With Threshold, my sources say, there could be three primary SKUs: A
"modern" consumer SKU; a traditional/PC SKU; and a traditional
enterprise SKU. (SKU actually stands for stock-keeping unit, for those wondering.)
The modern (i.e., Metro-Style/Windows Store) consumer SKU
would be focused on WinRT apps. (WinRT, in this case, refers to the API
set at the heart of Windows, not the current Windows RT operating
system that runs on ARM.) It may end up targeting ARM- and Intel-based
devices both. It would be updated frequently by Microsoft through the
Windows Store.
This SKU supposedly wouldn't be optimized to run Win32 apps. However,
my contact said there's the possibility that on some PC-like form
factors, there may be a "desktop" that is more easily navigable for
keyboard/mouse users.
This modern SKU would be the SKU for Windows Phones, ARM-based
Windows tablets/PCs, phablets and other kinds of tablets. Some PCs also
may run this SKU, providing Microsoft with a more head-to-head
competitor to Chromebooks, as these machines would be more secure and
locked down (thanks to the way Microsoft built the WinRT/Windows Store model).
The modern SKU is what has previously been rumored as a forthcoming Microsoft hybrid Windows Phone OS/Windows RT operating system.
A more traditional consumer SKU would be aimed at
the current PC market. This SKU would include a desktop and be
customized so that mouse/keyboard users will be able to continue to have
some semblance of productivity and familiarity with Windows. This SKU
also would be updated regularly and often through the Windows Store.
There also will likely be some kind of traditional Enterprise SKU, according
to my contacts, that would include all the usual business bells and
whistles, like support for Win32 apps via a Desktop environment, support
for group policy, device management and more. This SKU would be aimed
primarily at traditional PCs, tablets and other devices and also allow
users to run "Modern"/Windows Store apps.
The Enterprise SKU might end up being for volume licensees only. This
might be a SKU that doesn't update frequently/constantly through the
Windows Store. Instead, it might be subject to IT policies/approvals,
making enterprise users who don't want silent, automatic updates a lot
happier. Microsoft Windows chief Terry Myerson hinted at something like this during his recent Credit Suisse tech conference appearance.
There will likely be some additional device-specific Windows
"Threshold" SKUs for embedded devices and usages, such as point-of-sale
terminals, kiosks, etc., given that the Embedded team is now part of Myerson's organization. But these SKUs won't be offered directly to consumers or business users directly.
Microsoft is attempting to straddle a fence here and continue to
advance Windows as a "modern" mobile platform, while not
disenfranchising their huge existing base. The big takeaway here is
there may be more concessions coming to folks who felt like Windows 8
went too far in turning Windows into a touch-first, tablet-centric
operating system. To me, this is a welcome furthering of the changes
that began more conservatively last year with the re-emergence of the Start button and allowance of boot to desktop by default.
Update: Here are a couple of related tidbits, courtesy of sources of Windows SuperSite's Paul Thurrott. Thurrott said he's hearing the revised Desktop will allow users to run multiple Metro appson the Desktop. That'd mean windows comes back to Windows. Plus, he's hearing the Start Menu might return,
too, supplementing the currently Start-Menuless Start Button -- another
plus for those struggling with the current Windows 8.x navigation
scheme.
FROM:
http://www.zdnet.com
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