microsoft watchers. However, with the release of the Creators Update came a stronger evidence of the software. Forbes points out that when the update was launched, it contained references in its code for a lighter variety of the OS.

This places Microsoft as a direct competitor to Google in this regard. The Mountain View-headquartered company has a fleet of machines that runs on Chrome OS. Redmond is trying to create an operating system that could cost less or even be free. As The Verge notes, PC makers could use Windows 10 Cloud to create computers that would challenge Chromebooks.

This would not be Microsoft's first foray into making a built-down version of their operating system. They previously created Windows RT, a Windows 8 variant that went with the first Microsoft Surface. It also limited the number of applications that could in it, but Windows 10 Cloud will have greater compatibility than RT did.