Microsoft Testing Extra Lean Windows 10 SKU

Microsoft Testing New Windows 10 Lean

After a long delay, Microsoft is finally getting ready to release their new Windows 10 update. Along with the new update, Microsoft is testing some changes to the core OS. For some reason, Microsoft has been experimenting with various new SKUs for Windows 10. Nestled within the latest test build is a new so-called Windows 10 Lean edition. While the new SKU is like Windows 10 S, it is quite different.

As might be expected, the Lean moniker signifies the focus reducing storage size. Unfortunately, Microsoft wasn’t able to find that there were that many space savings. Windows 10 Lean only saves about 2GB which is a shame. While it might not seem like a lot, it has major implications for budget Windows. The biggest beneficiaries will be budget laptops, netbooks, tablets and thin clients with 32GB of storage. The 2GB will go a long way to making these devices more viable. Users will select Lean during OS install.

New SKU Is Barely Any Skinnier

Microsoft has had to cut out many things which is one major downside. Microsoft cut out many features and tools like desktop wallpapers, Registry Editor, Microsoft Management Console, Internet Explorer, and others. Due to these changes, Microsoft has crippled Windows 10 Lean quite a bit. Luckily, new remote Windows Admin Center could duplicate some of these functions. Microsoft is likely still working out how Lean will work. Other than these changes, there are no restrictions on UWP or Win32 apps.

For now, it is unclear what niche Lean will fill. There are already many different SKUs for the different roles for Windows. One thing for sure is that the real release won’t be called Lean, Microsoft will come up with a new name to match the market they are aiming for. With Windows 10 being the last Windows ever, it makes sense for new SKUs to come out to fill new niches. Hopefully, Microsoft will continue to find more savings to cut bloat.