Have you Heard? Windows DaaS?

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Axiom

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From the Hell
SB Mod Squad ⭐
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Member for 8 years
Hey guys, I usually a bit behind on things like this, so I'm sure many of you have heard of this already, but I'm sure that many of you haven't.
I hope this never comes to pass because I will not have it on my PC or any device.
* I Pay for the PC
* I Own the PC
* I put on it what I want and down't want
* I will not allow anyone else to control what's on my PC or how it upgrades
* IF things lead in this direction I will be wiping my PC of Windows and start using straight up Linux


Article 1

Microsoft bangs the 'devices as a service' drum ahead of Windows 7's end-of-support deadline
Windows Windows 7's January 2020 end-of-support date looming, Microsoft is advising partners to go after migration opportunities using the DaaS approach.

January 14, 2020 is the last day Microsoft will provide security updates for Windows 7. According to Microsoft's estimates, there are 184 million commercial devices out there (as of April 2018 and excluding China) still on Windows 7. And 64 percent of those devices are more than five years old.

For Microsoft's reseller partners, that's a huge potential opportunity, as they heard repeatedly during Microsoft's Inspire partner show last week. Traditionally, end of Microsoft support for an operating system means more chances for partners to sell customers on migration, provisioning and other services.

At the same time, the way business customers are purchasing PCs is changing. By 2020 -- the same time Windows 7 hits end of support -- 30 percent of all PCs will be acquired via DaaS, or device-as-a-service, plans, Microsoft officials told partners last week.

DaaS is the term for leasing a PC on a subscription basis, which often is coupled with other support services. It's sometimes used interchangeably with "desktop as a service." Microsoft is working on its own DaaS strategy, which for now is branded as "Microsoft Managed Desktop." (I don't know if Microsoft plans to allow partners to resell its Managed Desktop service or if the company intends to sell this service directly to business customers.)

During the Inspire show, Microsoft execs worked to hammer home the idea that resellers shouldn't simply be selling Windows 7 users a new device running Windows 10. Instead, they should take the DaaS approach and set up a whole platform to lease new Windows 10 PCs to customers.

Microsoft officials told partners the sweet spot for DaaS are customers with 99 or fewer devices. A lot of these customers just don't want to manage day to day headaches around devices, said Steve Jensen, a Senior Partner Solutions Manager for Microsoft, during one session at Inspire. Partners should take advantage of this by leasing devices that are preloaded with cloud services, desktop services, security services and more, he said.



Microsoft showed partners a slide (embedded above) that outlined the DaaS framework approach. The three main components are a "modern" commercial device, meaning a device running Microsoft 365; cloud management of that device; and "modern" billing, meaning perpetually renewable leasing. These three components could be bundled together into a single, per-user monthly bill, Jensen said.

Jensen cited a study by Forrester Research done by Microsoft that showed partners could earn gross profit of more than $100 per seat per year by selling the Microsoft 365 stack via a DaaS approach.

Some companies already have been pushing the DaaS approach. HP, for example, offers DaaS for both Windows and Apple devices. Dell offers a number of PC-as-a-service options.

Microsoft has been pioneering the DaaS approach over the past year-plus with partners via its "Modern Desktop" pilots. The company has been encouraging partners to go beyond simple OS management and add new capabilities like device management down to the driver level as a way of distinguishing themselves.

Article 2

For over 30 years, we’ve thought of PCs primarily as Windows machines, which we owned and controlled. That’s about to change forever.

This isn’t about Microsoft forcing us off Windows 7 to Windows 10 as fast as it can (though it has found many ways to push that agenda). This is about Microsoft abandoning the Windows platform as a conventional desktop.

Microsoft is getting ready to replace Windows 10 with the Microsoft Managed Desktop. This will be a “desktop-as-a-service” (DaaS) offering. Instead of owning Windows, you’ll “rent” it by the month.

DaaS for Windows isn’t new. Citrix and VMware have made a living from it for years. Microsoft has offered Remote Desktop Services, formerly Terminal Services, for ages.

Microsoft Managed Desktop is a new take. It avoids the latency problem of the older Windows DaaS offerings by keeping the bulk of the operating system on your PC.

But you’ll no longer be in charge of your Windows PC. Instead, it will be automatically provisioned and patched for you by Microsoft. Maybe you’ll be OK with that.

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know IT departments have not been happy with Microsoft’s twice yearly major “upgrades” to Windows 10. Let’s call it what it is. These aren’t upgrades or updates; they’re service patches (SP).

