Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Confirms Windows 10 'S Mode' (bleepingcomputer.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft head honcho Joe Belfiore confirmed today that Windows 10 S won't be a separate Windows version anymore and that Microsoft will ship an "S Mode" with Windows 10 starting 2019. "Next year 10S will be a "mode" of existing versions, not a distinct version," Belfiore said today on Twitter.
You know, you need to actually explain what the heck what you're writing means. S mode my....
Given the rest of the article summary, presumably student. Which probably means that it's more difficult for students to make changes to the computer, and may prevent Microsoft corporate decisions through automatic updates to inadvertently change things that school admins have purposely set.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
First, Windows S, which locks out all programs except Windows Store ones, is offered. Then merged with the mainstream OS. I have a feeling that it may wind up becoming the default, then "non-S" mode eventually becoming a chargable extra, or even deleted sooner or later.
Maybe I need a better tinfoil hat. For some purposes, "S-mode" can be useful, but I wonder if it really can protect against Trojans or malware.
My first piece of advice would be to post on a message board devoted to veterinary medicine, not one where a bunch of socially retarded zealots gather to claim to be experts on subjects they know dangerously little about when not engaged in habitual MS bashing.
I was offered a new laptop last month to replace my aging Lenovo ThinkPad...but I declined, thinking that any new machine would have Windows 10 on it, and I just didnt want to deal with that OS! A few weeks later, I noticed my spacebar and number "2" key were failing on the keyboard, so I let IT know that, yes, I would like a new laptop. It arrived yesterday...a shiny new Lenovo T460s...and to my surprise and ever lasting gratefulness to our IT department, it still has Windows 7 on it! At least I can put off dealing with the new direction Windows has taken for a few more years! Hopefully, by then, they will go back and make an OS people actually want to use.
I dabbled with using 'S Mode' in security for about 2 years at Carnegie Mellon. It has extreme potential in DRM applications, and shows tremendous promise in preventing IP infractions. We (Craig Curtis, head of theoretical computer science and myself, an aspiring computer scientist) immediately saw it's vast and influential potential, and immediately set to work on 'S Mode' security.
However, our work became sidetracked when Craig developed an unusual affinity for horse sex. While the applications of the common horse penis in regards to a human are precaurious, to say the least, Craig nevertheless remained determined to not only engage in rapid, pulse pounding horse sex, but to somehow also increase it's efficiency. Craig quickly utilized the powers of virtual machine security to aid him in his ghastly crusade.
After Craig was caught with a horse that he named "El Chancho the long when limp", 8 gerbils, a shrink wrapped box of OpenBSD, a lengthy printout of recent Kuro5hin.org posts, and an Xbox, funding for the project was cut.
From TFA
Windows 10 S is eerily similar to Chrome OS. Windows 10 S —now Windows 10 "S Mode"— limits users to installing apps only available on the Windows Store. This is exactly how the lightweight Chrome OS works, which also limits users to installing apps from Google's Chrome Web Store and Play Store only.
But yeah. The F in TFS is verging on FuckedUp
I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
it's not going to happen.
Why would anyone want to run windows in a limited mode? Why wouldn't you rather run a chrome book, with access to the google play android app store? Do people still make apps for the windows store?
Only able to run app from the Windows Store. Hmmm.. NO!
Don't go into Mr McGregors garden Peter Rabbit! But Peter wants the "edge" carrots, so goes right on in. The smart rabbits who ate Linux carrots lived.
Apparently Windows Smode is a build that only allows programs installed through the Microsoft store.
This is the same exact mechanism as my phone, and while I do like my phone, I expect my computer to be able to do more.
In brilliant marketing fashion, the "S" stands for nothing at all, according to Microsoft. All it signifies is that the version of Windows you're using can only run Universal Windows Platform apps, making it largely useless for anyone who wants to use their computer for much more than e-mail and web surfing. Oh, and no web surfing with any browser except Edge. Whee.
Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
As useless as the compatibility mode.
From TFA "Windows 10 S is eerily similar to Chrome OS. Windows 10 S —now Windows 10 "S Mode"— limits users to installing apps only available on the Windows Store."
Since odd no. for Win is usually reputed to be decent quality and even no. versions crap - and we've been stuck in an even-number versions since 5 and a half years ago - Can we assume they'll skip Win 11 altogether, and in a year or two, announce another crappy malware named Windows 12?
