Joe Belfiore confirms the operating system shift on Twitter
The next update to Windows 10 will absorb Windows 10 S – Microsoft’s short-lived attempt at a rival to Google Chrome – by providing the ‘walled garden’ operating systm as a ‘mode’ instead.
The news confirms rumours that have been floating around for several weeks that Microsoft was planning to axe Windows 10 S.
Instead, ‘S Mode’ will become an option in Windows 10, which will enable organisations to lock-down their Windows desktops and prevent miscreant users from installing iffy apps.
However, the update will only roll out next year.
Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Operating Systems Group confirmed the shift on Twitter.
The move will position Windows 10 ‘S Mode’ as a ‘simpler’ interface intended to help organisations, particularly schools, better manage fleets of Windows desktops.
Windows 10 S is locked-down so that only UWP packages from the Windows App Store can be run on such devices. Buyers of Windows 10 S could upgrade to full-fat Windows 10 for a small fee.
However, there’s some confusion over how users who are locked into ‘S Mode’ will be able to unlock it and how much it will cost – with rumours ranging from Free to $49, but no firm acknowledgement of this has been made by Microsoft.
There’s also no clear indication of how Microsoft plans to advertise ‘S Mode’ to ensure that people aren’t being offered hidden fees out of the box.
