Windows 10 "S Mode" - why don't they provide VMs to run "unsupported" Win64 apps, apart from the "pristine" host OS?

[VirtualLarry]

Thinking about this.

If MS was really doing "S Mode" for Security, but still wanted to allow their end-users to run programs (Win64 applications) like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, then why don't they provide a ready-made VM or instance VMs for installing those applications into, much like a sort of Windows-style (using VMs) "Docker container". They could remote the UI back to the desktop. In fact, I thought that I had read that Microsoft wanted to do that for the "future of Windows" - run every application in it's own VM.

Considering that Windows 10 "S Mode" cannot normally run those Win64 applications AT ALL, that MS would be willing to provide a workaround.

UNLESS...

MS's SOLE GOAL was to make "Google Chrome" (and by association, Mozilla Firefox) NOT ABLE TO RUN. Much like Lotus 1-2-3 on DOS. ("DOS ain't done, till Lotus won't run!")

Edit: Call it a "Win64 application condom", if they have to. (Even if they piss off certain religious people with that terminology.)

 

[mikeymikec]

Huh. I never actually thought to check what 'S mode' meant, I just took it to mean like 'Starter Edition', because I usually see S mode on low-end kit like sub-£300 laptops with 32GB of soldered storage.

I thought it was about trying to ensure that people have Microsoft accounts by mandating one in order to install any useful apps.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Huh. I never actually thought to check what 'S mode' meant, I just took it to mean like 'Starter Edition', because I usually see S mode on low-end kit like sub-£300 laptops with 32GB of soldered storage.

I thought it was about trying to ensure that people have Microsoft accounts by mandating one in order to install any useful apps.

No, "S Mode" literally means that you CAN'T run any "Windows applications". You can ONLY run "Apps" from the "MS Store".

 

[mikeymikec]

I wasn't trying to argue with you. I'm just surprised that 'S mode' isn't the default mode in Windows 10 full stop, if the aim truly was security related. I've personally never seen higher-end kit running S mode by default. The highest end computer I've seen was an Asus Vivobook 15 with a 10th gen i3, 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD (a laptop I ordered for a customer recently... 4GB was their preference to save money).

 

[ultimatebob]

The S stands for Sucks, right? I disabled that rubbish after about 2 minutes on my wife's laptop.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Well, to be fair, it’s not just that. Supposedly, the S mode runs faster and consumes less resources. I have yet to test to which extent, though.

 

[mikeymikec]

Well, to be fair, it’s not just that. Supposedly, the S mode runs faster and consumes less resources. I have yet to test to which extent, though.

I bet if MS makes that claim, there'll be a happy little asterisk at the end of it, pointing to a footnote that says something along the lines of "comparing to a system with tonnes of the usual ... stuff installed".