On Slashdot, the editors assume everyone is intimately familiar with every single technology invented over the last 40 years. Actually TELLING you what that meant would be redundant, because... you obviously already know it!
Right?
Sent as ripples into the electromagnetic field. No single photon has been harmed in the process.
this is actually an apt and correct description.
having a computer with all the bloat of win10, but limited to the functionality of a chromebook (ie a tablet) with edge as the only browser.
The Horizontal."
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to – The Outer Limits
so it's the Shittier mode?
why is this comment not modded up? I mean, seriously, someone posted to the wrong place and is asking for help.This comment highlites that.
"Microsoft head honcho Joe Belfiore confirmed today..."
I thought Satya Nadella was the Microsoft Head Honcho.
Windows S mode on the desktop. :p
It's about time they made Windows 10 S free. All pirate copies of Windows 10 that fail to activate get to be Windows 10 S. If you have a paid license, you get Home or Pro. Anyone can download the media creation tool and install Windows 10 S without a license.
That's my prediction. Though give it 2 more years and anyone not paying for a subscription to Windows will get the "S" edition and everyone else will be downgraded.
S mode is the shit mode.
don't want S mode turned on by default when this hits.
They want to put it into cars so people can say, "did you see that S-car go?"
Anyone buying a Chromebook would disagree with you (since ChromeOS will only allow programs from Chrome store or Google Play).
It appears that Microsoft is trying to take back some of the market share that Chromebooks have taken (in the education market). Windows S mode is better than ChromeOS though since it is just a Windows mode that can be set by the administrator. If you don't want this mode then you still have access to a normal mode Windows (e.g. Home, Pro, Enterprise).
it's a locked down version of windows 10 that only runs stuff from the 'store'..
first it was a separate version of windows
next it is now a setting in windows...
in the future it will BECOME the windows... this is microsoft's goal. they don't want you installing shit on your own. they want a piece of the action, whether it's their 30% cut from sales or just the stats, telemetry, and tracking of a 'free' download from the 'store'.
So Windows RT 2.0 then? It worked so well before.
Your dad still owes us 30 billion USD.
- Stan Winklevoss
That is highly inaccurate.
It gives administrators the right to lock down machines and remove any possibility of running into problems with legacy compatibility issues.
For virtually all office and education uses, Windows S mode is totally sufficient. It's also a boon for Grandma, who all too often agrees to install some crapware from a popup. It makes life a lot easier, and in reality will force developers to abandon legacy Windows code. Honestly, in my opinion, Microsoft has sacrificed too much appeasing legacy software users. This option should have been available since Windows 8 at the very least. This probably would have resulted in more software available on the Store.
Is it for gamer nerds? No. This is why they have the option of using standard Windows.
I always laugh when people don't know how to google and find out that this is an actual post from an actual parrot forum. http://www.parrotforums.com/ec...
Super Heuristic Integrated Technology for Windows 10.
So the slow speed, of an over engineered OS combined with the limited functionality of a mobile Cloud OS.
That reminds me of Microsoft .NET implementation
The speed of Java with the Platform Independence of making it in Visual Basic.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
How hard would have been to say that in the summary instead of this meaningless phrase:
"10S will be a "mode" of existing versions, not a distinct version"
As far as I can tell, this isn't even marketing gibberish. This sounds like a person who doesn't understand computers at all, trying to BS something technical sounding.
A Chromebook, is more of a mobile device in a Laptop frame. Today when someone buys a Personal Computing Device, they have options now, for a cheap chrome book or a tablet. Good for most peoples daily activities. Or to get a Full fledged PC/Laptop where they are expecting to be able to do more with the expensive hardware.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
'S' in Japanese means 'sadist'.
Like 'M' means 'masochist'.
So I presume it's a sadist mode or something.
"Slow Down Cowboy! It's been 58 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment" -- slashdot, driving users away.
Once upon a time in Redmond, they argued (and won) that every PC sold should have a Windows license sold with it.
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... )
Since that time, PC sales have slowed and MS is hungry, so poof! a new "S" (Subscription) model that allows MS to bleed the unwashed masses of some low-ish amount of money per month or year to keep their PC running (always just less than buying windows outright..) What MS choses not to see is that the OS is becoming largely irrelevant in the new web/cloud world and their S model has no customer pull other than ChromeOS or any other 'net centric device model.
