14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 is work in progress at Microsoft right now and many users online are involved in a debate on the pricing model that could be adopted by the Redmond-based tech giant once the new OS goes live.
Kevin Turner, Microsoft's COO, has recently explained in a press conference that Microsoft is yet to decide on the pricing strategy for Windows 10, but has hinted that a subscription-based system is not entirely out of discussions right now.
It was only a matter of time until people started talking about Windows 365 once again, and new rumors point out that this particular project is still in development right now. Is this the new subscription-based Windows? If yes, when it is supposed to go live? And why does Microsoft need such a project?
These are the questions that we're trying to answer today, but keep in mind that nothing is confirmed so far, so Windows 365 might not be real or could be just another project that's halted before it sees daylight.
What
So, what's the deal with Windows 365? Basically, Windows 365 follows the same path as Office 365 did and could adopt a subscription-based system that would provide users with access to a number of services based on their subscription.
Turner's statements somehow support the idea behind such a project, but if Windows 365 is indeed a real project, there might be some other details involved that could differentiate it from standard Windows.
The concept does make sense at some level, but it's still an experiment and there's no doubt that Microsoft cannot really afford to do such a thing right now. Especially after the Windows 8 disaster, which Microsoft itself wants to forget about as soon as possible.
When
Sources claim that Windows 365 is still under development right now and could see daylight next year. Obviously, there's something fishy right now because we first heard about such a potential project more than six months ago, and until now, no company insider or executive confirmed it.
What's more, Windows is a platform, not a service, so it's hard to see this happening right now, when Microsoft struggles to keep the desktop for itself, while also conquering part of the tablet and smartphone industries.
But if Windows 365 is indeed real, we should hear about it anytime soon, otherwise it's pretty clear that Microsoft isn't yet ready to go into this new direction with Windows.
Why
Just look at Office 365. This cloud-based productivity suite is rapidly gaining traction and becomes one of Microsoft's cash cows, so it's no surprise that Microsoft tries to follow the same path and bring us a subscription-based Windows.
At the same time, Redmond would also be capable of shipping updates and improvements much faster to computers running Windows, while also getting full control over the services that these machines are connecting to.
Again, keep in mind that Windows 365 is not a confirmed project and most people with strong connections to Microsoft denied the possibility of seeing it going live anytime soon, so don't take anything for granted for the moment.
