Microsoft unveils cloud-focused PC designed for seamless connectivity.

• The Windows 365 Link from Microsoft is a straightforward and cost-effective tool for corporate purposes.
• Quickly access your personal cloud desktops with a simple login.
• An alternative to thin client devices that connect to virtual desktop infrastructure could be a computer.

The new PC is designed to connect corporate workers to their programs and files in the cloud.

The Windows 365 Cloud Link is currently available for limited use in the U.S., Canada, and select countries. It will be available for purchase in select markets at $349 in April.

Microsoft, after years of unsuccessfully breaking into the top PC manufacturers with its Surface product line, is now attempting a new approach in an established hardware category.

Jalleen Ringer, the product leader for Windows cloud endpoints, revealed to CNBC in an interview that early testers have employed the devices in call centers and for hot-desking.

The device is designed to be easy to use and safe. It uses a minimal operating system called Windows CPC, which does not allow for local applications or users, and has a strict policy for controlling applications that cannot be disabled. The device automatically downloads and installs updates in the background during the night.

The puck-like package, weighing less than a pound, contains an 8GB RAM and 64GB storage chip and can be kept on a desk or mounted behind a PC monitor.

The popularity of desktop virtualization, including Azure Virtual Desktop, increased after the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020, as employees were forced to work from home.

In the 2024 fiscal year, Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 combined to generate $1 billion in revenue for Microsoft, with CEO Satya Nadella making the announcement in July 2023.

Both thin client PCs and virtual desktop infrastructure can be configured with either Windows or proprietary operating systems.

Melissa Grant, a senior director of product marketing at Microsoft, stated that the Windows 365 Cloud Link is a "superior option" to thin clients.

Microsoft's Brad Smith states that in many aspects, China is almost on par with or is rapidly closing the gap.