Contrary to what is rumored, Microsoft will not offer Windows on a paid subscription. On the other hand, the publisher could soon open its Windows 365 virtual PC service to the general public.
In recent days, the tech world has been buzzing about a possible subscription to Windows. More precisely, a formula which would consist of paying a monthly fee to use Windows 12, the next version of the PC operating system, as we do for Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Suite, Netflix, Spotify and many other online services. Fortunately, this is not the case as reported Windows Central in an article published on October 6, 2023.
Windows 12: still a classic lifetime license
In fact, this rumor, which was, to say the least, worrying, grew after an astonishing discovery from Deskmodder, made public on October 4. The experts of this specialized German site have in fact found references to a subscription plan (Subscription Edition, Subscription Type and Subscription Status) in the code of a preview version of Windows. It was enough to panic many observers of the Microsoft world who immediately sounded the alarm, predicting a major transformation of the Windows economic model, which would consist of forcing users to pay a monthly subscription to use the operating system on their computer.
Except that according to Windows Central, these mentions would refer to Windows 11 IoT Enterprise subscription, a special edition that Microsoft offers to businesses, and not a consumer version of Windows. Clearly, Windows 12, like Windows 11, should be marketed normally, in the form of a “lifetime” license, paid once and for all, or when purchasing a new PC with a pre-installed version – the cost of the license then being included and “hidden” in the price of the computer – or by purchasing a “separate” version to install. And we can even already bet on the fact that Microsoft will offer a free update from Windows 11, as the publisher did previously to move from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 then to Windows 11. And this , especially since Windows 11 is clearly not meeting the expected success… In short, there is clearly nothing to fear: we will be able to continue using Windows without having to pay each month for a subscription.
Windows 365: Cloud Computing for everyone
But that doesn’t mean Microsoft won’t offer a subscription. The publisher is already doing this for its Microsoft 365 office suite, which could add additional AI functions to Windows, through Copilot. But what few people know is that Microsoft also offers a service called Windows 365, also by subscription – paid, of course! And like Windows Latest revealed in July 2023, it is possible that this service currently intended for businesses will soon be available in a general public version. And it is undoubtedly the conjunction of this information and revelations which has sowed confusion in people’s minds, Microsoft being particularly clumsy in its communication around Windows as we have deplored several times this year (see our article).
To try to understand what could be going on, it is appropriate to return to the principle of Windows 365. This service is not new: it has existed since 2020. But it has since been reserved for businesses through two plans called Windows 365 Business and Windows 365 Enterprise, billed from 31 to 67 euros per month depending on the configuration chosen. In fact, and this is essential, Windows 365 is not a subscription version of Windows, as one might even think, but a complete Cloud Computing service, like what the Frenchman offers. Shadow (see our article). In short, it provides access, through a subscription, to a virtual PC that can be used via the Internet. And this, from almost any connected device.
In practice, you just need to connect to the service using an account – Microsoft obviously… –, choose a subscription plan, then select a configuration according to your needs to use a remote computer under Windows 11, by controlling it with a keyboard, mouse and screen. The idea is that everything is done remotely, in cloud mode, on the virtual PC hosted by Microsoft servers: the only information that passes are the commands (text entered, mouse actions, etc.) and the display, which streams, a bit like a Netflix video. The device used therefore does not need to be powerful since everything is remote: the applications run on the virtual PC, which carries out all the calculations and all the processing, and which stores all the files on the servers. This is why we can, in theory, control it with a tablet or a smartphone, even if a computer seems more appropriate in the case of Windows.
Windows 365: configurations on demand
The advantages put forward by Microsoft are numerous. In addition to the fact that it is not necessary to have a powerful machine to use a virtual PC, the apps and files it stores remain accessible from anywhere via an Internet connection, just like the data stored in OneDrive. No need to bother with updates and other security procedures either, since they are managed automatically by Microsoft on the virtual PC. Finally, it is very easy to upgrade the remote computer according to your needs by choosing a new configuration: enough, in principle, to benefit from the equivalent of a gaming PC from an entry-level machine, without having to invest in expensive components.
For now, Microsoft offers three configurations in its professional formulas, with 2 or 4 virtual processors, 4, 8 or 16 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. We do not know the publisher’s plans for its future general public version, but we can imagine more muscular configurations with more storage or a real GPU to run games. Likewise, we also know nothing about the planned prices. But Windows Latest is counting on a base price equivalent to around ten euros per month. Of course, we can easily imagine that the Redmond firm will offer an offer coupled with Microsoft 365, its office suite in cloud mode, for complete turnkey family use.
Windows 365: rental vs. purchase
However, it is difficult to know whether this innovative concept, which undoubtedly foreshadows a certain future of computing, will really convince individuals. On the one hand, there is the problem of data localization, which not everyone wants to leave on the servers of a commercial company, which is essentially private. On the other hand, there is the question of cost. Even at 10 euros per month, or 120 euros per year, is it more profitable to rent a virtual computer than to buy one, even a very modest one. Especially since once the subscription is canceled, you obviously can no longer use the virtual PC. And you need a device to use the service anyway. In short, as with housing, there is the eternal debate between renting and buying. Not sure that the mentalities of current PC users are ready to adopt this new model… One thing, however, seems certain: the arrival of Windows 365 in the general public sphere will not signify the end of local and definitive Windows as we know it. know. Everyone should be able to continue using a classic PC for many years.