This article was published on May 13, 2015

7 different versions of Windows 10 show Microsoft still doesn’t get it


7 different versions of Windows 10 show Microsoft still doesn’t get it

Microsoft spent a lot of time talking up the idea of one Windows 10 with universal apps and now it’s announced…there’ll still be more versions than any sane human being can get their head around.

When the OS officially launches there’ll be seven main flavors to choose from:

Windows 10 Home is the consumer-focused desktop edition…

Windows 10 Mobile is designed to deliver the best user experience on smaller, mobile, touch-centric devices like smartphones and small tablets…

Windows 10 Pro is a desktop edition for PCs, tablets and 2-in-1s…

Windows 10 Enterprise builds on Windows 10 Pro, adding advanced features designed to meet the demands of medium and large sized organizations…

Windows 10 Education builds on Windows 10 Enterprise, and is designed to meet the needs of schools – staff, administrators, teachers and students…

Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise is designed to deliver the best customer experience to business customers on smartphones and small tablets…

Windows 10 IoT Core for small footprint, low cost devices like gateways…

And it doesn’t stop there, the enterprise versions will split off into different implementations for ATMs, point of sale, handheld terminals and industrial robotics, just to name a few.

Of course Microsoft wants to make sure Windows is everywhere, but especially on the consumer side it continues to make baffling branding choices. Is it really too much to make a flexible OS that can handle the challenges thrown at it without the need for so many forks in the road?

Just when Microsoft excites me with developments like Hololens, it goes and spoils it with more corporate burbling.

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