> windows moving to metro, to get its users used to much simpler GUI elements
Tried in 8, met with utter failure, reverted by 10.
> embracing open source and move nt kernel to linux kernel, reducing the costs of development
...and throwing out pretty much everything that makes Windows better for a Desktop? Including their driver model, their backwards compatibility, etc? Unlikely. Replicating all of that to an appreciable standard would be significantly costly.
> slowly move its on premise infrastructure to the cloud (office, exchange)
This does seem to be happening, much to the chagrin of many, many smaller business that don't like to pay rent on their tools.
> move windows to the cloud and leave only smaller part local, just to pick up network (and potentially some other devices like graphic card)
Possible. Microsoft already has some kind of Windows Desktop as a Service, and RDP is damned good.
> stop developing/selling locally installed windows and move to subscription based in cloud infrastructure
They can try, but at best that just means that a whole lot of people will just stick with the last version of non-subscription-only Windows (as many did with 7 instead of moving to 8-10). I imagine it will be a large enough group that third parties pick up the slack and provide solutions to things MS is no longer fixing. At worst, there will be lynchings.
Tried in 8, met with utter failure, reverted by 10.
> embracing open source and move nt kernel to linux kernel, reducing the costs of development
...and throwing out pretty much everything that makes Windows better for a Desktop? Including their driver model, their backwards compatibility, etc? Unlikely. Replicating all of that to an appreciable standard would be significantly costly.
> slowly move its on premise infrastructure to the cloud (office, exchange)
This does seem to be happening, much to the chagrin of many, many smaller business that don't like to pay rent on their tools.
> move windows to the cloud and leave only smaller part local, just to pick up network (and potentially some other devices like graphic card)
Possible. Microsoft already has some kind of Windows Desktop as a Service, and RDP is damned good.
> stop developing/selling locally installed windows and move to subscription based in cloud infrastructure
They can try, but at best that just means that a whole lot of people will just stick with the last version of non-subscription-only Windows (as many did with 7 instead of moving to 8-10). I imagine it will be a large enough group that third parties pick up the slack and provide solutions to things MS is no longer fixing. At worst, there will be lynchings.