Microsoft is launching a $349 desktop PC that only runs Windows 11 by streaming it from the cloud
Microsoft is launching a $349 desktop PC that only runs Windows 11 by streaming it from the cloud
Dubbed the "Windows 365 Link," the device is the first of a new class of dedicated 'boot to cloud' PCs, which have little local functionality.
Words can't express how much I don't want this.
The article mentions this is aimed at enterprises who are already probably doing something like this with vmware ESXi
Doubt it'll ever catch on with anything except maybe the largest of orgs. You can just procure office task ready machines so cheaply these days, and Windows 365 is like $45/user/month. Far more than what we pay for windows licensing, user Cals, and office licensing all combined.
Yep for managing "thin clients" I'd been expecting something like this someday.
It’s a thin client…
But it's a new and revolutionary thin client. It's got 365 in the name, anyway.
Nice, more e-waste... Also, if it's just streaming from the cloud, how is it so expensive? Its on the same range as a steam deck.
😎 profit, synergy, enterprise, buzzword.
You forgot AI!
There is absolutely zero reason a thin client needs to cost this much, unless this has some seriously high-end multi-monitor capabilities
Even a Raspberry Pi 5 is a capable thin client that can run 2 4k monitors
Dells thin clients cost almost twice as much
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/scc/sr/cloud-client/thin-clients
Why is it so expensive? You can buy a fully functioning laptop with a local windows install for way less.
Even the new mac mini is $599 and that's a full on computer with really good performance.
For 249€ you can buy a Ryzen 5 (Not an N100, mind you) 16Gb/512Gb mini PC With windows 11 Pro in Amazon in Europe, or this one, in an actual new, different format, with interesting extras, like a 2.5K webcam, and speakers And of course, you have your local windows, you can dual boot Win/Linux, and/or run VMs of your choice, and do decent gaming!
And if you thought Microsoft could not get worse...
in tiny fonts: the data you upload to the cloud will be used for AI training purposes
So... dumb terminal are back in?
Hot damn boys, I'll see ya on the RS-232 relays!
My Thinkpad T440p cost less then half that and many mini PCs cost around that much.
You can get an x86_64 mini pc for that same price. Or you can buy a used mid gaming rig for that same price.
Yet people keep making fun of Apple for putting the power button on the bottom.
At least it works offline.
Yeaaa....I'm switching to iPhone next time I need a new phone. And I've fully swapped over to Linux on all but my living room gaming machine. The gaming machine has no need for privacy if I'm just using steam and a controller. No mics or anything.
It has begun
Pretty sure I can sell my laptop for that amount
Jesus Christ..
😨
Thin clients are awful in every aspect, always.
Oh...so they just want to take all control away from the user? I won't be buying that, I'm sure it eats up a fuck ton of bandwidth too
No matter what we said about it. There will be people who will eagerly put their mouth on Microsoft's asshole, waiting to swallow any removed products that Microsoft shit out
This is getting closer to the meme about the Javascript-based streamed operating system.
The only explanation I will now accept for how pointlessly laggy Windows can be is that Microsoft was deliberately increasing the latency to prepare customers for an online-only OS. Curse them.
Something, something, Surface Duo