Windows 365

[Harrison]

I've just been reading about Microsoft's plans for Windows 365.

Most knit and have most likely used Office 365. Microsoft's cloud based version of Office. Where you have access to the office suite from anywhere within a browser window, plus thr ability to install locally too. It's been a big success for Microsoft. And is very attractive to businesses because thr don't need to install licenses on ever machine and it allows access for all employees. Plus an office suite is a fixed solution that just needs to work. Thr devs can also keep it completely up to date across all users at once. No upgrade downloads, issues with systems not working with it etc.

But thru latest idea is Windows 365. The whole Windows OS in the cloud! Think a Chromebook or virtual machine running a sideboard OS on your desktop. For business this could again be revolutionary. Employees won't need powerful hardware. It can be lower end like a chromebook, as the OS is remote and user file storage will be in the cloud. The local system will just be a terminal like thr days of old and mainframes. Business will be able to configure the OS and applications to only allow what they want, much like a business network running a domain server, but without all the overheads that brings.

But for home users? I can see many casual home users adopting Windows 365. My parents generation have far less interest in gaming, or using a computer for more then general things. For anyone just needing a computer for the internet, office work, email etc a cloud based always working OS solution will be perfect.

But this solution goes completely against all other computer users. Nearly every PC gamer won't be interested at all. Any developer and coder won't either.

Personally I could see myself utilising Windows 365 alongside standalkne systems. We all use smartphones and tablets running either iOS, Android or FireOS. They are pretty much fixed platforms we just add apps to. Most Pele don't access or customise the OS beyond our visual look and layout. That's not that different to a cloud based OS in theory. Except one thing, performance. You will still need a reasonably good internet connection. And for many that's all an issue.

What are your thoughts on the Windows 365 idea?

You also have to consider you won't even need a PC. You could just log into Windows 365 on your phone or tablet.

 

[miggymad]

I have to question why Windiws 365 needs to be stored on the cloud. Could this be the dreaded "renting" of the OS that has been speculated upon in the past on other tech forums?

I can see what the advantages are for MS but at what cost? We already know that Windows 10 is the biggest data slurping OS ever, so imagine what Windows 365 will demand to run on your device.

 

[ratfink]

Our local connection to the internet failed recently. The 3g/4g network is not great here. I started to rue the end of dialup as you end up basically cut off except for the phone line. This reliance on big corporations to run the show seems like putting all you eggs in someone else's basket.

People do end up losing stuff with everything being in the cloud - it's like using storage units. Stop paying the rent, ignore emails about the latest closure of some service or other, the storage company gets robbed or burns down, it's the end of your stuff whether real or virtual.

That said, I doubt MS would fail bigtime, but personally if there is an option to run my stuff locally and backup my files locally, I will opt for that. Whether that means continuing to run old hardware and unsupported operating systems; shifting to Mac; or shifting to linux.

 

[Bryce]

Way to go Microsoft, that's why Chrome Laptops are shooting off the shelves... oh wait, they're not. Maybe when U.S. companies find out that the entire world doesn't have Internet connections with Palo Alto bandwidth they might see things differently.

Bryce.

 

[Harrison]

Internet speeds and reliability of connection is definitely still a big issue for many. It's why cloud gaming really hasn't taken off compared to people still installing locally.

My wife has to use Office 365 remotely for her school. It did mean the files are now secure because nothing is stored locally on her laptop. But she does have a nightmare sometimes where it refused to log in, or the login times out whilst she is working and misses her work. It also has a stupid restriction which I'm not sure is a setting or not. She can't prepare any work locally and then copy and paste it into an office 365 documents. It won't let her. Everything has to be done within the remote software itself. For me that's a massive limitation, but as I said I'm not sure if that's standard or a setting as I don't have a need for office 365 as use office installed locally.

There's also other risks. Remember recently quite a few large companies went offline all at once. That wasn't anyb issue with the companies or their servers. It was the businesses that run the Internet packet routing servers. It highlighted that relying on a small number of large companies for everything only takes one thing to go wrong to bring it all down.

 

[HanJammer]

Personally I think it's an excellent idea. Microsoft came a long way since Win95 years and what they are doing right now is essentially top-notch - they took best tech which is around and further improved it. I think Windows 365 will be a great success.

