News Windows 10 "Lean"

[Stephen!]

Microsoft is releasing a "lean" version of Windows 10. Albeit only by around 2GB smaller.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...-yet-another-windows-variant-windows-10-lean/

Just as Microsoft gets rid of one Windows SKU, it seems to have created another one to take its place. The short-lived Windows 10 S version has been replaced by a mode that can be applied to regular Windows, but it appears that there is already a successor: the latest Insider preview build for Redstone 5, due for release in the second half of this year, has an install option for "Windows 10 Lean," as found by Lucan.

Windows 10 Lean appears to live up to its name: an installation is about 2GB smaller than Windows 10 Pro, and it is missing a bunch of things, such as desktop wallpaper, Registry Editor, the MMC management console, and more. Lucan reports that Lean does not seem to apply the same restrictions as S Mode, and as such it is capable of running both Universal Windows Programs from the Store and traditional Win32 applications.

What's unclear is precisely who this Lean version is for. Saving disk space is certainly welcome, though on most PC-type devices, an extra 2GB isn't really going to make or break anything. It would be more important on a mobile device, but Lucan is certain that Windows 10 Lean is not some precursor to the operating system for the mythical Microsoft Andromeda device.

It also seems unlikely that "Lean" is going to be the final branding. While "Lean" is the name used during installation, the branding within the operating system is still "Windows 10 S." We'd expect this to change once the purpose becomes clearer.

 

[Marc]

two gig isn't that much of a saving unless you're running it from a 32GB storage device and it will find other ways to chew up the space (paging file, hibernation file, updates). Think it would really need to have the disk clean up routine automated to save space.

Not sure that I'd like being with the MMC or the registry editor which can come in handy for unfucking microsoft and others fuckups though they are tools that most users would be well advised to stay away from.

 

[Santaman]

I wish they would concentrate on making a reliable OS and stop spying on everything and everyone instead of blowing more bullshit around..

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

two gig isn't that much of a saving unless you're running it from a 32GB storage device and it will find other ways to chew up the space (paging file, hibernation file, updates). Think it would really need to have the disk clean up routine automated to save space.

Not sure that I'd like being with the MMC or the registry editor which can come in handy for unfucking microsoft and others fuckups though they are tools that most users would be well advised to stay away from.

Also, if you'e good with Services & System Configuration, you can pare down some of the crap Windows likes to run in the background.

 

[Random_Spock]

two gig isn't that much of a saving unless you're running it from a 32GB storage device and it will find other ways to chew up the space (paging file, hibernation file, updates). Think it would really need to have the disk clean up routine automated to save space.

Not sure that I'd like being with the MMC or the registry editor which can come in handy for unfucking microsoft and others fuckups though they are tools that most users would be well advised to stay away from.

Yep. I'll stick with the usual Windows 10. The registry editor comes in handy in case of dealing with basic viruses and pups.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I have one of those 32gig laptops, not with Windows though that went bye bye and it's running linux now and has almost all the disk to play with.

 

[Spot's Meow]

This reminds me of the netbook I had that came with Windows 7 Starter edition. Supposedly it was a "lite" version of Windows 7, but I didn't run into anything I couldn't do on my desktop that had full Windows 7.

What I found amusing about Windows 7 Starter, and it appears to be the case in this lite Windows 10 version is well, is the inability to change your desktop wallpaper. It was a simple blue Windows logo. You can't tell me that a user setting a custom wallpaper is somehow the make or break feature that is saving so much space. As I mentioned I ran into very few issues with the Starter version, so my theory is that they don't want people to catch on that they can get a cheaper, less bloated version that still suits their needs, when they could pay for the more expensive version full of their pre-installed crap. People being superficial, they will see the generic desktop image that they can't change and assume that the system is not up to par. If I can't have my cute kitty in a box photo, then it's not good enough for me!

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

This reminds me of the netbook I had that came with Windows 7 Starter edition. Supposedly it was a "lite" version of Windows 7, but I didn't run into anything I couldn't do on my desktop that had full Windows 7.

What I found amusing about Windows 7 Starter, and it appears to be the case in this lite Windows 10 version is well, is the inability to change your desktop wallpaper. It was a simple blue Windows logo. You can't tell me that a user setting a custom wallpaper is somehow the make or break feature that is saving so much space. As I mentioned I ran into very few issues with the Starter version, so my theory is that they don't want people to catch on that they can get a cheaper, less bloated version that still suits their needs, when they could pay for the more expensive version full of their pre-installed crap. People being superficial, they will see the generic desktop image that they can't change and assume that the system is not up to par. If I can't have my cute kitty in a box photo, then it's not good enough for me!

Ah..................................

Can't you find the file and change the name of your kitty photo to that filename and overwrite the file?

 

[tzinebh]

Any one test it out? how about the performance?

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I'd prefer to nuke it from orbit instead.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I'd prefer to nuke it from orbit instead.

The only way to kill it is to Nuke MS headquarters from orbit