Windows 10 S will only allow you to run apps from the Microsoft Store, which means you can't run iTunes or Chrome, unless you pay US$49 to upgrade it into an actual Windows.
I'm fairly sure RMS warned us around 20 years ago that this kind of stuff was coming, and people laughed and said 'that's paranoia, they'll never lock the desktop down that far'.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/03/windows-10-s-microsoft-faster-pc-comparison
@natecull (Oh. That article didn't say anything about it.)
http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-windows-10-s-bing-default-edge-web-browser-2017-5
@natecull I thought OSX already refused to install apps who are not from the appstore? So not the first time, and people don't care so far.
@bohwaz @natecull No, it's entirely possible to install non-App Store apps on OS X. If they aren't signed with Apple's developer certificate, OS X will warn you that the app isn't officially trusted, but you've always been able to install whatever the hell you want.
it's iOS that requires you to use the App Store. People *do* complain about that.
@natecull how long before Amazon et al sue someone for letting another person use their Kindle?
@tqft in retrospect 'The Right to Read' was incredibly optimistic - it had moonbases.
Ok on the other hand we do have the open access science movement, so Elsevier and Amazon haven't locked up *everything* yet. But what openness we have only happened because people fought for it.
@natecull I don't think the copyright/info wars are over.
cf Cory Doctrow and the War On General Purpose Computing.
I am not confident Apple, Amazan, Facebook, Google, music book and movie publishers are going to go gentle into a Creative Commons post scarcity future.
The progress we have made is fragile.
So we keep fighting.
@natecull It looks like this version of the OS is for special cases like schools and really stripped-down computers. They're trying to do the Chromebook thing, and I doubt they'll damage their reputation for backwards compatibility by making this the main product.
@natecull I don't see how it can't run Chrome or iTunes if Apple and Google just submit them to the Windows Store.
. @natecull I was shocked first but then I read 'chromebook' and 'educational sector' and I think 'meh, it was like that for some time'. Still bad, tho.
@natecull Steam is the only reason I still rubrique Windows - unfortunately, I can't completely jump on the Linux bandwagon...
@natecull Surely, they will never remove the $49 upgrade option? Mwaahahahaha...
@natecull I'm for it, if it means a lowering of the #WindowsTax
As long as they don't also lock down the BIOS in some even worse way than UEFI
@MightyPork These are Surface laptops, so yes, pretty sure they'll be way locked down at the BIOS level.
@natecull @MightyPork AFAIK, the only reason you "can't" run Linux on most existing Surfaces is the lack of good driver support having been written for Linux on the hardware in question, not any sort of restrictive behavior.
@natecull This stops sounding like a reasonable comment when you consider Windows isn't free software, but 10 S is. It's like a free trial. Note that this also stops sounding reasonable when you consider that both iTunes and Chrome could be converted to UWP apps, so they'd run on 10 S.
@natecull they've had these kinds of super-restricted starter versions since windows xp so don't be surprised at all; the difference this time is that there's an app store thrown in the mix
@natecull IIRC the windows xp starter was intended for extremely poor markets to use in super-cheap computers that had a restriction of three programs running at a time, and then there was windows 7 starter that didn't let you change the background among other things that people have forgotten about because xkcd memes
@natecull So,this is their answer to Chromebooks? Hopefully they don't force Win 10 S on new desktops down the road.
@natecull anybody who didn't think walled garden was MS's ultimate end goal was naive. It's been Nadella's MO since he took the seat.
@natecull Anticompetitive behaviour, Europe will force them to allow Chrome et al to be in the Microsoft store.
@natecull rms has been proven right far too many times for me to ever write him off.
@natecull seriously. and now please start bitching about Chromebooks.
and well, actually. you can just install regular windows, you know? you can. if you don't like 10S don't use it.
PS: S stands for students. and that OS is made for schools and workgroups, not really for usual users.
@instajelly @natecull chromebooks are awesome, especially the ARM-based ones. 14+ hours of battery time on one charge
@instajelly @natecull might be true, i dont really use windows in that sense, i prefer a unix. but otoh, i use archlinux on my chromebook (dualboot on a asus c201)
@natecull Bing for everyone!
This is our punishment.