Small, plastic thin client is Microsoft’s first “Cloud PC,” launches in April.
Microsoft’s Windows 365 Link connected to two monitors, a webcam, and other accessories. Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft is announcing some new hardware today, but it’s a bit different from a typical Surface device. The Windows 365 Link, which launches in April for $349, is a mini desktop PC that exists exclusively to connect to the Windows 365 cloud service rather than running Windows locally.
The Windows 365 Link is a plain black plastic box with a Windows logo imprinted on the top—it looks like a smaller, squarer version of the Windows Dev Kit 2023, an Arm desktop that Microsoft released for developers a couple of years ago. The box has one USB-A port on the front for easy access. On the back, you get a single USB-C 3.2 port, two more USB-A ports, a full-size DisplayPort, a full-size HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and a power jack.
Windows Central reports that the device is fanless, uses an unspecified Intel processor, and includes 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It runs a cut-down Windows variant that exists only to connect to local peripherals and make contact with Microsoft’s Windows 365 service. When not connected to the Internet, the PC is mostly non-functional, though there is presumably some kind of basic UI available for connecting to networks and accessories locally.
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Windows 365 Link’s hardware is fairly capable as thin clients go—the local hardware doesn’t need to be able to run high-end apps, but it does need to connect to all of your desktop peripherals and your network. Microsoft says the box supports two 4K displays simultaneously and supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for connecting to wireless networks and keyboards, mice, headsets, and other accessories. Microsoft also says the device’s local hardware will handle video encoding and decoding for videoconferencing.
The Windows 365 Link is a utilitarian black plastic box. There’s one USB-A port on the front.Microsoft
And a USB-C port, two more USB-A ports, a DisplayPort, an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port on the back.Microsoft
Microsoft says the Windows 365 Link is just the first of its “Cloud PC” offerings.
“We’ll build more endpoints and form factors, scaling with our original equipment manufacturer (OEM) ecosystem partners, to unlock more value and options,” wrote Microsoft’s Anthony Smith in a short FAQ at the end of the company’s blog post. “We will have more to share in the future on this topic.”
In the IT world, PCs like the Link are called “thin clients,” and they have existed for many years. Like the Windows 365 Link, they have limited local computing resources and run a cut-down operating system that exists only to connect to a more powerful server somewhere else. IT administrators can upgrade or swap the thin client box without having to worry about preserving or transferring user data or settings, while users can always access their apps, data, and settings from any thin client they use.
The Windows 365 Link is obviously aimed at the same kinds of business users and companies that can afford to pay $31 or more per user per month to subscribe to Windows 365. Microsoft reportedly has ambitions to make a consumer version of Windows 365, and the Link box may be part of that plan, but the company still hasn’t announced pricing or availability yet.