Organization? You must be joking..
If they spelled it out, their announcement would probably be blocked by family-oriented sites.
Have no idea why Slashdot doesn't spell out the name though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_frog
[S mode] should have been available since Windows 8 at the very least. This probably would have resulted in more software available on the Store.
Surface RT and Surface 2 tablets ran the Windows RT operating system, which was locked into what is now called S mode. They couldn't run third-party Win32 desktop apps even if recompiled for ARM.
It is amazing how the OP and linked article provide absolutely no information on what S mode is!
So what should someone buy if he wants the size and weight of a Chromebook but the ability to run applications whose developer has not found time to rewrite them from the ground up in JavaScript as a Progressive Web Application? I want something I can use offline while riding transit and carry in a bag that doesn't scream "this is a laptop; come steal it", and I'm willing to sacrifice raw speed, but I don't want to be restricted to PWAs nor run the risk of someone wiping the drive by turning it on and pressing Space as prompted and then Enter as prompted. Netbooks that run X11/Linux or Windows used to be the answer until December 2012.
Windows 10 S is a specific configuration of Windows 10 Pro that offers a familiar, productive Windows experience that's streamlined for security and performance. By exclusively using apps in the Microsoft Store and ensuring that you browse safely with Microsoft Edge, Windows 10 S keeps you running fast and secure day in and day out.
For more information, please refer to this page.
Looks like there are a few more differences from Pro, like only being able to join a domain hosted in Azure.
As a gross simplification, right now you have admin accounts (who can install programs) and limited accounts (who cannot.) It makes perfect sense for Microsoft to say "Hey, let's create a new user class that can only install stuff from the store." It's theoretically safe, and gives them the freedom to install without bothering an admin. And, it'll drive a lot of people to put (are the apps at this point?) software in the MS store.
My worry is that the new user class is all user classes. My secondary worry is that they'll make the admin role something you don't have access to. I'm less worried about the second in general, and more "only if you get the pro license for $TEXAS"
Your ad here. Ask me how!
There'd finally be a reason to enable Cortana.
I bought a 2 in 1 Dell laptop at Walmart recently. The hinge rotates all the way back to put it in tablet mode. I almost always use it as a regular laptop. It's as light as a Chromebook but runs real Windows 10 so everything pretty much works. It was about $350. I've upgraded it to 8gb abd a 1tb drive.
lol
I wonder if anyone, anywhere actually has the official title "head honcho"? Because that would be cool.
#DeleteChrome
Hey, you want S Mode?
A smode what?
No, no, you want S Mode?
I already have Windows 10 installed. So, how can I have a smode on top of it?
You're killing me, Smalls! These are S Modes stuff, okay? Pay attention. First, you take your OS. You stick the locked down store on the OS. Then, you slowly screw the users. When the users give up, you force "upgrade" them to the new OS. Then, you lock them in. Then, you S Mode. Kind of messy, but it's profitable. Try some.
S is supposed to be for Secure. Microsoft's walled garden mode. They think it'll be a big hit. The funny part...
They are consistently out of touch with people actually want their computers to do. That's just Microsoft. It's why they have to strong arm everyone into buying their product, because they have never really quite figured out how to actually innovate. This, however, surprised me with the depth of just how deeply ignorant they really are. My concern is that they will reverse this. They will claim that "S" mode is wildly popular and requested and will "relent" and give it by default to everyone, and make you pay to use anything else on your computer.
As long as they refuse to allow me to decide when my OS will update and reboot, I'll stick with my Windows 8.1 machine, and before long I'm pretty much just going to run Windows in a VM on a Linux machine.
Sorry, it's my fucking machine, I'll decide if I want your update right now or at all. I have a long standing policy which says I refuse to take a day-1 patch from any vendor, most especially Microsoft.
Fuck Microsoft and their notion that it's their machine to do with as they see fit. You didn't pay for it, and I have no reason to trust you to be the final authority on such stuff.
Understanding is not in a vacuum. Are readers expected to understand what an "operating system" is? If so, are they expected to understand what "Windows 10" is? If so, why specifically is the line drawn between "Windows 10" and "Windows 10 S"?
