Windows 10 Lean: Microsoft Working on Cut-Down Version of OS

Megalith

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Microsoft is releasing a lighter version of Windows 10 for Redstone 5, the big OS update due out in the Fall. Dubbed “Windows 10 Lean,” it features an installer 2GB smaller than Windows 10 Pro and loses basics such as wallpaper, drivers for CD/DVD drives, and apps like Regedit.

It is not clear what Microsoft plans to do with the SKU. It may simply be intended for virtual machines, or Microsoft may be looking to make another go at a version of Windows for really low-powered devices.
 
So another wimpy windows. I would assume this is for tablets and such. If they can do this surly (typo, but I'm leaving it) they could include off switches so I don't have to waste valuable bandwidth with telemetry and forced updates? Yeah, I know, keep on dreaming. I really am moving to Linux--just so many options I can't make up my mind (like a kid in a candy store).
 
So another wimpy windows. I would assume this is for tablets and such. If they can do this surly (typo, but I'm leaving it) they could include off switches so I don't have to waste valuable bandwidth with telemetry and forced updates? Yeah, I know, keep on dreaming. I really am moving to Linux--just so many options I can't make up my mind (like a kid in a candy store).

I would suggest Linux Mint. It's Ubuntu based but with a friendlier GUI tham what Ubuntu ships wioth which is GNOME (not to be mistaken with GNOME 2 fork). Its friendly and ready to go for the most part out of the box.
 
Between this and the "No more Win32 applications, only UWP apps, Windows Store only unless 3rd party app enabled" version of Windows, it seems Microsoft's primary strategy is "You use what WE want you to use" on both sides of the equation; either Win10 packed with Candy Crush / Facebook / adds and unwanted data mining stuff, or a locked down barebones "Just what we think you need" option.

If there is blowback from this so much the better if it drives users onto Linux, so much the better.
 
Microsoft is releasing a lighter version of Windows 10 for Redstone 5, the big OS update due out in the Fall. Dubbed “Windows 10 Lean,” it features an installer 2GB smaller than Windows 10 Pro and loses basics such as wallpaper, drivers for CD/DVD drives, and apps like Regedit.

It is not clear what Microsoft plans to do with the SKU. It may simply be intended for virtual machines, or Microsoft may be looking to make another go at a version of Windows for really low-powered devices.

no DVD drivers? Big deal. I just tried to mount an external USB DVD to my PC and Windows 10 Home can't see it no matter what I tried. Called Microsoft and they wanted to charge me for "expert advice" and I said, "no thanks"
 
lean but with apps I'm sure. Not a LTSB version with no apps no IE no Store a true desktop version of Windows 10. They will just make a lean with edge only which does not work, No other tools like regedit.
Well they do know what is best for us. They have the spyware data, so.....

If they made a good version they could charge for it and people would be willing to pay. It took them forever to creep up on windows 7 and they were giving 10 away for free!
 
So another wimpy windows. I would assume this is for tablets and such. If they can do this surly (typo, but I'm leaving it) they could include off switches so I don't have to waste valuable bandwidth with telemetry and forced updates? Yeah, I know, keep on dreaming. I really am moving to Linux--just so many options I can't make up my mind (like a kid in a candy store).

Xubuntu.

Lean? Seriously? If they wanted it Lean, what about getting rid of the store, all the crapware and making sure we can keep our machines clean instead of having to remove bloat every time a major update is released?
 
Ha, lean... Microsoft's concept of lean is a mega machine in my world (embedded systems). Some of the processors I work with have as little as 32K bytes of RAM. The processor in my current project has 256KB of RAM and 1MB of FLASH (one of the bigger systems RAM wise).
 
Something is seriously wrong with windows 10's development process if they call that "lean".

Lean? Seriously? If they wanted it Lean, what about getting rid of the store, all the crapware and making sure we can keep our machines clean instead of having to remove bloat every time a major update is released?

why don't they remove s**t like live app tiles, constant phone-home telemetry, and "you can't get rid of me" apps like cortana and OneDrive?

 
I am typing this on a Acer Aspire One D250, powered by an Intel Atom N270 (1.6GHz, single-core, dual-threaded) and 1GB of DDR2 533MHz RAM.

Firefox open with 5 tabs plus the task manager, I am sitting at 540MB used of 988MB of RAM available.

Lubuntu.


So yes, we do have a choice. Sometimes it means some things will have to change, but you know what? It's better this way. It keeps us sharp.
 
I really am moving to Linux--just so many options I can't make up my mind (like a kid in a candy store).

You should seriously consider FreeBSD too. The desktop experience ksnis as easy/refined as (most) Linux distributions, but there's not nearly as much churn.
 
