Can Windows 10 Cloud Laptops Compete With Google Chromebooks?

[jsimenhoff]

Microsoft has struggled to keep their customers on Windows 10 and off of Google Chrome OS. It's been a bit of an uphill battle. According to this IDC report, ChromeOS suprassed MacOS in sales in Q1 of last year, on trend with their previous reports, which confirmed that ChromeOS was siphoning market share from Microsoft's bottom line. ChromeOS can be compete with Microsoft Windows 10 on a number of levels, including price and for a certain subset of the market, performance. With it's simplistic interface, adaptability, and limited uses, ChromeOS has been the go to platform for many new or Casual PC users.

We've written plenty of articles comparing Chromebooks to Windows 10 in the past, but Windows 10 Cloud is set to the upend all the previously entrenched ideas on what Windows 10 can do. Will Microsoft latest version of the operating system have what it takes to take on Google's Chrome OS? Will Microsoft be able to compete on a pricing and performance level? How about in terms of apps? What do you think?

 

[James Mason]

Well, Microsoft has already heavily moved many of it's popular applications to the cloud, so perhaps they could. A Windows 10 Cloud PC would likely have OneDrive integration which is actually a pretty handy tool for someone who uses multiple PCs, and it may be cheaper to have a W10Cloud NetBook system or terminal for a large range of microsoft's clientele.

If MS can convince people the W10 Cloud is a easier entry point to PC use with a better way to expand it/transfer it to a heavy duty PC if/when needed it could work.

The problems would be the non-tech savvy people who would purchase products like that are SO un-tech-savvy that they would have trouble with even the simple things of integrated systems.

 

[Graybush]

Honestly, I think it's all going to come down on work styles and how people prefer to store their data. I've used more of the Chrome OS personally than Microsoft, but that was due to my previous line of work and that it was the simplest way to get everyone on the same platform.

 

[velo3100]

I would say that chromebooks have a better chance as android apps are supported on some. This is much easier to use than the desktop apps in windows once developers have done that. Me personally, I prefer chrome os than windows for simple things. You can install and uninstall all apps except for the chrome web store and some other apps that you need to run chrome on whereas windows just puts a lot of apps that most people don't use. Plus their store is rubbish compared to the google play store. I can't wait for my chromebook to officially support the google play apps.

 

[ThursdayFridaySaturday]

You can peel Microsoft out of my cold, dead hands. And I think a lot of people feel the same way, since they're so deeply entrenched in OS programming and now drive applications.

 

[jsimenhoff]

You can peel Microsoft out of my cold, dead hands. And I think a lot of people feel the same way, since they're so deeply entrenched in OS programming and now drive applications.

You may be right, but remember the Windows 10 Cloud Laptops will be under powered compared to other normal editions of Windows 10. Do you think they'll be able to run the same applications?

 

[USAFRet]

You can peel Microsoft out of my cold, dead hands. And I think a lot of people feel the same way, since they're so deeply entrenched in OS programming and now drive applications.

You may be right, but remember the Windows 10 Cloud Laptops will be under powered compared to other normal editions of Windows 10. Do you think they'll be able to run the same applications?

Depends on how "underpowered" they are.
For a comparison, my Asus Transformer T100A is pretty much only good as a web browser machine. Trying to run 2 or 3 applications brings the CPU and 2GB RAM to its knees.

But with only a little more horsepower, it would be quite capable.