Microsoft head honcho Joe Belfiore confirmed today that Windows 10 S won't be a separate Windows version anymore and that Microsoft will ship an "S Mode" with Windows 10 starting 2019. "Next year 10S will be a "mode" of existing versions, not a distinct version," Belfiore said today on Twitter.
This is TFS in its entirety. Which part makes you think S stands for Student?
Bet on it that it sucks.
S uck S
shit mode..ie you can only use metro apps.
As opposed to technically inept social geniuses like yourself? Why do you post here? Shouldn't you be over at espn.com?
Once I deleted all that crap off my win10 box I never looked back. Store mode...trapped in edge... ick.
...Microsoft can't just outright kill agonizing products, it needs to expose it and watch it die off a miserable death. Surface RT, Windows Phone, Zune, Windows Store...
If you don't mind the slow speed, stock up on netbooks while you can. Get 'em while they're still obsolete and cheap with replacement parts abound. Don't wait 'til they become 'vintage' and people start asking ridiculous prices for them like it's for current old hardware now. Since you're posting on this site you surely know your way around computers and are able to perform simple repairs, so such a plan should keep you going for quite a while without spending much. Unfortunately many things in tech are in the verge of extinction without appropriate replacements in sight, like for example non-scaling, lag-free analog displays for retro gaming, so if you care for that you either start hoarding CRTs and learning how to care for them or you shell out lots of cash for sub-optimal solutions.
I'm retired now, but at my last job there was a well understood policy in place that locked down users machines, white-listed applications and sent emails to the admins when certain conditions were met or failed to be met. No one, except the owners of the business we served (and the legendary "brother in the sales dept") had permission to install anything or even change anything of any real substance. And all of that was effected by built in tools that came with the OS.
People are accustomed to being limited to a walled garden for Apple and Google since both have done so since day one. But Windows users are not. I think they are going to get a lot of push back from home desktop users and as I said above, it's really of no use to the professional market.
I need a wheelchair van for my son. Help me get the word out. https://www.gofundme.com/wheelchair-van-for-jj
Its a "special" mode for those who prefer isolated into a Microsoft world.
You know, you need to actually explain what the heck what you're writing means.
The first rule of S Mode club is THAT YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT S MODE.
All Home & Pro versions have Developer options in the Update settings that limit downloads to the Store. Beyond that, what does Windows S (version or mode) do?
Export HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv to a reg file, delete it, reboot. No more updates. When you need updates, import that reg file, reboot, run updates, and delete again. I caught Win10 Pro force-updating despite the group policy being set to not reboot when a user was logged on, so I did this instead and have been free of cancerous MS updates ever since. The Spectre wrecker update missed me completely.
Please give me any advice you can.
Fuck off, low effort troll, is about the most helpful thing I can muster.
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
Well, I knew it was a low effort troll without even bothering to google. I think that works even better tbh.
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
Two sentences. Not a word of what the fuck 'S' edition is supposed to be. You're the kind of journalist that could aspire to write in the Sun, or the Daily Mail. Well done.
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.
How would I go about repairing, for example, the rechargeable lithium ion battery pack in such a netbook?
Open up the battery pack by twisting it to weaken the glue/ultrasonic welds and inserting a spudger between the halves of the plastic case, then make note of the number of 18650 lithium cells and how they're connected (series/parallel arrangements). Test the voltage on each cell with a multimeter - if you're lucky maybe just one or two cells have died while the rest are OK (and if you're cheap you can just replace the bad ones), worst case scenario every single cell is dead and you need to replace them all. Get some replacement 18650s - they're now used in high power LED flashlights and other devices so you might be able to find them locally and cheaply from non-specialist retailers, or you could also order some online, or even salvage them from other 'bad' batteries with one or two dead cells. Desolder the bad cells, solder in the new ones. Put the pack back together with a couple of drops of superglue, put in the laptop and let it charge. Disable automatic hibernation when battery is critically low and let the battery run down until the machine shuts off, then recharge - this will reset the battery capacity meter and you might have to do it more than once to get it to be fully accurate. Enjoy your new battery!
Cheapest multimeter, soldering iron and spudger you can find will work perfectly so no need for expensive tools, cells are quite cheap nowadays too. There are countless tutorials online on how to rebuild laptop battery packs in case you need a more throrough/visual explanation on how to do it, and as a bonus you can replace the cells in your pack with higher capacity ones and get even more runtime than the original battery had when it was new!