Microsoft is no longer offering trials of its ‘PC in the cloud’ Windows 365 service, following significant uptake from interested users.
The service effectively streams the user’s entire Windows PC experience to an external device’s web browser, via the cloud.
Windows 365 enables users to access their own apps, data, content, and settings, so it’s ideal for working on a computer other than their own. It offers users a virtual CPU backed by up to 6GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
Right now it’s geared towards business and enterprise use, but it’s easy to see this becoming a useful service for all users moving forward; especially if they’re visiting their local library or are away from their office PC.
However, little more than 24 hours after opening the platform up to users, Microsoft has paused trials saying it has reached capacity. It’s still available to buy, but the chance to try it first is currently unavailable.
“Following significant demand, we have reached capacity for Windows 365 trials,” the company said on Wednesday. It says users can sign up for notifications when more trials are available.
Microsoft currently offers a basic subscription for $31 a month, while the Premium platform, which is designed for “run high-performance workloads and heavier data processing.”
You might like…
So, right now, it’s not exactly consumer-friendly in terms of price, but we certainly envision Microsoft making Windows 365 more accessible in future. The platform isn’t a million miles away from what the company is doing with Xbox Cloud Gaming, effectively giving gamers the opportunity to run high-powered Xbox games on any device, with cloud servers doing all of the heavy lifting.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