Take the Windows 10 April 2018 Update — please! It came with more than its fair share of bugs. What was especially annoying was that “Update” fouled up so many of Microsoft’s own programs. When even Word, Outlook and File Explorer lock up, you know you’ve got a mess on your hands.

Computerworld’s Woody Leonhard even recommended that, unless you were stuck with the April Update, you turn off automatic updating. He’s right to do so. Windows patching was always chancy, but with Windows 10 you’re more likely to have trouble when you patch than you are to avoid problems. And isn’t that a heck of a note?

So, with this track record, do you want to pay good money to let Microsoft maintain your desktops for you? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Nonetheless, DaaS Windows is coming. Microsoft has been getting away from the old-style desktop model for years now. Just look at Office. Microsoft would much rather have you rent Office via Office 365 than buy Microsoft Office and use it for years.Microsoft Managed Desktop is the first move to replacing “your” desktop with a rented desktop. By 2021, I expect the Managed Desktop to be to traditional Windows what Office 365 is to Office today: the wave of the future. Or maybe tsunami, depending on your perspective.

I’m not happy with this development. I’m old enough to remember the PC revolution. We went from depending on mainframes and Unix boxes for computing power to having the real power on our desktops. It was liberating.

Now Microsoft, which helped lead that revolution, is trying to return us to that old, centralized control model.

Forget that noise. If Microsoft continues on this course, soon your only real choices if you really want a “desktop” operating system will be Linux and macOS. Oh, you’ll still have “Windows.” But Windows as your “personal” desktop? It will be history.

*End

I didn't write these articles, I just came across them. All Credits go to the original sites and writers. {Zdnet & Computerworld}
 

Sbenny

A crazy scientist
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This is scary, but on the other side, if I'd still were on win7 I'd either crack it or disable connectivity for window services so that I could still do what I want with it.

But damn, money is really destroying anything good we've had so far.

Thumbs down Windows. A possible alternative? Linux as you said (and it'd even help us better understanding Android as well).


Thank for sharing this important piece of information with us, @Axiom!
 

Axiom

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From the Hell
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Member for 8 years
I'm still using Win 7 on my PC, I'd rather be on XP, but that won't run a lot of things anymore. XP Dark {A Hacker Custom} was my fav.
But Win 7 has been good. I refused to upgrade to 10 when I saw it. It's just an awful mess and they have yet to fix it right.
Instead of properly updating and maintaining a good user interface and program, they keep going money hungry and making new/broken OS versions and never properly fixing them. I will stick with Win 7 as long as I can, but when it becomes to the point where I can't use it anymore, then I'll have already moved onto Full Linux.
 

Phytoplankton

Veteran Lv7️⃣
Member for 6 years
I'm still using Win 7 on my PC, I'd rather be on XP, but that won't run a lot of things anymore. XP Dark {A Hacker Custom} was my fav.
But Win 7 has been good. I refused to upgrade to 10 when I saw it. It's just an awful mess and they have yet to fix it right.
Instead of properly updating and maintaining a good user interface and program, they keep going money hungry and making new/broken OS versions and never properly fixing them. I will stick with Win 7 as long as I can, but when it becomes to the point where I can't use it anymore, then I'll have already moved onto Full Linux.
I HATE windows 10 so so much and will always stick with windows 7 no matter what (or thats what i thought :( )

My Processor died and i had to get the new one... in the hindsight without researching properly i went for the latest 8th gen Kaby lake processor
Later I came to know that vendors in cohoot with microsoft have disabled the installations of my beloved windows 7 on newer generation of processors!
No driver supports and nothing.. nada! :(

With heavy heart and hating every moment of it, I installed windows 10 and am currently being forced to use it! F*** you Microsoft :mad:

But @Axiom and @Sbenny all is not lost, I found a cheat code later...

there is a official stripped down version of Windows 10 called LTSB version which disabled the updates by default and doent has any UAW Apps or store or any extra feature. Not even games are bundled :)

[ @Sbenny If you want i can make a post on tutorial on how to download/install and get it working]

After that I used following software: O&O to completly destryed telemetry/cortana etc

then comes the next step of blocking all microsoft/akamai ips in host file permanently [added bonus block all facebook social tracking ip too if you want :) ]

use a custom firewall such as beautiful Glasswire to block all outgoing connection except the one you allow :)

thats the nearest win7 experience i could get but from that day onward I haven't had a single crash :)

oo.jpg
 

JohnR

Savage Lv6️⃣
Member for 6 years
TBH I loved Win 7 and wish it was still supported, Win 10 isnt as user friendly? as i would have liked, hate the whole startup and forced apps like Skype, Microsoft Edge, and Groove, which is a failed version of Media Centre, which i prefer as it is old school! Win 8 (well lets not go there lol!) FAIL

edit: WIN 7 extended support is still available until January 14th 2020

According to a survey in January 2018, 42.39% are still using Windows 7 – compared to the 34.29% who have moved on to the latest operating system, Windows 10.

