Because Windows RT worked out so well - Microsoft announces Windows S - Sensationalist Headlines

[quote]NEW YORK—In a move to curtail Google's growing presence in the education market, Microsoft has announced a new Windows variant: Windows 10 S. Previously rumored as "Windows 10 Cloud," the new Windows variant is defined by one specific design decision: it can only run and install applications that are obtained through the Windows Store. Both applications are built using Microsoft's new Universal Windows Program (UWP) framework, and traditional Win32 applications ported to the Store using the Desktop Bridge (formerly known as "Project Centennial") will be permitted, but Win32 applications that use their own installers will not function.[/quote] [url]https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/05/microsoft-takes-on-chrome-os-with-new-windows-10-s/[/url] [quote]If Windows 10 S should see any significant amount of uptake, it might provide the incentive that developers need to support the Store. It's already had this effect on one developer: Microsoft. Office 2016 will be sold through the Windows Store. Microsoft will no doubt be positioning this ability to run the full Office suite as a key advantage over Chrome OS, but it's also something of an endorsement of Centennial: if it's good enough for something as large and complex as Office, it should also be good enough for a wide range of other Windows applications. New Windows 10 education PCs will be coming out soon from partners including Asus, Samsung, Dell, and HP, starting at $189. All new Windows 10 education PCs will get a free one-year subscription to Minecraft: Education Edition, too. All schools currently running Windows 10 Pro can receive a free update to Windows 10 S as well.[/quote] Unlike RT though it seems like you can remove this restriction.

[quote] All new Windows 10 education PCs will get a free one-year subscription to [b]Minecraft[/b]: Education Edition, too. [/quote] :suicide:

Plain old Surface Laptop also announced [quote]The Surface Laptop ships with Windows 10 S, the new cut-down Windows 10 SKU Microsoft announced today. Out of the box, the operating system can only run apps from the Windows Store, though it's possible to upgrade it to a full Windows 10 Pro install for $50.[/quote] [url]https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/05/microsoft-makes-a-regular-old-laptop-the-surface-laptop/[/url] [t]https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/surfacelap-6.jpg[/t]

[QUOTE]All schools currently running Windows 10 Pro can receive a free update to Windows 10 S as well.[/QUOTE] Isn't this a downgrade?

Gee willikers, guess what version of Windows 10 I'm going to avoid like the fucking plague?

[QUOTE=mijyuoon;52176633]:suicide:[/QUOTE] minecraft can honesty be used as a good tool for environmental sustainability. I don't really know much about mc: education though.

Wait, so if you can upgrade the Surface from Windows S to Windows 10, that means it's working on an x64 architecture right? In that case, why on earth is there a need for the stripped-down OS in the first place?

Sounds like a version of Windows for the older folk that can easily be compromised via phishing. Can't have a "Microsoft" rep use LogMeIn and try to extort them because their computer is infected. Otherwise, Windows 10 S is pointless for education institutions because you don't have proper domain join and you can already fully secure a version of Windows Pro in a corporate environment with Group Policy.

[QUOTE=Surplus;52176644]Isn't this a downgrade?[/QUOTE] Not for schools who have to do everything they can to prevent deviant 9 year olds from installing malware across the system. Not sure what everyone's problem is? This obviously isn't meant for you, it's meant for public schools and public use computers. Hell, it could even be good for home use for tech illiterate elderly. You can prevent your grandparents (or parents) from destroying their computers with viruses.

[QUOTE=Noss;52176674]Wait, so if you can upgrade the Surface from Windows S to Windows 10, that means it's working on an x64 architecture right? In that case, why on earth is there a need for the stripped-down OS in the first place?[/QUOTE] I don't think it's even stripped down. It's just a setting turned on I think

[QUOTE=Noss;52176674]Wait, so if you can upgrade the Surface from Windows S to Windows 10, that means it's working on an x64 architecture right? In that case, why on earth is there a need for the stripped-down OS in the first place?[/QUOTE] retard protection

[QUOTE=Propane Addict;52176729]Not for schools who have to do everything they can to prevent deviant 9 year olds from installing malware across the system. Not sure what everyone's problem is? This obviously isn't meant for you, it's meant for public schools and public use computers. Hell, it could even be good for home use for tech illiterate elderly. You can prevent your grandparents (or parents) from destroying their computers with viruses.[/QUOTE] You can already do that with revoking install privileges (and most Admin rights) from them in the first place. And setting up a decent AV/Firewall, AdBlocker, lock out certain Windows services they would never use (Like Server, Network Sharing, Remote Reg, etc). You don't need to change OSs for something that can easily be done for free. Edit: The "You" being IT techs and tech literate people setting up systems for the elderly, kids, etc.

Schools would definitely be a greatplace for the deployment of this OS. Can't imagine the greater windows user base gives any kind of shit about it though.

[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;52176780]You can already do that with revoking install privileges (and most Admin rights) from them in the first place. And setting up a decent AV/Firewall, AdBlocker, lock out certain Windows services they would never use (Like Server, Network Sharing, Remote Reg, etc). You don't need to change OSs for something that [B]can easily[/B] be done for [B]free[/B].[/QUOTE] In what world do you live where an average PC user knows to do all this stuff ? Also for FREE ? Public schools, libraries, etc... have to pay someone a very nice sum to setup and maintain their PCs and do all the stuff you mention.

