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Microsoft's Coming Windows 10 Cloud Release May Have Nothing To Do With the Cloud (zdnet.com)
Last week, several users spotted a mention of "Windows Cloud" in Windows 10 inside builds, speculating if it is a new version of Windows 10 which will stream from Azure. That's not the case, according to long-time Microsoft journalist Mary Jo Foley. From a report: Windows 10 Cloud is a simplifed version of Windows 10 that will be able to run only Unified Windows Platform (UWP) apps installed from the Windows Store, my contacts say. Think of it as being similar to the version of Windows 10 formerly known as Windows RT or the Windows 8.1 with Bing SKU. Windows 10 Cloud is meant to help Microsoft in its ongoing campaign to attempt to thwart Chromebooks with a simpler, safer, cheaper version of Windows 10, my contacts say, though Microsoft is unlikely to position it that way (publicly). Windows 10 Cloud seemingly has little or nothing to do with the cloud.
Still as unwanted and unnecessary as ever.
Microsoft has long been interested in becoming a service provider. Initially the idea was to get paid monthly or annually for the use of their software (Windows, Office, etc.) but recently it seems that they are more interested in becoming a distributor of other publisher's software, where they offer a standardized platform (Windows OS, UWP apps, Azure) for developers to target and they get a cut of the proceeds. To ensure that they could provide the largest market, the platform the end-users use would be offered free (hence, Windows10). Windows 10 Cloud just seems to be a furtherment of this objective, albeit stripped down to lessen the cost to Microsoft (and possibly to ensure that end-users would /have/ to use the app-store if they want to get anything done by not providing any built-in applications).
Windows 10 cloud will badly suck ass. Abusing users by further locking them into their shitty, useless, underpowered, user-unfriendly ecosystem will make Windows 10 cloud as successful/popular a product as Windows phone was, but you can bet it still won't stop Microsoft from trying to force it down everyones throats.
Its truly amazing how Microsoft can keep crippling/removing more and more functionality in ever more blatant drive to lock customers in tighter and tighter, yet most people just keep buying Windows anyway. I will be VERY surprised if Microsoft forcing this dick move on people isn't the straw that breaks the camels back. Of course Microsoft will just blame/interpret poor sales on the general decline of the PC rather than their supremely shitty OS.
While it is as bad as you make it sound, I think there is actually a big market for it and it could easily catch on.
From an IT standpoint, a device that is super-locked down like a mobile phone is a fantastic thing and saves a load of time trying to lock them down with policy rules and with rolling out updates. Android and IOS have very few viruses compared to a desktop OS, and even when an infection vector shows up, it can be quickly a) patched on the OS with forced updates and b) scanned for and removed from the central app repository.
There's really no reason 98% of office workers need anything capable of more than basic office software. An office full of glorified tablets barely even needs an IT staff to take care of them.