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Simply put, window lites are individual panes of glass within a window frame. They can give a window a divided appearance even if it's just one large pane. Why would someone want this, you ask?
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A new lightweight version of Windows is in the works. But who is supposed to use it?
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So this begs the question, who exactly will this "Windows Lite" be for? Microsoft's previous efforts in trying making a version of Windows 10 for the Chrome OS market has come up short. The difference with Windows Lite is that it severs all ties with what we come to expect from a "Windows" product, so much so that rumors suggest Microsoft won't even call it "Windows" when it gets announced officially.
One of Microsoft's most significant problems with trying to branch out with Windows is that the "Windows" brand comes with so much baggage and expectations from customers. A customer looking to buy a Windows device is likely expecting to be able to run programs like Google Chrome and lots of other Win32 applications that aren't in the Microsoft Store. For Microsoft to have even the slimmest chance of making an OS that is locked down like Chrome OS or iOS, it needs to sever ties with the Windows brand.
Doing this opens the door to much more than averting app availability expectations, it also lets Microsoft experiment and venture into new territory when it comes to user experience. Windows users come to expect a familiar taskbar and start button combo, and straying too far from that experience causes problems for users. Case in point: Windows 8. Not calling the new version Windows should help Microsoft break away from this. I wouldn't be surprised if we see Microsoft push things like Windows Sets first on Windows Lite, for example.
Forget Windows 10 S, Microsoft needs a true 'lite' version of Windows
Back to our initial question, who is Windows Lite for? Simply put, it's for people who don't need full Windows devices. It's for the same people who are looking at the iPad with iOS and thinking Yeah, I can do what I need to do with something like that. Same for the people buying Chrome OS devices. Microsoft is going straight for that market, which I like to call the "light computing" market. Light computing is a device and OS experience that's designed to get out the way and cater to the very basic needs of most people using a laptop or tablet.
Of course, Windows Lite is also very likely going to be a massive player in Microsoft's education strategy, which has also seen Chrome OS thunder-in at full power. Microsoft cannot lose the education market to Chrome OS and iOS, but Windows 10 itself isn't enough to compete in this industry anymore. Many schools want a locked down platform that's straightforward and easy to maintain. While you can lock down Windows 10 today, I wouldn't exactly call it "easy to maintain."
The web is also a huge part of Windows Lite. I'm told it very much prioritizes web experiences with deep ties into the OS. I wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft advertise Windows Lite PCs as devices that come with Office for free, and by Office, I mean Office web apps. Microsoft is already starting to pin the web versions of Office to the Start menu on the latest Windows 10 in 19H1 builds, so I believe it has plans to push them at full force on Windows Lite.
Windows Lite is just as much about competing with Chrome OS as it is competing with Google Docs. Chrome OS and Google Docs are tied together nicely, and I fully expect to see the same with Windows Lite and Office Online. Microsoft doesn't want to lose out to Google Docs. Google Docs is easy because it's free, and available anywhere. Schools love it, and businesses love it, too. While Microsoft also has a version of this with Office, it isn't as widely known.
Windows Lite is for casual users, people in education, and the light computing crowd. If you're someone who checks email, writes essays, makes presentations, listens to music, watches Netflix, and browses Reddit, then Windows Lite, just like Chrome OS and the iPad, is for you. It's a version of Windows that's trying very hard to not be Windows, and I'm interested to see how far Microsoft takes this idea.
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Nov 12, 2018 · Lites allow you to “section off” a window into many small pieces of glass, therefore reducing the size, amount and cost of the glass needed. There’s a certain charm to these divided windows that give you a more natural, and sometimes, more expensive look.
Mar 26, 2021 · What is Windows Lite? Windows Lite is alleged to be a lightweight version of Windows that will be both faster and leaner than previous versions.
- Jon Martindale
Dec 19, 2018 · Lite is based on what Microsoft is calling Windows Core OS or WCOS for short. Confusingly, this is the similar-sounding successor to Windows OneCore, but all you need to know is that it’s the foundation for ‘modern’ Windows and is Microsoft’s attempt to make Windows modular.
Oct 24, 2018 · A lite has a specific meaning when it comes to windows and doors, and in this article, we’re going to be revealing exactly what that is, and even how you can install and replace your own door lites, should you be so inclined.
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