4 ms·

Windows 365's lowest tier, with only 2GB of RAM, works out to $288/year. If you're on a Mac, you can grab the Pro version of Parallels for $99USD/year and run i

by cowsup 5y ago

Windows 365's lowest tier, with only 2GB of RAM, works out to $288/year. If you're on a Mac, you can grab the Pro version of Parallels for $99USD/year and run it locally, and spin up an instance of any version of Windows you need, along with guaranteed uptime and availability. I really don't see Windows 365 as a viable option for most developers, when there are so many better -- and cheaper -- alternatives readily available.

notthedroids 5y ago
If I would have to pay $100-$200 for the software subscriptions for my Windows VM (windows license, office) it gets close? Especially if Microsoft is also throwing in some hardware so my local computer is taxed less? Of course streaming a cloud desktop introduces its own problems (latency, unreliability, etc) but also advantages (portability, reproducibility, etc)
- CountDrewku 5y ago
  You don't really need to pay to license windows if you're just using it for testing.
  - notthedroids 5y ago
    Because Microsoft permits testing without a license? Or because you believe, in practice, Microsoft will not assert its intellectual property rights against someone who is only testing? (I am personally OK with the first, not the second.)
    - CountDrewku 5y ago
      Functionally you can use it indefinitely without licensing and only have cosmetic issues in the form of a watermark and some inability to change appearance. Whether this breaks their tos is a bit gray....
    - Macha 5y ago
      > Because Microsoft permits testing without a license Yes https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines/ https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virt... https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/ https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/v...
  - greggyb 5y ago
    Not sure on Windows licensing, but their major enterprise software such as SQL Server and SharePoint are free for dev use cases. When installing you have to provide a license. You can select a "Dev license" option, which gives you access to all the Enterprise Edition (or whatever name they're calling the full-featured edition) features for free for dev.
- Saris 5y ago
  MS does offer W10 VM images that are good for 60 days (or 90, can't remember), to be used for development and testing.
- Macha 5y ago
  Unless you're writing Office plugins, why do you need an office license for your test VM?
quaffapint 5y ago
Not disagreeing with you, but just a note that with the M1's being ARM based, the Windows 10 will also be ARM based and may not run the necessary software for you to test with. For example, I know currently Visual Studio will not run on that.
- cush 5y ago
  > The Windows 10 will also be ARM based Parallels is magic and runs both ARM and x86 windows apps
2Gkashmiri 5y ago
Or you can just use windows iso as is without activation on a VM and call it a day. Then, if you are adventurous, fire up that kms38 and you are off to the races
- e12e 5y ago
  Are you advocating saving a few hundred dollars by avoiding license compliance in a professional setting?
Marsymars 5y ago
Does Parallels still show ads to paying customers? I’d pay extra for Windows 365 to avoid ads.
- orev 5y ago
  Or you could use VirtualBox for free.
  - octopoc 5y ago
    VirtualBox on the Mac is extremely slow. Also Parallels has much better integration with the Mac host (automatic shared folders, syncing program shortcuts between the host and the guest, etc.).
    - Anunayj 5y ago
      How does Parallels work? Why is it faster?
    - ace2358 5y ago
      Can confirm that it’s slow. I tried so many different things, different GFX cards while trying to run Windows (xp, 7, 10) on my Mac Pro (2012, 2 x 6 core 3.4ghz, 128gb ram). The only one that runs well in virtual box was XP. Everything else had extremely slow disk accès, graphics performance and cpu. It took like an hour to boot windows 10. Parallels was what I would consider native speed with better features. That was really disappointing as I wanted to use OSS. Running links in Vbox seems fine though and I run a few vms 24/7.
smoldesu 5y ago
If you're on Linux, you can use QEMU for free, which will yield better performance and compatibility than Parallels.
chungy 5y ago
Is Windows usable with _anything_ on 2GB of RAM? I recall even back on Windows 7, that 2GB machines could barely manage a web browser and no multitasking with anything else.

by cowsup 5y ago

notthedroids 5y ago

If I would have to pay $100-$200 for the software subscriptions for my Windows VM (windows license, office) it gets close? Especially if Microsoft is also throwing in some hardware so my local computer is taxed less? Of course streaming a cloud desktop introduces its own problems (latency, unreliability, etc) but also advantages (portability, reproducibility, etc)

CountDrewku 5y ago
You don't really need to pay to license windows if you're just using it for testing.
- notthedroids 5y ago
  Because Microsoft permits testing without a license? Or because you believe, in practice, Microsoft will not assert its intellectual property rights against someone who is only testing? (I am personally OK with the first, not the second.)
  - CountDrewku 5y ago
    Functionally you can use it indefinitely without licensing and only have cosmetic issues in the form of a watermark and some inability to change appearance. Whether this breaks their tos is a bit gray....
  - Macha 5y ago
    > Because Microsoft permits testing without a license Yes https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines/ https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virt... https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/ https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/v...
- greggyb 5y ago
  Not sure on Windows licensing, but their major enterprise software such as SQL Server and SharePoint are free for dev use cases. When installing you have to provide a license. You can select a "Dev license" option, which gives you access to all the Enterprise Edition (or whatever name they're calling the full-featured edition) features for free for dev.
Saris 5y ago
MS does offer W10 VM images that are good for 60 days (or 90, can't remember), to be used for development and testing.
Macha 5y ago
Unless you're writing Office plugins, why do you need an office license for your test VM?

quaffapint 5y ago

Not disagreeing with you, but just a note that with the M1's being ARM based, the Windows 10 will also be ARM based and may not run the necessary software for you to test with. For example, I know currently Visual Studio will not run on that.

cush 5y ago
> The Windows 10 will also be ARM based Parallels is magic and runs both ARM and x86 windows apps

2Gkashmiri 5y ago

Or you can just use windows iso as is without activation on a VM and call it a day. Then, if you are adventurous, fire up that kms38 and you are off to the races

e12e 5y ago
Are you advocating saving a few hundred dollars by avoiding license compliance in a professional setting?

Marsymars 5y ago

Does Parallels still show ads to paying customers? I’d pay extra for Windows 365 to avoid ads.

orev 5y ago
Or you could use VirtualBox for free.
- octopoc 5y ago
  VirtualBox on the Mac is extremely slow. Also Parallels has much better integration with the Mac host (automatic shared folders, syncing program shortcuts between the host and the guest, etc.).
  - Anunayj 5y ago
    How does Parallels work? Why is it faster?
  - ace2358 5y ago
    Can confirm that it’s slow. I tried so many different things, different GFX cards while trying to run Windows (xp, 7, 10) on my Mac Pro (2012, 2 x 6 core 3.4ghz, 128gb ram). The only one that runs well in virtual box was XP. Everything else had extremely slow disk accès, graphics performance and cpu. It took like an hour to boot windows 10. Parallels was what I would consider native speed with better features. That was really disappointing as I wanted to use OSS. Running links in Vbox seems fine though and I run a few vms 24/7.

smoldesu 5y ago

If you're on Linux, you can use QEMU for free, which will yield better performance and compatibility than Parallels.

chungy 5y ago

Is Windows usable with _anything_ on 2GB of RAM? I recall even back on Windows 7, that 2GB machines could barely manage a web browser and no multitasking with anything else.