Event is tomorrow, but surprisingly this leaked, which is very un-Microsoft of late. Also being introduced is a new version of Windows 10, Windows 10 S, which will only run Store apps. (This is already a setting in the Creator’s Update; if you want, you can limit Win10 to only running Store apps.)
Chromebook competitor so… $299? $399? I would assume 4GB RAM, some nominal 128GB of storage, even less? Chromebooks regularly have a mere 32GB. The question is how “cloud” Microsoft can be on Windows 10.
If it’s restricted to UWP apps only, it’s an immediate failure.
ChromeOS used to be even more restrictive than that, but it had a number of appealing advantages compensating for it. The OS was entirely immutable; all userdata was stored in the cloud so your users couldn’t mess up their laptop. It automatically and smoothly updated itself without interrupting the user. The OS itself is extremely light on memory and apparently uses as much 95% less disk space than windows. This allows it to work fairly well on extremely low-end devices with 2GB RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage, making devices super cheap.
Windows isn’t immutable, it stores userdata locally. When it automatically updates, it’s legendarily intrusive. Windows 10 is lighter than previous versions, but it won’t run well on an atom CPU with 2GB RAM, and while recent advances allow it to be installed in 16GB storage you won’t have much space left over afterwards.
Since you can’t install win32 apps, that means you’re stuck browsing with Edge. But Chrome browser in 2010 was vastly more customizable than Edge today, which has a tiny list of extensions. And ChromeOS today can run many thousands of android apps. UWP apps can’t compete with that.
Fail. Immediate fail. Stop trying to make Windows RT work, microsoft. Just stop it. Jackasses.
Watching the event and Myerson sounds rattled. It’s like he barely rehearsed or something went wrong during his presentation to throw him off.
I’d agree. I’ve got a Surface Pro which I love as a piece of hardware. Perfect for what I want. The RT versions are useless garbage that make the world oh so slightly worse for each one sold.
Ooooh, this View Mixed Reality is neat! You don’t need goggles anymore!
So you can upgrade to Win10 pro for an additional fee. Haven’t said what the fee is, though. If it’s minimal and the new netbook hardware is cool, that could be interesting.
It’s really nice looking. It’s the most Apple device of a non-Apple device I’ve seen. Microsoft is really channeling Jobs with their hardware lately.
Under 3 pounds, real core i CPUs. MS made a macbook air, not a chromebook. If it’s <$1000 including real windows10 (not RT) this could be a compelling product, particularly since Apple no longer competes in this segment at all.
I do love the cobalt blue color.
It needs to be $499 to capture the segment they’re looking for. Otherwise people will just buy the cheapest Surface Pro or a Chromebook.
If they sell at $499 with a high-DPI screen, a core i CPU, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD (ie, the lowest reasonably usable configuration) that would be a blockbuster.
The cheapest SP4 with a keyboard is around $900, and that has 4GB RAM and a core M3.
Edit: 14.5 hours of battery life too, which is very macbook-air-like too. This really is MS’ macbook air.
Yeah, I think 50% it’s $799, 25% it’s 899, 10% that it’s 999, and the rest that it’s lower than $799.
Panoy sure does like to say “product”
$799 with a core i5, 8GB RAM, and 128GB or more storage would be very competitive with cheap (but good) ultrabooks like the Asus UX305. That would be a great deal.
MS is saying fuck Chromebook competitor. The OEMs will churn those out. MS is looking to outdo Apple.
Yep. This isn’t competing with the chromebook. No way, man. It can’t be that cheap.
The whole EDU angle and Windows S is a huge misstep for them.
You can always upgrade it to full Win10 fairly easily.
We don’t know how much that costs. But it doesn’t matter, because it’s still a massive marketing failure. This is a macbook air, not a chromebook. People buying macbook airs don’t want limited access to apps.
This presenter sounds just like Suvi from Mass Efect, and I’m swooning
Preorders live. June 15 launch. Starts at $999