Windows 10 S Failed, and It’s OK (Premium)

Like an unwelcome house guest, Windows 10 S arrived last year shrouded in mystery and suspicious intent. But now that we know Microsoft has quickly killed off this pointless experiment, we can confidently face a better future, sure that Windows 10 S will bother us no more.

Right?

Um. Not exactly.

As I noted in Exclusive: Microsoft Plots a Transition Year for Windows 10 (Premium), Microsoft is killing Windows 10 S, which had been marketed as a new standalone Windows product edition for individuals, alongside Windows 10 Home and Pro.

That did not go well.

In the three quarters since this product was first announced, it was adopted up by exactly zero PC makers. In my discussions with those PC makers, both private and public, I've been told the same thing repeatedly: There just isn't any demand for Windows 10 S. So Terry Myerson's May 2017 promise that we'd soon see more premium PCs running the system amounted to naught.

Yes, most major PC makers are, in fact, selling Windows 10 S-based PCs, albeit only on low-end junker PCs aimed at the education market. But that's not really what's happening: All of those low-end education PCs are offered with a choice of either Windows 10 S or Windows 10 Pro. And I challenge you to find any high-profile examples of a school district or other major educational institution actually rolling out on Windows 10 S. It's the type of thing Microsoft would publicize heavily if it were happening. But it never has.

And yes, some really do argue that Windows 10 is somehow "better" than the more powerful and capable mainstream Windows 10 versions. This is laughably untrue. But rather than beat this to death, I'll just quote from a recent email which neatly highlights the real issue here. To be clear, the goal is not to embarrass or belittle its author, but rather to point out that our perception biases, as Microsoft fans in this case, often prevent us from making the best decisions for ourselves. And that "it works fine" is the opposite of "it is better."

"My usage experience has been far better on Windows 10 S than it ever was on Windows 10 Pro," he writes. "I have most of the apps I need thanks to the Windows Store, my laptop starts up and shuts down more quickly than it did with Windows 10 Pro, and I genuinely like the overall experience that Windows 10 S offers me."

His PC, by the way, is a decent rig, with a Core i5 processor and 16 GB of RAM. And I will point out the following rebuttal. He would have access to all apps, not just most of the apps he thinks he needs, on Windows 10 Pro. Not to mention drivers, utilities, and other capabilities that are simply not available on Windows 10 S. That the notion that the Microsoft Store is somehow complete enough to satisfying anyone's needs is highly questionable. That startup and shutdown times are immaterial in this age of always-on PCs, and that standby/resume times are more important by far. And that the "overall experience" of both systems is...