Microsoft wants you to transition to a Desktop-as-a-Service paradigm in the long run, and the first steps toward that goal may already be in place on your traditional Windows PC. Windows 11 is the name you’re familiar with.
Windows 11 is, in my opinion, a worthless update. My explanation was that it had compatibility issues and didn’t actually bring much to Windows 10. Yes, it includes enhanced security. However, most of these enhancements were already included in the Windows 10 20H2 version (the October 2020 Update). All you have to do now is turn them on.
So, what is the objective of Windows 11? I believe it’s to gradually acclimate you to the concept of Windows as a Service (WaaS).
For years, Microsoft has been urging consumers to adopt the Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) paradigm. You can sign up for the simple-to-use Windows 365 Cloud PC right now. Windows 365 Enterprise or Azure Virtual Desktop are also options if you want additional control and features. However, these are all more business-oriented than consumer-oriented games. And, while Microsoft is known for its business customers, it also enjoys household sales. (Of course, thanks to the burgeoning work-from-home movement, the line between home and work is blurring more than ever.)
With this in mind, I see obvious indicators in recent Windows 11 modifications that Windows 11 is the Trojan horse bringing WaaS to everyone, whether they want it or not.
First, in February 2022, Microsoft slipped a Microsoft subscription manager inside the Windows 11 upgrade. Check it out: under Accounts in the Windows 11 Settings menu, there’s a new area named “Your Microsoft account.” Your Microsoft 365 subscription status, the size of your OneDrive cloud storage, and other information may all be found there.
It says, “Believe me when I say that having a subscription to our cloud services is a standard feature of Windows.” Relax, Windows is now a part of the cloud-based Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) universe.
Payment information for Microsoft Windows 11
Wait? Didn’t Microsoft promise that it would only update Windows 11 once a year? Yes, it did, ahem. Microsoft, on the other hand, lied. When Microsoft decides to update Windows 11, Feature, Web, and Online Service Experience Packs will be available. What’s that screaming in the distance? Windows 11 sysadmins are concerned about the potential for hidden features to cause problems.
Apart from that, there is one subscription that isn’t included in this new feature – remember what I said about mischief? — and that is the Xbox Game Pass. It’s almost as if Microsoft was thinking more about commerce with this upgrade than about having fun with your Xbox games.
The Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22567 for the Dev Channel arrived a few weeks later. And what should we expect to find there? Why, Windows 11 now requests your credit card information from within the operating system. Naturally, Microsoft has been requesting credit card information for transactions through your Microsoft Account web page for quite some time. So, what exactly is the big deal?
It does, however, make purchasing on Windows a little easier. What’s crucial, in my opinion, is that this, when combined with the subscription function, makes it easy to pay for not just Microsoft 365, but also Windows itself. Windows will no longer be a one-time purchase. It will always be a subscription service, with one foot firmly planted on your PC and the other firmly planted in the cloud.
While I like the DaaS approach in its place, I also value having complete control over my operating system, which I use largely on my PC. As a result, I’ll continue to utilize Linux as my primary operating system. As for the rest of you, I hope you’re comfortable entrusting all of your computing work to Microsoft, since Microsoft, not you, will be in charge now more than ever.