I mean what does this tell them about what users prefer?
 

Sbenny

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If you disable all the annoying stuff and set up a software to show the old win7 start menu, you don't really feel the OS change :)

I feel like I'm still using windows 7 although I'm on windows 10 because I disabled cortana, Skype, windows store apps etc. And no, I didn't use any softwares for this. Just some reg edits and uninstallations.

Not that I'm a fan of win 10, at all, but it's not as tragic if you make sure YOU control it and not vice versa :lol:
 

Phytoplankton

Veteran Lv7️⃣
Member for 6 years
TBH I loved Win 7 and wish it was still supported, Win 10 isnt as user friendly? as i would have liked, hate the whole startup and forced apps like Skype, Microsoft Edge, and Groove, which is a failed version of Media Centre, which i prefer as it is old school! Win 8 (well lets not go there lol!) FAIL

edit: WIN 7 extended support is still available until January 14th 2020

According to a survey in January 2018, 42.39% are still using Windows 7 – compared to the 34.29% who have moved on to the latest operating system, Windows 10.

I mean what does this tell them about what users prefer?
Use win 7 untill the last possible moment toy can!

newer 8th gen processors will force you to use win 10 then use Win 10 LTSB version!

it doesnt have any such stuff by default and also you can turn off updates :)
 

Yoda

Master of The Force
Verified 18+ user
Member for 6 years
I'm with @Axiom on this one. I'm still using Windows 7 and also refused to switch to Windows 10 when I saw it and was reading all the clustermess problems it was having.

@Sbenny - What are the benefits/downsides of disabling connectivity for window services?
 

Sibway

Apprentice Lv2️⃣
Member for 5 years
I don't think I would have much of a problem switching to Linux. I will have to find replacements for some programs I regularly use and I'll have to hope that many of my games still work. But it would probably be for the best.
 

Phytoplankton

Veteran Lv7️⃣
Member for 6 years
I don't think I would have much of a problem switching to Linux. I will have to find replacements for some programs I regularly use and I'll have to hope that many of my games still work. But it would probably be for the best.
I guess you are not a gamer!

A huge gamer like me will have no choice :(
 

johnhern

Modding Since 2017
Member for 6 years
I have been in IT since 1999 and have heard for years that everyone, literally everyone, wants to eventually go to SaaS in some manner. The first incarnate thought that Microsoft had back in pre W10 days was WaaS or Windows as a service. Pretty much they wanted to sell just little boxes that were basically routers with usb ports. Turn it on, log in and your remote Windows V.xxx loaded up. It wasn't a very good idea on many levels but showed us what the future will bring. Every device has a leasing option these days and OS providers that make money off of them are eventually going to want "everything" Cloud.

In my business there are a lot of things that companies I have worked for will always want to keep behind the firewall. Since many companies practically run on Azure or AWS there are still things companies are never going to be comfortable with on the other side of the firewall.

This is and will always be an issue with IT but unfortunately, the masses of sheeple will not argue with the world as a service in the future.
 

tristanofshayard

Dungeon Master
Member for 5 years
Yeah, I got forced over to Linux too. My PC had to restart and Microsoft decided to implement a "No Cancel" policy when it starts auto-updating
 

BedroomNinja

♜ Mιɳɳҽʂσƚα Nαƚιʋҽ ♜
Member for 6 years
looks like I better get a few computers ready with windows 7 before 2020 if I am gonna build my mame cabinet. Thats a bummer, but I can see that. I see why they do this in the nature of the business but as a consumer is really leaves a sour taste. But the same thing has been going on with online subscriptions to games and accessible content, DLC, service plans, microtransactions. Its all another toll booth to get what you should have gotten the first time you paid. Hot Garbage!
 

kittysts

Lurker Lv0️⃣
Member for 5 years
Thanks for this post. I was unaware of this. I am still using Win7. XP was my choice for many years, but when things went to NTFS and 64 bit, I had to adjust. I just wonder if the updates that will be coming out until 2020 will be necessary for the Win7 system or just MS implementing software for the change? Maybe i should go ahead and disable updates now? I have always believed "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
 
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