Thoughts on Windows Cloud?

What is everyone’s thoughts here on Windows Cloud, being a locked down version of Windows? Love it, hate it, frightened by it? 

 

My initial thoughts from hearing about Windows Cloud;

I think it will be a free version of Windows, for everyone. People will have to pay to upgrade to a home or pro version. It will be apart of Microsoft’s new business model. 

I also think Windows Cloud could be the groundwork, for how future versions of Windows are. Where we install all apps, from the store. I think this is both a negative and positive thing.

I think Windows Cloud will be a version for lower end devices. It would be absurd to have it on a $1500 gaming computer, that you can’t download Steam.  

Conversation 10 comments

  • 1063

    Premium Member
    09 February, 2017 - 10:36 am

    <p>I have thought "could this be part of an enterprise security play?". &nbsp;I would think IT would prefer that we not download win32 apps like Chrome that somehow give an option to bypass admin rights. &nbsp;Currently at work most of our real work is done through remote servers using a Citrix web app. &nbsp;Those actually running those programs locally would run Windows 10 pro. &nbsp;All those other computers use safer UWP apps deamed safe by the organization. &nbsp;I think it would be bad PR for normal consumers like my parents to get this cloud version and find that they can’t use chrome, but who knows.</p>

    • 8578

      09 February, 2017 - 2:44 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#41757">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/rtodd_us">rtodd_us</a><a href="#41757">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>Can’t IT already use Windows’ Group Policy to limit what programs one can run?&nbsp;</p>

      • 1063

        Premium Member
        09 February, 2017 - 3:17 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#41832">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/skane2600">skane2600</a><a href="#41832">:</a></em></blockquote>
        <p>Yeah, but which would be easier, a built in block or having to edit group policies.&nbsp;</p>

        • 8578

          09 February, 2017 - 4:34 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#41841">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/rtodd_us">rtodd_us</a><a href="#41841">:</a></em></blockquote>
          <p>Seems like a pretty basic task for an IT group.</p>

    • 313

      Premium Member
      09 February, 2017 - 5:17 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#41757">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/rtodd_us">rtodd_us</a><a href="#41757">:</a></em></blockquote>
      <p>yea…. restricting access to install software is not an issue for IT department.</p>

  • 5530

    09 February, 2017 - 10:39 am

    <p>Horrible. I think it will be a huge mistake, the same way Windows RT was. But at least Windows RT had technical reasons – the way they’ve limited Windows Cloud is completely arbitrary. Microsoft just needs to be content with the fact that&nbsp;a low-cost version of Windows just isn’t possible,&nbsp;the business model of Windows will never be able to change,&nbsp;until they manage to grow revenues through the Windows Store. Windows Cloud can be a thing <em>after</em> the business model is able to shift, not before.</p>
    <p>Windows Cloud isn’t a "nice, lean OS". It’s just less of an OS and they’re using that to&nbsp;compete with Chromebooks. Nevermind that they haven’t quite figured out a way to make Windows Updates work better.</p>

  • 5038

    09 February, 2017 - 11:14 am

    <p>I don’t think it could be a viable system TODAY, except for maybe a few isolated use cases. &nbsp;In 2-3 years things start to look different for UWP, and then it could be a viable edition of Windows. &nbsp; UWP can’t succeed on it’s own right now cause Win10 is only on 25% of all PC’s. &nbsp;In 3 years, Win10 will be 80%+ of all PC’s, and UWP will have 3 more years of improvements. &nbsp;At that point UWP can be looked at as a legit target for apps, and an edition of Windows that runs only UWP/Store apps has a much rosier outlook. &nbsp;</p>

  • 8578

    09 February, 2017 - 2:05 pm

    <p>The OEM cost of full Windows Home doesn’t make up a significant percentage of the cost of even an inexpensive computer. &nbsp;So even if Windows Cloud is free to OEMs it probably won’t make the purchase price much lower. Upgrading from Cloud to full Windows would probably be more expensive than buying full Windows in the first place. Unless a customer was suckered into buying a Windows Cloud computer thinking it was "real" Windows, wouldn’t they already know if they wanted to run legacy apps or not at the time of purchase?</p>
    <p>If they wanted to address the education market selling the idea that it was simpler and less prone to abuse, wouldn’t it be better to not support UWP so that kids aren’t downloading non-educational apps from the Store? (Similarly I would argue that Google adding Android apps to Chromebooks makes them less desirable to education for the same reasons).</p>
    <p>I also think it’s a mistake to use the word "Windows" as part of the name.&nbsp;That creates the expectation that it will run the Windows programs that have existed for nearly 30 years.</p>

    • 1377

      Premium Member
      09 February, 2017 - 5:34 pm

      <p><em><a href="#41814">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/skane2600">skane2600</a><a href="#41814">:</a></em></p>
      <blockquote><em>. . . "real" Windows . . .</em></blockquote>
      <p>I see potential for MSFT marketing or retailers to repeat the Vista Ready/Capable fiasco with Windows Cloud. Couldn’t MSFT, OEMs or retailers claim a device which runs UWP apps is <em>real Windows</em>?</p>
      <p>Do even 10% of the people using Windows PCs know what the difference is between Win32 and UWP? Do most people call Win32 software <em>legacy</em>?</p>
      <p>Nevertheless, since it can be upgraded to, er, Win32-capable Windows, perhaps rename it Windows Possibility.</p>

      • 8578

        10 February, 2017 - 1:13 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#41891">In reply to </a><a href="../../../../users/hrlngrv">hrlngrv</a><a href="#41891">:</a></em></blockquote>
        <p>When talking to knowledgeable people I use terms like "legacy", Win32 and UWP. Most Windows users don’t know or care about these terms, but they’ll notice when the programs they’ve used for years won’t run. I still don’t see how a customer who doesn’t care about "legacy" programs will suddenly care about them in the future and upgrade. Unless, as I said, they were fooled into buying the wrong version.</p>

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