Microsoft’s plans to offer the Windows operating system as a cloud desktop for private end customers have generated excitement. The plans were revealed in a presentation from June 2022 that became public due to an ongoing antitrust investigation into the Activision Blizzard takeover. Some find it surprising that the idea was not already thought through by the responsible department at Microsoft. Presentations often contain ideas for how a product can be marketed and sold. The progression from Windows Virtual Desktop to Azure Virtual Desktop and finally Windows 365 is a logical one. Technically, it is a simplified and improved version of Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
Microsoft stands to benefit from offering Windows as a subscription service, known as Windows 365, as it generates more sales and profits compared to a one-time purchase price. Moving users to the cloud allows Microsoft to have more control and a steady revenue stream. However, there may be more support effort required for end-user inquiries. Despite a year passing since the presentation, the implementation has not yet been carried out, possibly due to these support concerns.
There are hidden disadvantages to a cloud desktop setup. One such disadvantage is the requirement of a stable internet connection at all times. If the connection is lost while users are away, they will be unable to access their desktop and data. Additionally, if Microsoft reconfigures a service, such as Teams, data may become temporarily inaccessible. It seems that the concept of a cloud desktop does not bother many people, except for the author of the article.
Windows 365 Boot, which was released in May, allows users to test a cloud-streamed desktop without the need for a local Windows desktop. However, the author sees a contradiction in this setup, as a full Windows desktop system is still running. The author suggests that an evaporated version of Windows, like the Windows RE recovery environment, would make more sense. Nonetheless, this could make Windows-on-ARM devices more popular, as they often lack computing power and a streamed desktop would be a suitable solution.
While there are exciting aspects of the idea of a cloud desktop for everyone, the main driving force behind it is to maximize profits for Microsoft. The company is commercial, not nonprofit, and aims to generate as many subscriptions as possible.
