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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Windows 365 Cloud PC lets you use Windows 11 on any device – PC, Mac, iPad, or phone.
• It’s a subscription-based service, and the costs are still relatively high.
• The biggest benefit: no worries about repairing and replacing hardware.
  

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My newest PC is the thinnest and lightest I’ve ever had. It’s literally a pixel thick, it weighs absolutely nothing, and it’s powerful enough to get me through a full day’s work without ever needing a recharge.

I am talking, of course, about my new Windows 365 Cloud PC. It’s a subscription-based service that Microsoft is currently offering for 20% off, and I’m halfway through my one-month trial. I’ve been running my Cloud PC on every device I can get my hands on, including multiple PCs, a MacBook, a five-year-old iPad, and even a Samsung phone. Here it is, running in a Google Chrome tab on a Windows PC.

Who needs a Cloud PC, anyway? What’s the experience like? How much does it cost? And, most importantly, is that monthly fee worth it? I’ve got your answers right here.

What’s a Cloud PC?

A Windows 365 Cloud PC is a Windows machine that’s hosted in Microsoft’s data centers. Unlike the older Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365 is a fixed, per-user virtual PC that is equipped with dedicated resources (CPU, memory, storage) and runs Windows 11 Enterprise.

Also: My new favorite Windows app made my PC safer and more reliable – and it’s free

The Cloud PC I’m using for this test includes 2 virtual CPUs, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage. I can connect to the PC through any web browser, or I can use the dedicated Windows app, which is available for Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS.

Sign in to the app using your work or school account (sorry, personal accounts aren’t supported), and the provisioned Cloud PC shows up in the app or browser window, ready for you to use.

If the Windows app seems familiar, that might be because you’ve seen it before under its old name — Remote Desktop. The new version is designed using the WinUI3 framework and is easy to set up. Just sign in using the credentials assigned to your device, with no additional configuration required.

How easy is it to set up?

That depends on how familiar you are with Microsoft 365 administration tools. If you already have a Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise account, just go to Windows365.com and sign in as an account administrator to set up a trial. It uses the same Microsoft Entra ID credentials you use with that account.

Also: How to check your Windows PC for expiring security certificates – a big one ends in June

If you don’t have a Microsoft 365 account, you need to create a business account with Microsoft; then, optionally, you can attach a custom domain to it. The Microsoft administrative interface can be a little intimidating, but it’s not difficult once you learn your way around.

The one-month trial is good for up to 25 users. (A paid account can add up to 300 users.) You need to add a credit card, and the subscription will automatically renew when the trial is up unless you cancel it before the end of the first month.

How easy is it to use?

You can connect to your cloud PC from just about anywhere, including a web browser or using the Windows app.

I found the experience nearly identical on a Windows PC and a Mac, where the keyboard and mouse (and touchscreen on the Windows PC) worked exactly as expected. A nice bonus is that I was able to sign in on my Windows PC using Windows Hello, instead of having to enter credentials manually.

On an iPad, the experience with a touchscreen was difficult. You have to drag the Windows mouse pointer to where you want it, then tap the screen to “click” the remote mouse pointer. Things improved dramatically when I connected a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to the iPad, and I wouldn’t recommend using it any other way.

Also: How to upgrade your ‘incompatible’ Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 – for free

I was able to install the Android version of the Windows app on a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but trying to use the Cloud PC on that small screen was impossible. With a USB-C or Bluetooth connection to a larger monitor, though, and a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, this would be a perfectly good remote PC. (I didn’t try this configuration with an iPhone, but I expect the results would be the same.)

If you use a browser as the host, you can expand the Cloud PC session to full screen as well, with a small toolbar at the top to manage the session. You can show or hide that toolbar as needed.

You can use local resources, such as a webcam, microphone, printers, and the host PC’s clipboard, on the Cloud PC. As a test, I used Google Chat for a video meeting between a Cloud PC session on an iPad, with a regular Windows 11 PC on the other end. The audio and video performance were both excellent, with no lag.

The best part? When I closed the app or browser window, all my work stayed exactly where it was, and when I signed back in, I was able to pick up where I left off.

How’s performance?

I was surprised at first by how long the initial remote session took to open — I clocked it at a little over 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Reconnecting to a previously open session was much faster, on the order of 10 seconds or so.

Also: Yes, you can get Microsoft 365 free – here’s how

In operation, the Cloud PC feels pretty much like running a local PC with equivalent resources. The biggest drag came from the limited RAM on the Cloud PC. At 8 GB, I encountered a bit of memory pressure occasionally, although that would have been true on a physical PC as well.

Office apps ran as smoothly as they do on my local PC and Mac, and YouTube videos and music also played well, without any noticeable glitching in video or audio.

How much does it cost?

The promotions offer cuts the cost of the Cloud PC for one year. The free trial sets up a 2 vCPU/8GB/126GB configuration, which normally costs $36 a month, plus sales tax if applicable. After the trial ends, the special promotional pricing takes effect, bringing the monthly cost of using that virtual PC down to $28.80 (on a month-to-month subscription) or $27.72 with an annual commitment.

Subscribing to a more powerful PC increases the cost significantly. To move up to 16 GB of RAM, for example, the least expensive configuration has 4 vCPUs and 256 GB of storage, and the promotional price is $50.56 monthly ($47.78 for an annual commitment). After the promo period, the price goes to $63.20 a month.

Prices can hit nosebleed levels if you add enough resources. The most expensive combination I found has 16 vCPUS, 64 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of storage. It will cost you $192.93 a month for the first year, after which the price shoots up to $241.16 a month. Ouch.

And no, those prices don’t include the desktop Office apps or OneDrive storage. For that, you need a separate Microsoft 365 subscription.

You can see a full Windows 365 Cloud PC price list for US customers here: Windows 365 Business Plans and Pricing.

These prices are for Windows 365 Business licenses, which allow you to add up to 300 accounts. Windows 365 Enterprise has a different set of rules and prices.

Who needs this, really?

If you have Windows 10 PCs that can’t be upgraded to Windows 11, this is an expensive way to keep them going for a few more years. A Windows 365 subscription includes Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 until October 2028 at no extra cost.

If you’re running a business with hybrid or remote workforce, this option might be very attractive. Instead of buying, configuring, and managing work PCs for employees, you can give them a Cloud PC subscription and let them use whatever personal device they prefer, including Macs and iPads.

The IT staff can manage everything using Intune policies; they don’t need to worry about lost or stolen PCs, and they don’t have to repair or replace a PC if it breaks or is damaged. In regulated industries, where data has to stay in the corporate cloud and not on local devices, this option is especially attractive.

Having a Cloud PC makes life easier for the remote employees as well, who no longer have to juggle two laptops to switch between work and personal tasks. And they can leave work in progress on the remote PC and come back to it without having to reopen a bunch of apps and files.

Also: I tested the Surface Pro with 5G, and it’s Microsoft’s most complete business 2-in-1 yet

The biggest drawback, of course, is cost. Once the promotional pricing ends, my basic configuration will cost $432 a year, and a more powerful virtual PC would cost $758.40 a year. Is that a good deal? It’s certainly a premium over the cost of an equivalent physical PC. Mostly, the equation depends on how much you value the reduction in management hassles and the luxury of never having to replace or repair a company PC.

Finally, everything depends on the user having a reliable, fast, low-latency internet connection. If you need to work offline regularly, this isn’t for you.