Buyer Beware:
Microsoft is making some changes to the Windows OS for the good of consumers (they think). The change - Windows Cloud.
A specialized version of Windows that operates similar to Google Chromebooks. For most users this is not a big deal. Users who install third party programs that are not available from the Microsoft Store (i.e. iTunes, Open Office, Adobe Professional, Adobe Photoshop, Quick Books, etc.) then this is critical!!
It boils down to price point. A stripped down version of Windows allows cheaper licenses for laptop manufacturers. That in turn means cheaper low-end laptops running Windows.
The key is understanding the different versions of Windows 10 and what you need as the end user. If you're not sure about this there is a really simple solution - Ask us!
Windows 10 Cloud does limit software installations to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps available through the Windows Store. If the software you want to use isn't on the Windows Store, then it can't be used on Windows 10 Cloud. Attempting to install a non-UWP app brings up a "The app you're trying to run isn't designed for this version of Windows" error.
That's not quite as bad as my suggestion last week that Microsoft would go so far as to limit the experience to its own cloud services, but these are restrictions you have to keep in mind. There's also a question mark over whether Microsoft will allow Windows 10 Cloud to be upgraded to Windows 10 Home as a way of unlocking more functionality.
A restricted version of Windows 10 means cheaper licenses for laptop manufacturers, or even no license fee. That in turn suggests even cheaper low-end laptops running Windows and also the possibility this will be the first version of Windows 10 to run on ARM processors in the second half of 2017.
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