Microsoft announces Mac mini-sized PC, but it only works online

Microsoft on Tuesday announced a new product called “Windows 365 Link,” which is essentially a desktop PC similar in size to Apple’s M4 Mac mini launched a few weeks ago. However, while the Mac mini is a full computer, Microsoft’s alternative runs exclusively in the cloud.

Microsoft now has a Mac mini competitor – sort of

The device was announced at Microsoft Ignite 2024, a conference focused on developers and IT professionals. From the outside, it kind of looks like the latest Mac mini, at least in terms of size. It’s a small black box with a few ports on the back. However, both computers differ significantly on the inside.

Despite being almost as small as an Apple TV, Mac mini is a proper computer powered by the M4 or M4 Pro chips. Windows 365 Link, on the other hand, has very light specifications. That’s because the device streams Windows through the cloud instead of running a local operating system.

Microsoft sees Windows 365 Link as an ideal device for corporate customers. Rather than spending on large, expensive hardware, the idea is to have a super-small, much cheaper device that is connected to the internet to stream Windows with the power of a much better computer. Essentially, a computer for running cloud virtual machines.

There aren’t many details about the technical specifications. All we know so far is that the internal hardware has 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and an undisclosed Intel processor. Again, the specifications don’t matter much, as the built-in hardware is only used to stream what’s in the cloud.

On the back, the Windows 365 Link has a USB-C port along with two USB-A ports, DisplayPort, HDMI, and Ethernet. It’s also equipped with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity.

As explained by The Verge, Microsoft believes that the new device brings security benefits to IT consumers, as all data is encrypted in the cloud and there’s nothing stored offline that can be stolen or hacked. Of course, this also means that the PC becomes useless when there’s no internet connection.

Windows 365 Link will be available next year, and it will cost $349. It also requires a Windows 365 subscription, which starts at $28 per month.

Although the idea sounds interesting, it’s hard not to compare it to the Mac mini, which costs only $250 more but has much better hardware (and runs a local operating system). As I recently wrote here on 9to5Mac, the latest Mac mini is an unbeatable desktop computer for most people. “It’s powerful, sleek, compact, and it’s at a great price.”

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