The controller is the keyboard, touchscreen, mouse, even the microphone of whatever device is in front of the user. Rather than stream movies and TV shows, it streams the output of a Windows 10-, or when it's available, a Windows 11-powered PC. Maybe it's better to think of it as a streaming service. What is Windows 365?Īt its simplest, it's a virtualization service that provides a Windows desktop and first- and third-party applications to users with both PC and non-PC hardware.

But we've assembled a first-pass set of questions and answers. Windows 365 is really a developing story, as Microsoft has promised to elaborate as the early-August launch nears.

When the desktop is streamed, what purpose does a high-powered laptop-on-the-lap serve? Will OEMs be relegated to making cheap Chromebook-like machines that need only run a browser? Many will object to ceding the privacy of a local box to the servers of, in this case, Microsoft, for example.Īnd Microsoft, already active in PC manufacturing with its Surface line - originally touted as examples for OEMs, something that's been discarded as a talking point - puts itself into further conflict with hardware partners with Windows 365. While DaaS in general, and Windows 365 specifically, has the potential to dramatically change how computing takes place in commercial settings, there's nothing inevitable about it. 'Just like applications were brought to the cloud with SaaS, we are now bringing the operating system to the cloud, providing organizations with greater flexibility and a secure way to empower their workforce to be more productive and connected, regardless of location,' said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a statement.