 

[Harrison]

I'm thinking their goal could be to utilise Xbox gamepass with this to remove the issue of how to run games from a streaming virtual OS. You won't need to because you can just use gamepass and steam the games remotely too. Works in their favour to fully control their content and complete infestructure. It also means consumers never get access to the actual code of anything so it's the most secure possible against hacking and piracy.

But it's not for everything. For one you are entrusting and handing all of your personal files to a datacentre. And if you are just accessing and using remote streaming software you never actually own anything. And you are at the mercy of Microsoft. If they suddenly decide to remove something it will be gone. Much like when a film suddenly gets removed from Netflix. Want to play your favourite game. Oops, sorry that's no longer on offer. It might be convenient, but you are in their hands.

 

[miggymad]

With a company such as Microspft in charge of your online life, I'll pass on Windows 365 thanks.

I have also opted out of the NHS Digital data slurp. For a price they will be allowing the likes of Microsoft, Amazon and other companies access for so-called 'research purposes'.

 

[matt3k]

This is the age old distributed vs centralized computing since the dawn of computers.

Personally, I will not touch it. I already have to run spybot antibeacon, tune the registry, use a vpn, use hardware appliances and run a multitude of other programs to *try* and protect my privacy and keep the OS from phoning home with every keystroke I make. Going on their system would remove all hope of them invading my privacy.

I simply do not trust any of these big corps, they have proven MANY times they can't be trusted and I'm sure if we really knew the magnitude what Google and Microsoft (and others) have been collecting and sharing with others or censoring we would be flabbergasted.

So no thanks for me... MOS on my powermac is a fully working solutions for my home use, sadly for work I need to use windows.

 

[ratfink]

Any sign of Apple going the same way?

 

[matt3k]

I have never read the Apple EULA or Privacy documents. But even if they said they would never share your data under any circumstances, I would not trust this what so ever.

MS supposedly collects every keystroke and it you look at their telemetry they probably do.

Remember when Schmidt provided the Omama admin with information? He wanted to be part of the DNC convention somehow. I wonder what data he could have possibly shared? With China collecting everything about everyone in a database of all of us, it is frightening considering the Giggle was actively censoring negative comments in you tube.

If you follow the money at Apple and it's leader and his actions, it wouldn't be a big stretch at all (and I would even say more likely than not) that Apple has/is giving private information to select parties to help those in the list.

 

[miggymad]

Any sign of Apple going the same way?

They already have, the following is just an example taken from the NYTimes, August 19th 2021

The iPhone is a gluttonous collector of user information. The devices beam location data as well as information about Wi-Fi usage and internet usage to Apple’s servers, even when we think the devices are slumbering. That type of data opens up iPhone owners to alarmingly accurate tracking by third parties, including their whereabouts, political leanings, job and family status, ethnicity and net worth.

Apple says it does not sell your data to 3rd parties, so what do they need all that information for?

 

[ratfink]

I didn't mean data sharing/collection, but remote OS usage like Windows 365.

 

[miggymad]

I didn't mean data sharing/collection, but remote OS usage like Windows 365.

I do not believe so at this moment in time.

The real sticking point is as mentioned already, the internet connection. Speed wise, it may be a good experience over 5G but if you are in one of those areas not covered by the technology then the only real option is having the OS on the device itself.

 

[matt3k]

4G may be enough speed for an environment like this and the need. For simple productivity apps and viewing pictures 4G would be sufficient. All theoretical at this point...

 

[RetroPassion]

Education and business will love this...

 

[Harrison]

Education and business will love this...

UK schools have already embraced Office 365. My wife is a teacher and has to use it to write all her reports and weekly planning. But she finds it a bit of a nightmare. Sometimes at home she can't log into the system at all for hours. And when she can it randomly logs her out and in doing so loses the work she was currently working on. And she keeps losing existing saved work saved to the cloud. This week thr work she has ready to use this week had been reverted to an earlier version.

I can fully see schools also embracing a full remote OS as they can set it up and restrict its capabilities to only allow what they deem needed for the job. Very similar to how a domain based network is setup, but far easier to maintain and admin. And that will save them money.