[QUOTE=AntonioR;52176828]In what world do you live where an average PC user knows to do all this stuff ? Also for FREE ? Public schools, libraries, etc... have to pay someone a very nice sum to setup and maintain their PCs and do all the stuff you mention.[/QUOTE] Read my edit, the "You" being IT staff (which Public Schools, Libraries already have atleast one guy) or just tech literate people like most of us on FP who setup computers for our grandparents (or parents) or the tech illiterate in general.

[QUOTE=DiBBs27;52176822]Schools would definitely be a greatplace for the deployment of this OS. Can't imagine the greater windows user base gives any kind of shit about it though.[/QUOTE] That's fine, the greater user base obviously isn't the target audience

This os is meant to be light weight to compete with chromebooks in the education market. Not sure why everyone here is hating on it, its not marketed towards us

feels like the people behind xbox one who wanted it to be called THE ONE, want people to call it wins like "This os wins". However they opened themselves to another xbone, "no wins".

Is this basically GoogleOS just Microsofts' version of it? [editline]2nd May 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=redBadger;52176635] [t]https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/surfacelap-6.jpg[/t][/QUOTE] That mouse looks awful..

Surface mice have always been weird I had the wedge mouse :/

[QUOTE=FezianEmperor;52176930]Is this basically GoogleOS just Microsofts' version of it? [editline]2nd May 2017[/editline] That mouse looks awful..[/QUOTE] Nothing is worse than apples magic mouse

[QUOTE=FezianEmperor;52176930]Is this basically GoogleOS just Microsofts' version of it? [editline]2nd May 2017[/editline] That mouse looks awful..[/QUOTE] The mouse straightens out for easier storage, they've been having those mice for a while.

[QUOTE=redBadger;52176953]Nothing is worse than apples magic mouse[/QUOTE] I disagree at least it was ergonomically viable. I will however give credit that the design of it is rather sleek, but I want to see it in practice. Apparently it is the same mouse as used in previous Surfaces though it's weird none of the reviewers I've watched has showed that form of the mouse though. [editline]2nd May 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=simkas;52176963]The mouse straightens out for easier storage, they've been having those mice for a while.[/QUOTE] Oh wow, really? Wow, I haven't seen one like that. I've been following most recent Surfaces and watched a lot of Surface reviews and I didn't know it could be bent up like that. Interesting.

Not sure why the comparison is being drawn between windows rt and windows s, windows rt couldn't have run your normal desktop apps locked down or not because it was a windows port to ARM, a totally different processor architecture more commonly used in phones and traditional tablets. You'd need emulation to run anything native for the same reason you need emulation to run phone apps or console games. In any case, those restrictions are usually pretty easily removed. It'd be a nightmare if devs had to publish their applications to an app store and download it through that to test it every single time, there'll be a way to load unsigned apps on pretty much any platform. As for the surface laptop, it looks pretty nice. I really want my performance for gaming so I never really get anything like that but a coworker has a surface book and I love drawing on it.

[QUOTE=Sam Za Nemesis;52177170]I'm doing fine and I don't need to pay $50 to remove it [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Z64O71A.png[/IMG][/QUOTE] Applications have to be built for the arm processor right? Been years

[QUOTE=Scratch.;52177309]Applications have to be built for the arm processor right? Been years[/QUOTE] Any different processor architecture will require native apps to be compiled for it, by definition a native app is a program compiled to the assembly code specific to a certain processor architecture. Things like java have a middle layer (which runs in native code itself) that runs "compiled" code specific to the middle layer, so that all you need to do to be able to use that code is have the middle layer be available on your target platform. I imagine most C# code works pretty easy, but I've never owned a windows rt machine.

[QUOTE=Elspin;52177419]Any different processor architecture will require native apps to be compiled for it, by definition a native app is a program compiled to the assembly code specific to its own processor. Things like java have a middle layer that allows apps compiled for a different processor architecture to be translated to code for the architecture it's being run on, so the questions is whether that middle layer has been made for that platform. I imagine most C# code works pretty easy, but I've never owned a windows rt machine.[/QUOTE] Skimmed over a stack overflow thread, you can compile a c# application for Windows RT just by targeting the build for the configuration, the windows store takes three different versions of applications when you submit it, I guess these are ARM, x86 and x64

I can kind of understand this. Most of the work I do on my laptop is web browsing and Microsoft Office apps. I'm never playing games on it, I rarely do any photo editing. I actually think Windows S would work for me in the portable space, as long as I had a real desktop to back it up.

[QUOTE=Scratch.;52177444]Skimmed over a stack overflow thread, you can compile a c# application for Windows RT just by targeting the build for the configuration, the windows store takes three different versions of applications when you submit it, I guess these are ARM, x86 and x64[/QUOTE] Assuming you're not using native plugins you can always do that yeah, but you can also do that with C++. C# makes a lot of the finer details easy to translate between architectures and operating systems though, which is why unity uses it. C# does not compile to native code when you build it, it compiles to an intermediate language which is then compiled to native code when run. Unity makes use of this to run on everything short of a toaster

I really don't get the laptop - I mean, it's kind of a parallel to the Chromebook Pixel, but the Pixel was there as a halo product to give you a premium solution for a generally low cost OS, but this is a premium device designed as a halo product for a generally low cost version of an OS that already has a high-end market with a high-end OS? What's the point? I generally liked MS' approach of exclusively making Surface products that pushed boundaries but weren't necessarily practical for everyone, but this kinda seems like a big fuck you to anyone who wanted a premium, high-quality, traditional laptop from MS. This laptop doesn't push any boundaries. Pretty bewildering to be honest.