Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
Microsoft announced Windows 10 Pro for Workstations today, a new edition of the company's Windows 10 operating system aimed at high-end tasks and applications.
Windows 10 Pro for Workstations comes with a set of new features and expanded hardware support.
The company plans to launch the new edition of Windows 10 alongside the release of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update which will be out in the coming months.
Workstations are Windows PCs that come with hardware designed to push performance as far as possible -- well beyond the home and even most of the professional market. These systems are often equipped with Terabytes of RAM and multiple CPUs, and used for demanding applications such as video editing, 3D modelling, or other demanding tasks.
Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
Windows 10 Pro for Workstations is Windows 10 Pro at its core. It can be distinguished by four improvements and changes that it ships with.
- Expanded hardware support -- Windows 10 Pro for Workstations was designed by Microsoft for "high performance configurations". Two of the most important changes are support for up to 4 CPUs and up to 6 Terabytes of RAM. Current Pro editions of Windows 10 support a maximum of 2 CPUs and 2 Terabytes of RAM.
- Resilient File System (ReFS) -- The new edition of Windows 10 comes with support for the Resilient file system. The file system was designed specifically to be resilient against data corruption, and optimized for large data volumes. "ReFS provides cloud-grade resiliency for data on fault-tolerant storage spaces and manages very large volumes with ease".
- Persistent memory -- The operating system comes with support for persistent memory hardware configurations, and support for non-volatile memory modules (NVDIMM-N) hardware.
- Faster file sharing -- Windows 10 Pro for Workstations supports SMB Direct. The feature enables "increased throughput", "low latency" and "low cpu utilization".
Closing Words
The reveal on the official Windows Business blog did not reveal the price point of the new edition.
Additionally, it failed to showcase the core differences to existing Pro editions of Windows 10. Considering that Windows 10 Pro supports ReFS and SMB Direct, the sole selling point of Windows 10 Pro for Workstations appears to be the extended hardware support.
This may be enough reason for some businesses to purchase the new Windows 10 for Workstations. As far as price is concerned, it is likely that the new edition will be more expensive than regular Windows 10 Pro editions but not as expensive as Windows Server editions.
Now You: Why is Microsoft releasing a new version of Windows 10 Pro? What's your take on this?
When it doubt go pro using KMSpico…. heh
Ads on the Start Menu, settings reset after update, uncontrollable reams of “telemetry”, cannot easily uninstall unwanted apps, forever updating, horrific browser, lock screen, unstoppable notifications, background listening, Start Menu from hell – what’s not to love?
@Kable Norton
You wrote (on this thread –
http://www.ghacks.net/2017/08/11/windows-10-pro-for-workstations/ ):
> Ads on the Start Menu, settings reset after update, uncontrollable
> reams of “telemetry”, cannot easily uninstall unwanted apps, forever
> updating, horrific browser, lock screen, unstoppable notifications,
> background listening, Start Menu from hell – what’s not to love?
You also wrote (on an earlier thread –
http://www.ghacks.net/2017/08/11/win10clean/ ):
> Ads on the Start Menu, settings reset after update, uncontrollable
> reams of “telemetry”, cannot easily uninstall unwanted apps, forever
> updating, horrific browser, lock screen, unstoppable notifications,
> background listening, Start Menu from hell – what’s not to love?
While I basically agree with your list–and understand your frustration
with Win10–please, sir, try to resist double-posting the same content on
multiple threads. It doesn’t make us any smarter, it just slows us down.
Thanks.
@Anonymouser
I posted it on the wrong article in error (had both open) – point taken however.
very confusing
this is how mac os deal with this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtSDlSVDibA
It is referred to in MS documentation as Workstation Mode. The current Surface Studio hardware specs are not up to par for WS Mode and this high end hardware is not cheap to replace. However, it appears this announcement has been well received by power users. If auto updates and other intrusive W10 activities can be tamed, it will be even more attractive.
As Martin pointed out, it is not going to be free. ‘Performance as a Service’ might come with sticker shock.
Remember Game Mode in the Creators Update? It too was supposed to boost performance for a specific sector. It turned out to be more puzzling than useful.
>If auto updates and other intrusive W10 activities can be tamed, it will be even more attractive.
I’d be on board if things like that were to take place.
Coming Soon.? ……. Win 10 Home Starter, Win 10 Home Basic and Win 10 Home Premium.?
But . . . but . . . I want Windows 10 Desktop version.
Microsoft’s answer to the coming iMAC Pro ?
https://www.apple.com/imac-pro/specs/
Windows NT for workstations was really an excellent OS.
Welcome to Windows 10 Forever Beta OS where the users are Guinea Pigs.
How has this company not had a meltdown yet? No wonder Windows continues to be full of bugs with so many editions of Window 10. There’s Home, Pro, Enterprise, Server, OEM, IOT, Education, Pro Education, Mobile, Mobile Enterprise, Team (Surface), S, N, KN, LTSB, CBB, China. Sadly the Chinese edition is the best version of Windows these days; no telemetry, no Cortana, no forced updates, etc.
Oh i should have used your list before i replied to ‘Lurking About’
That will teach me for not reading other people replies before adding my own won’t it. ;-)
Hi Corky, no problem here. I was commented that there really only need to be 2 or 3 versions released of really any OS (one server, one general desktop, and possibly one desktop for enterprise). I had not bothered to count the W10 variations as life is too short for that exercise.
I get a creepy skin-crawling feeling about everything microsoft after windows 10.
I don’t get it, three versions already and they doing same mistakes like with Win 7 and 8, 10. Adding more and more versions.
Really MS fuck off, how about MAKING ONE VERSION with a proper Setup which allows to check and uncheck things you not want BEFORE you install crap you never use like Hyper-V or Remote Desktop. Is it so hard? Really, it’s 21 and we still work with generic setups and iso’s. God damnit I wish they would stop adding BS with every RS and listen to the real experts. Damn this gonna piss me more and more off.
Sorry for been rude/aggressive but I not get the reason why you not just add a setup which covers it. Makes me angry.
What is wrong with three variations: server, enterprise, and desktop (basically Pro)
There are far more than just three variations of Windows 10, in total i think the number is around 17.
There’s Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education, Pro Education, Enterprise LTSB, Mobile Enterprise, Mobile, IoT, S, Team, then we double most of those up with the “N” and “KN” editions and we’ve not even touched on Windows 10 server editions.
It’s sort of funny as Windows 10 was meant to simplify things and all it’s ended up doing is complicating the issue of what version someone is running.