Microsoft reportedly will offer Windows 10 S as a default “mode” that it will sell with virtually all Windows consumer versions
Microsoft reportedly will offer Windows 10 S as a default “mode” that it will sell with virtually all Windows consumer versions, several of which are being added as a part of a roadmap update.
What isn’t clear, however, is whether the new Windows 10 versions — Entry, Value, Core, Core+, and Advanced, according to a report by Thurrott.com—will contain their own discrete feature set as well as their own licensing fees. The report claims that these new versions will begin shipping in April.
If the report is correct, though, the additional revamps will mean a significant change for Windows: Windows 10 S, currently a separate operating system on products like the Microsoft Surface Laptop, will be the default OS for all Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro products. Windows 10 S only allows UWP apps to be loaded from the Windows Store, locking out traditional Win32 .EXE files.
Consumers will still be able to access Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro, and the article suggests that consumers will still have a window of time in which to upgrade. Consumers who wished to upgrade from Windows 10 S Pro to Windows 10 Pro, however, would be charged USD 49, the site reported. Thurrott also noted that these versions of Windows 10 S will apparently support third-party antivirus software, which traditionally runs as legacy .EXE versions.
Though the site cites Microsoft data that claims the majority of Windows 10 S users stick with Windows 10 S, the limitations caused us to recommend switching to Windows 10 S Pro in our review of the Surface Laptop. Windows 10 S and its UWP apps have prompted some, such as Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, to characterize the somewhat limited UWP apps as killing PC gaming.
We reached out to Microsoft for comment, and will update this story when we hear back.