Windows 10 Cloud is Nothing Less Than the Future of Windows (Premium)

I've been kind of biting my tongue on the Windows 10 Cloud rumors because most of what we've read is speculation or misunderstanding. But this product offering is easily summarized, and it's not "a fresh Chrome OS alternative," as was suggested this week. It is, rather, nothing less the future of Windows.

In the sense, the folks who see Windows 10 Cloud as the resurrection of Windows RT are more on the mark. This is indeed "Windows RT done right."

So what does that mean?

First, this release isn't tied to ARM, and it isn't bound by the performance limitations that dogged the ARM-based Windows RT back in 2012. In keeping with other Windows 10 product editions, you can expect both Intel- and ARM-based versions of Windows 10 Cloud. Which, yes, is a terrible name. I bet it changes.

Second, Windows RT was the right idea, generally, but it wasn't ready at the time of its release. That product, you may recall, looked like Windows, and worked like Windows, but it did not offer desktop application compatibility. Windows 10 Cloud allegedly will not either. But since it is a mainstream Windows version, you should be able to upgrade and overcome the desktop application compatibility limitation, just as you can upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro today. It just makes sense.

As a no-compromises, new-look take on Windows RT, Windows 10 Cloud has its sights on the future. A future of predictability and reliability, of solid performance and without security issues. It is Microsoft's new chance to pull a Windows NT again and start over with a fresh slate.

That fresh slate is the UWP/Windows Store world, and I understand why that will give anyone reading this site pause. There is no way to sugar-coat the fact that this platform has not succeeded to date, I know.

But it's also fair to remember that UWP/Windows Store is the right idea. It is a modern, future-facing platform that will bring Windows 10 solidly into the 21st century. It is also a true subset of the current Windows 10 product editions---Home, Pro, and so on---and those editions will continue to be available so that users can choose them instead. Until and unless they no longer need to. This is about continuity too.

Yes, I know that this is a chicken and the egg problem. That Microsoft needs to solve the inadequacies of the UWP/Store ecosystem before users will embrace this smaller, lighter, safer, more robust platform. No one has been more vocal about this need than I.

But allow me to lend my voice to another truth. Windows 10 Cloud is the future of Windows. This is why Microsoft is providing this option today. Not because of ARM. Not because of Chromebooks. And not because the Windows 10 product family wasn't already confusing enough.

They're making Windows 10 Cloud because doing so is the right thing to do. And it's hard not to be excited by that, despite the obvious challenges.

I can't wait to find out more.

Gain unlimited access to Premium articles.

With technology shaping our everyday lives, how could we not dig deeper?

Thurrott Premium delivers an honest and thorough perspective about the technologies we use and rely on everyday. Discover deeper content as a Premium member.

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC