Microsoft is said to be working on a new type of PC: very low-power, therefore cheap, subscription-based computers with integrated advertising. For now, this idea only appears in a job posting, but it may well become a reality in the future.
Would you be willing to pay a low price for a PC if it was subscription based and had ads? This track is in any case considered by Microsoft. ZDnet discovered a job offer that explicitly mentions this project.
According to the job posting on Microsoft Careers, the idea would be to sell a cheap PC the price of which would be offset by ads and subscriptions. For this last point, the company could use its Windows in the cloud, Windows 365.
Low-cost PCs, Microsoft’s new Eldorado?
This job posting for a software manager says a lot. Perhaps it even reveals the next direction the Redmond company would like to take. It indicates that the new recruit will lead and define the new wave of innovation at Microsoft a new model of hybrid applications between the local and the cloud.
Also read – Surface Pro 8 test: a good PC, but an outdated format
Microsoft is already showing its cloud know-how to the general public, notably with OneDrive, Office 365 and Xbox Game Pass. The company could go much further with this new strategy thanks to its totally dematerialized Windows. You no longer need to sell computers at a premium, as the user only needs a good internet connection. Windows 365 already exists for professionals, it can happen for individuals. Combine that with in-app ads and we have a business model that looks viable.
As ZDnet notes, Microsoft also appeared interesting changes internally, places the Windows 365 team under the leadership of Panos Panay, product manager for the Surface line. From there to envisioning a Surface Cloud in the future is just one step…
In any case, cheap Windows PCs could interest an audience that no longer necessarily wants to put a thousand and one hundred into a PC. Cheap Windows PCs already exist, but they struggle to convince, especially towards Chromebooks which managed to hold their ground in this segment.
Source: ZDnet