What's the point of this Windows 10 edition? Do they intend to make it much cheaper or even free?

I really don't understand. I believe a Windows without Win32 loses most of its appeal. I, at least, would not be using Windows if it wasn't for the Win32 API. If they are running this as an experiment ("let's see what would happen if we got rid of Win32"), I'm sure it'll flop, the same the "Starter" versions of Windows, which didn't allow you to run many applications at once, flopped.

I think it's to kill Chrome OS.

Windows 10 Cloud is a way for Microsoft to offer a free version of Windows funded by store sales (hopefully if there are any apps that are worth paying for). Its probably targeted at the bottom line of Windows notebooks and tablets as a way to compete with Chromebooks. At this point no public beta was released so whoever bypassed it probably didn't have to try very hard, I assume this is what they will iron out by the time they release it.

In my opinion its not a bad idea since its rumored that will offer the user the chance to upgrade to full windows if he wants in which case the consumers don't really lose. Its meant for users who browse the web and play casual games.

I think this is probably right. Right now, cheap tablets can get free full Windows licenses, but there are really draconian limitations in hardware to qualify that are probably preventing them from seriously competing with android and chromebooks. The problem is, Microsoft wants the low-end to use Windows, and they need to give free licenses to make this work, but they don't want to cannibalize sales.

This new version of Windows will probably allow them to eliminate specific hardware requirements entirely, and let users choose between a cheaper, limited version of windows, and paying for a full version.

Unlike RT, this will take basically no extra effort on Microsoft's part, and if these devices catch on it will create some additional incentive for developers to put their applications in the Windows Store. (Since these devices will be x86 based, it will be possible to run existing applications that have been ported to the store using the Desktop App Converter tool).

I don't know if users are really going to like this though.

Told you so. "... Windows was made to help protect you ...". What a twaddle. All it does is helps to protect me from doing any meaningful work, from using copy and paste, from using active objects and OLE, from doing any monetizable business after all.

The next stop down this road is Google banning unsigned JavaScript in Chrome in order to "help to protect me".

Backwards compatibility is why people use Windows.

I use it because it just works with any tool I use for development and any game I want to play. The only time it doesn't work is when someone doesn't even try to test their libs on windows. I admit I am rather young so I have none of this old school hate towards Msft that it used to be. The only Msft I know is open-sourcey, student license giving, Linux supporty one.

Companies aren't people. Companie are made or people. People come and go. I suppose a lot of the changes started happening when new people joined Msft and started pushing changes. #givemsftachance

Isn't this something like Windows RT for the cloud? Windows RT didn't go very well ...

I reckon Microsoft will end up killing Windows Phone entirely as an SKU and replace it with windows cloud (including the phone UI obviously).

They could then also launch a surface tablet with ARM SOC at the same time, running Windows cloud as well.

Wait, so you are telling me a not-even-in-beta software is not secure?

That's a very important news!