Mary Jo’s at it again: In addition to today’s news about Windows 10X, Ms. Foley today reported that Microsoft is working on a virtualized Windows desktop experience for thin clients called Microsoft Cloud PC. It’s expected in Spring 2021.
As she writes, Cloud PC won’t replace Windows and Office on rich PCs for the foreseeable future. Instead, this new service will be option for businesses that wish to deploy low-end PCs that will behave in many ways like thin clients, with software delivered from the Azure cloud.
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“Microsoft’s vision of Cloud PC is that it is the only Microsoft 365-powered user compute experience delivered from Azure and managed by Microsoft, at a flat per user price,” a Microsoft job posting that Mary Jo discovered reads. “Microsoft Cloud PC is a strategic, new offering that is built on top of Windows Virtual Desktop to delivering Desktop as a Service. At its core, Cloud PC provides business customers a modern, elastic, cloud-based Windows experience and will allow organizations to stay current in a more simplistic and scalable manner.”
As Mary Jo points out, pricing will be key. For all its usefulness, Microsoft 365 today is just too expensive, and the addition of virtualized application support could driver prices further higher (or simply require more expensive SKUs).
There are also questions about the timing. Foley says that it could happen as soon as Spring 2021, as noted, but as with anything else this far out, technical problems could trigger delays.
Anyway, we used to joke ruefully about “Windows as a Subscription Service.” And this looks like it will finally happen.
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<blockquote><em><a href="#555079">In reply to sevenacids:</a></em></blockquote><p>Microsoft is going to lose Windows users very quickly. They are really working hard on pushing everyone to Linux along with Gaming industry and that's the end of Windows and Microsoft as we know it.</p>
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<p>All Microsoft bets are on cloud.</p>
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<blockquote><em><a href="#555100">In reply to HellcatM:</a></em></blockquote><p>Imagine a nightmare of streaming OS and Apps, no matter how fast connection you have it is a horrible experience. There is no in hell I would ever sign up for such garbage idea, and most Windows users are not going to do the same. I think Linux on Desktop is going to become a thing in few years and entire industry including gaming industry will switch to it leaving Windows and Microsoft thin client stupid idea behind.</p><p><br></p><p>You think that multi million industry is going to accept this stupid idea? Nvidia, AMD, Intel are on making money on selling beefy hardware for their consumers. Like someone who purchased 3900x is going to turn his/her machine into thin client to stream Microsoft OS and other nonsense from cloud. hahah. If there is one delusional company today, that award should go to Microsoft. Their arrogance is a comedy at this point.</p><p><br></p><p>We all know that Chrome OS miserably failed, no one cares about. Some people are using and that number is next to nothing. </p>
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<blockquote><em><a href="#555130">In reply to Pungkuss:</a></em></blockquote><p>Sorry I can disconnect Internet and I can do anything I want on computer and everything works fine. This idea Microsoft talks about is the concept of thin clients from 70s everyone moved away from a long time go. PC is not Phone, and I am sure Phone is useless without Internet cause you cannot check Facebook status. I get that.</p><p><br></p><p>There is plenty to do on computer without Internet, just because you have no idea what to do is your problem.</p>
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<blockquote><em><a href="#555343">In reply to paul-thurrott:</a></em></blockquote><p>Multi billion hardware and software industry needs Windows therefore Windows we all know is not going away for a long time. And if Microsoft magically removed Windows we know out of equation that industry would move to alternative called Linux. And Linux market share is currently > than Mac OS which is very interesting. </p><p><br></p><p>Back to cars from the 1970s :)…currently looking for Mustang from 60s to buy. I despite new cars, just bunch of plastic with bunch of useless electronic and can't stand automatic transmission.</p><p><br></p><p>My wife drives one of these fancy sedans with all the sensors and nothing more annoying than blind car sensor. When I drive that thing just beeps and I am thinking, shut the f. up you stupid little thing and let me drive. If I was to listen to that stupid thing I would never be able to change lane in the city.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>
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<blockquote><em><a href="#555179">In reply to ikjadoon:</a></em></blockquote><p>What is a car subscription?</p>
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<blockquote><em><a href="#555157">In reply to MichaelMDiv:</a></em></blockquote><p>Streaming Windows from Cloud for sure is not going to be a thing. I can guarantee you that. If Microsoft thinks the future is that, trust me entire industry will switch to Linux. Btw Linux got a big traction lately. It has bigger market share than Mac OS which says enough about Apple too.</p>
blue77star
<blockquote><em><a href="#555148">In reply to irfaanwahid:</a></em></blockquote><p>I am sure some people will do it but we are talking about very small <1%. There is no saving cost with Microsoft cloud. They charge a liver and kidney for services there. Let me not even go there.</p>
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<blockquote><em><a href="#555177">In reply to RM:</a></em></blockquote><p>I didn't say that, Microsoft will just turn into boring company me as consumer won't care about meaning won't have anything installed written or made by Microsoft. They will keep making trillion dollars on cloud and cloud services.</p>
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<blockquote><em><a href="#555204">In reply to Jim_Lewis:</a></em></blockquote><p>Storing stuff on cloud is like giving someone your credit card and other sensitive information. Paying for endless subscription for OS and Apps is a comedy too. I am coming from different angle.</p>
blue77star
<blockquote><em><a href="#555339">In reply to paul-thurrott:</a></em></blockquote><p>Call me old school but I stacked my CDs on book shelf. I buy media on disc I safely rip to my NAS and store original CD/DVD on bookshelf. At any point I can disconnect network cable and life is the same :)</p>
blue77star
<blockquote><em><a href="#555293">In reply to red.radar:</a></em></blockquote><p>Number one thing I uninstall from Windows 10 is One Drive. It is nothing but useless to me which slows down the system. That thing literally killed Office in my opinion ever since Microsoft integrated it with. </p>