Ha, lean... Microsoft's concept of lean is a mega machine in my world (embedded systems). Some of the processors I work with have as little as 32K bytes of RAM. The processor in my current project has 256KB of RAM and 1MB of FLASH (one of the bigger systems RAM wise).

I would love this job.
 
I actually think this is going to be a version of Windows for remote desktop, thin clients, or other type of cloud/server based desktop environment. It doesn't need those applications in that setup.
 
This is all BS ....... don't ... I repeat ... DON'T get your hopes up.

Until they rip out Edge, Cortana, Telemetrics, etc ... Windows will never be lean.

Regedit is absolutely tiny. This is your first clue that this endeavor will end up being nothing more than total BS.

Besides, there are already several variants of Windows 10 "Lean" out there. That have Edge, Cortana, Telemetrics, etc ripped out. A crap ton of bloat and cancer that has been removed. Don't want automatic updating getting in your way? Awesome, great ... cause it's been removed as well.

I currently use a tiny version of Windows 7 lite that's around 900MB that is incredibly fast. But when I'm not running this I run Windows 10 Lite V4 by Whitedeath.

It's called Windows 10 Lite V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, etc etc etc. It's 2.5gb in size and installs in a matter of minutes. Literally 3 or so minutes on a high-end system. Go look for it. And if you have a legit Windows 10 License .... I doubt there are any issues with you running this version.
 
As for things they're stripping out, yeah, I'm on board with everyone else here. Eliminating wallpapers and drivers for optical drives? Sure, that's fine. Eliminating regedit? Eh, I could see that--power users can just copy it over from another machine.

I clicked through to the source's twitter feed, and the screenshots posted confirm that yes, all the stuff all of us consider bloat is still there--Cortana, Edge, OneDrive, OneNote, Windows Store, Tiles, Voice Recorder, and Sticky Notes are all visible in the Start menu (or whatever they're calling it these days).
Ha, lean... Microsoft's concept of lean is a mega machine in my world (embedded systems). Some of the processors I work with have as little as 32K bytes of RAM. The processor in my current project has 256KB of RAM and 1MB of FLASH (one of the bigger systems RAM wise).
Heh, same here. The first version of our product had, I think, 128 bytes of RAM and 4KB of flash. V2 will have 64kB/1MB, and it feels positively luxurious. Of course, we're not exactly running a desktop OS on it...

I do love it, I've been an embedded developer since the late 70's. I love the pretty much absolute control I have of the system. Early days it was assembly code but the last 15-20 years it's all been C/C++ (compiler tech is outstanding these days).
I've been able to do embedded programming for my job the last few years, and it beats the pants off web development. It can have a brutally steep learning curve, but it's super cool to gain such an intimate understanding of how those little chips work.
 
WTF, are they high? There's a crap ton of other bloat but to remove but no...?

Microsoft was doing a great job. After XP. they wanted security, so Vista. Then, they decided to make it fast, so 7.

That was a point in which Linux for older machines was, for the most part, simply unnecessary. Windows actually performed better in most of them!

Fast forward 10 years, and the lessons they seemed to have learned and should have lived by since then are all but gone. With Windows 8, the answer to a question nobody asked. And with 10, not only more answers to those ghostly questions, but now the bloat and performance tax are coming back again with a vengeance. At first, you could just take it all off and live with it. Now, every update brings all of it back. With Windows it would be set it up and forget about it. Not anymore! Ironically, Ubuntu flavors make for a far more stable system that your grandmother can use without nasty surprises than Windows 10 with their seasonal updates and weird games and "apps" that sneak back in with each and every one of those.
 
Ha, lean... Microsoft's concept of lean is a mega machine in my world (embedded systems). Some of the processors I work with have as little as 32K bytes of RAM. The processor in my current project has 256KB of RAM and 1MB of FLASH (one of the bigger systems RAM wise).
Atmel?
 
Gotta agree, utterly asinine definition of "lean."

We NEED a classic feature set version of Windows that specifically has no Apps and no cloud/web enabled ANYTHING loaded by default.

If nothing else, it would be considered a development install or a security conscious install. Hell, it would be good for kiosks and registers and terminals too.

The worst part is, Microsoft is all worried about charging for their OS against the competition. You know what? You can't BUY Google's OS separately. If Microsoft would still make a classic, private, personal OS we'd all be HAPPY to buy it at the usual $99.

It's kind of funny but in their quest to be like everyone else they've left a gaping hole where their original target market is.

There still needs to be a personal OS that works with all the hardware on earth. It needs to be private and stable. That needs to be Windows. And they need to figure it out. Kind of like every time Intel branches out into something they shouldn't meddle in. They always come back to the core business. The product the whole world needs.
 
Whatever. It will further fragment the "windows ecosystem."

Don't care.

All I want is a Win 10 Home OS that works.
 
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