What the heck is Windows S?

What the heck is Windows S? or what does the S stand for? Stillborn?

https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/2/15518752/windows-10s-operating-sys...

Mike...

P.S. As a side note, the S in Windows 10 S doesn’t officially stand for anything. However, it could mean “Schools,” “Students,” “Store,” or even “Streamlined”. We suspect you may have some suggestions of your own, so feel free to leave a comment below telling us what you think the S stands for.

Edited by mikeschn 2017-05-03 1:13 AM

CE never officially stood for anything either. Heck, I've been told that if you had asked Mr Boeing where he got 707 from, he couldn't give you an answer either.

It can only run programs from the store? So it's basically Windows RT?

It's not like RT. RT was not only limited to the Store, it wasn't full Win 8. Win S is full Win 10; it's just that you can install apps from the Store only. My understanding is that it can be upgraded to regular Win 10 for $50 US.

It's meant to compete with chromebooks in the education market, and I've read that the new Surface laptop running S is meant to compete against the MacBook (but I don't know much about fruity tech).

Initially I thought it was RT reincarnated, and I was very mildly hopeful for an upgrade path (I still have a Surface RT that I use regularly), but that's not happening. I feel like I've become a magnet for abandoned MS tech.....I have CE devices, an RT, an MS Band, and a Win phone.

https://liliputing.com/2017/05/cant-change-default-browser-search-en... Sounds crappy....

Honestly though, this is pretty alarming. Microsoft is starting their "ecosystem" business model, just like Apple.
First Windows 10S will only be for developing countries, then it will come to "budget devices" and before we know it the only Windows OS that isn't locked down will only run on 10.000$ servers.

Looking at the shelf of CE devices, I can join the club

Here's another way to look at it... Remember when IBM tried to corner the market with the micro-channel architecture? Remember how well that went over? I see Windows S in the same vein!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Channel_architecture

Mike...

Edited by mikeschn 2017-05-04 12:22 AM

Theoretically it is still possible that this version will work on an original Surface tablet - as the article said, if there will be another ARM version of Windows 10 (other than Mobile) then S will be it.

Given how my experience of Windows 10 Home can run on really old x86 hardware, I assume S will be even more efficient. If they do create an ARM version it will run on very low spec ARM devices - yes I think even Surface can run it. Afterall RT is Windows 8, which IMO is slower than 10.

With that said, it would be shocking if MS upgrades the Surface or Surface 2 at all anymore. The best they would get out of that is some good reputation, and loyalty. Instead a new Surface (not Pro) tablet with Win10S, either with ARM or x86, seems very likely.

Bet my shelf is bigger than yours . . .

There is already a Windows 10 for Students, it's called Windows 10 Education and it's Windows 10 without Cortana.

Why would this be any different to RT. RT failed because people couldn't get their head out of Windows's legacy and app's do not make sense on traditionally sized devices especially when psychologically it looks like it should be capable of more.

It'll work for that retired bloke we all know who just emails jokes to everyone he knows and does a web search once a month, you know the guy (let's call him... Rich).

It won't work for school kids because they'll feel like the kid who got an abacus while all their friends got iFad's. It'll only work for school IT admins if it can be properly policy controlled, domain joined (which it cannot) and for the very few who have bothered, MDM'd - but none of their learning apps will work on it and they'll figure they may as well just not bother.

It won't work for anyone in the industry.

So based on providing apps for our man Rich, is there still any incentive for anyone to write Universal WPF apps. Especially given that Windows Phone is d-e-a-d.

So it's a good way for Microsoft to reduce perceptive up-front device costs by $50 and then make $50 in after sales. Aka convert Windows back into being consumer division revenue generating again.

The rub is, of course, that they'll probably use it to push MS account as a requirement to use the 10 S, so you are already hooked up before you can get the $50 upgrade.

I figured you had far more than a shelf, Gregg......more like a shed.....or a storage container.....

MS account is not required to "use" win10s but probably required to use the store - the only place to get any app and the $50 pro upgrade

But as they say, the only constant is change (the only thing that never changes is that things change.)

RT may have failed for all the reasons that applies to 10S, but the industry and the market has changed since then.

10S is obviously compared to Chrome OS. Which might not sound very good, but still better than RT.

It is very true all laptops other than the most premium or gaming laptops will probably come with Win 10s from now on, especially if its cheaper than Home, or its upgrade to Pro is cheaper.

Hmmm...wonder who that would be...





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