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posted by on Wednesday May 03 2017, @06:11PM   Printer-friendly
from the no-one-saw-that-coming dept.

Microsoft has announced a new version of Windows called Windows 10 S. It only runs apps from the Windows Store, and is positioned between Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro, both of which can run third party applications. Microsoft also announced a new line of Surface laptops running the OS. The laptops have been described as competing with either Google's Chromebooks or Apple's MacBook Air, and aimed at students:

Windows 10 S is Windows 10 with its wings slightly clipped: it can only run apps from the Windows Store, disabling compatibility with the enormous breadth of Windows programs out there, which in the educational context translates to better security, consistent performance, focus for students, and improved battery life. It's cheaper and less versatile than Windows 10 Pro, which is exactly what schools are looking for (and the thing that's had them gravitating toward Google's Chrome OS in recent times).

[...] Immediately upon its introduction, Windows 10 S spans a price range from $189 to $2,199 (for the top Surface Laptop spec). So is this a straightforward and affordable solution for mass educational deployment? Or is it a super streamlined operating system for powering extremely desirable and long-lasting laptops? Yes. Microsoft's answer to both of those things is yes. It's not impossible to achieve both goals with the same software, of course, but it is difficult to position the OS in people's minds.

[...] The Windows on ARM effort is going to be rekindled by the end of this year, and Windows 10 S is the likeliest candidate to be the OS of choice for those new computers, in which case the significance of the S label will once again be complicated. Come the holidays, buying a Windows 10 S PC could mean getting either an Intel or an ARM machine, it could mean cheap and cheerful or it could be a premium portable.

Also at the Washington Post, Engadget, Laptop Mag, and Business Insider.

As well as BGR, Mashable, The Independent, PC World, Tech Radar, ZDNet, Ars Technica, Fossbytes, TechCrunch #1, TechCrunch #2, Venture Beat, and The Street.

What do you think the 'S' stands for?

Previously: Ask Soylent: Ramifications of Removing Windows Store from Enterprise Installs?
Microsoft Adds Store App-Only Restriction as Option in Windows 10


Original Submission #1Original Submission #2

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:00PM (9 children)

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:00PM (#503853)

    This isn't the same as their prior case. There's 3 different consumer versions of Windows now: Home, S, and Pro. If you don't like the 'S' version, then you can buy Home or Pro instead. They'll probably even have a way to easily "upgrade" to Pro for $$$. So if you don't like being stuck with Edge and apps from the Windows Store, you're free to use a version of Windows that gives you that ability.

    This is really no different than Chromebooks, which are similarly locked-down.

    It'll be very interesting to see how far Windows S gets in the marketplace. The main thing that's worrying about it is that they seem to be pushing it in schools, where kids won't have the freedom to opt out, and will be trained to view the walled-garden as normal.

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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:01PM (6 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:01PM (#503856) Journal

    http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-criticism-why-it-costs-money-to-upgrade-windows-10-s-to-pro-2017-5 [businessinsider.com]

    For $49, you can upgrade from "S" to Windows 10 Pro and install whatever you'd like, with Microsoft warning that the switch will likely undermine your battery life and system speed.

    This raised some red flags among the tech world.

    The existing Windows 10 Pro operating system already has a setting that lets you turn off the ability to install non-Windows Store software. And so some, like Andreessen Horowitz investor Benedict Evans, had a question: Is Microsoft giving people a crippled operating system and charging them $49 to fix it?

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:07PM

      by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:07PM (#503861)

      > Is Microsoft giving people a crippled operating system and charging them $49 to fix it?

      Yes.
      If they don't get their cut via the store, they'll charge you for the privilege.

      With the GOP in power, they should have gone right away for an annual $49 ... why bother with a one-time fee?

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Grishnakh on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:13PM (4 children)

      by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:13PM (#503867)

      Is Microsoft giving people a crippled operating system and charging them $49 to fix it?

      Well obviously, yes.

      I don't see what the problem is here. If you don't want a crippled OS, don't buy it.

      Microsoft has been a bad actor for 40 years now. I really don't understand why people act so surprised and angry about it now. By now, you should expect customer-hostile behavior from MS. Any time you see a news report about MS, just ask yourself, "what would a purely evil and greedy person do here?", and this should be exactly what you're reading about MS's latest shenanigan. If you don't like this, it's very simple: stop buying their stuff. Getting mad about it isn't going to help. They're never going to change, and giving them your money is simply enabling their behavior, which means YOU are really to blame for it. If that means you have to suffer some inconvenience, well that's the price you pay. Either choose convenience and put up with MS's shenanigans and stop complaining about it, or choose freedom from their abuse. There is no middle ground.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 03 2017, @08:04PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 03 2017, @08:04PM (#503906)

        This!

        I, for one, do not give MS my money. I also don't use their OS, so that makes it trivial to not give them any of my money.

        • (Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday May 04 2017, @05:17AM

          by Scruffy Beard 2 (6030) on Thursday May 04 2017, @05:17AM (#504195)

          I am reasonably sure that if you buy a new computer of smartphone, you pay the Microsoft tax: whether Windows is bundled or not.

          Aren't software patents great?

      • (Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Wednesday May 03 2017, @08:23PM (1 child)

        by bzipitidoo (4388) on Wednesday May 03 2017, @08:23PM (#503922) Journal

        The problem occurs when your employer demands documents be written in MS Word, your kids get gift cards good only at the $CORPORATE store for Christmas and birthday presents, the local government's online services require IE or Edge to function fully, etc.

        • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday May 03 2017, @08:39PM

          by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday May 03 2017, @08:39PM (#503928)

          The problem occurs when your employer demands documents be written in MS Word

          No problem: just use the computer your employer has provided for you. Most employers prefer you to use their equipment, not your own, and they buy all the licenses. Let them give their money to MS and deal with all the support problems.

          Or use LibreOffice; it usually exports .docx just fine as long as you don't do anything overly complicated. Or Google Docs.

          your kids get gift cards good only at the $CORPORATE store for Christmas and birthday presents

          What are you talking about? Kids don't want PCs running Windows, they want game systems or phones. Get them a Wii or an Android phone or something.

          the local government's online services require IE or Edge to function fully, etc.

          Citation needed. This used to be a big problem 10+ years ago with IE6. I've never heard of anything requiring Edge to function, except perhaps some crappy internal-only corporate stuff. Edge has a pitiful marketshare considering it's the standard on Win10 and they constantly try to get you to make it the default browser, even resorting to dirty tricks like forcing it to default with an update. Chrome is just too popular for anyone to require Edge.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:43PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 03 2017, @07:43PM (#503886)

    Ultimate Edition [linux.com]
    (Gratis and Libre.)
    The hardware on which it runs is also more affordable.

    MSFT's S must stand for "Suckers".
    ...or maybe "Stuck on Stupid".

    M$: Why shoot yourself in the foot when you can blow your whole leg off?

    -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 04 2017, @05:32AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 04 2017, @05:32AM (#504201)

    This is far worse than the prior case.

    In the prior case you could literally go online and spend a few moments downloading an alternative browser for 100% free. This is a system that, by analog, not only refuses to include alternative browsers (which is what sparked the anti-compete investigation and penalties) but is actually hard coded specifically to exclude anything except Microsoft's own browser. In terms of anticompetitive behavior, this dwarfs their previous unlawful behavior. The only difference of course is that now they have enough politicians in their pocket that they're above the law.