Microsoft announces new "mini PCs" for Windows 365

Microsoft just dropped two tiny boxes that plug you into its business-only cloud PC service, Windows 365. The ASUS NUC 16 for Windows 365 hides behind a monitor, drives up to three displays, and puts handy ports up front; Dell’s Pro Desktop stands tall with flexible mounting and also runs three screens. Both land in Q3—ASUS in the U.S. and Europe, Dell in 58 countries—and the details live on the Windows Blogs.

But the comment section? Absolute chaos. One crowd is confused by the name—“is this Windows 11, Office, or Copilot?”—calling Microsoft’s branding a maze. Another crowd is yawning: this feels like thin-client déjà vu from 20 years ago. The practical folks want price, configs, and benchmarks before they care. There’s a darker thread too: references to the Humane AI Pin fiasco and fears of subscription-bound hardware that goes useless if you stop paying, which is why some are begging for Linux support to rescue these boxes if the cloud cuts them off. And the 2026 “upgrades”—Bluetooth pairing during onboarding and company logos on the login screen—got roasted as the world’s most corporate wallpaper reveal. The biggest annoyance: regular consumers still can’t use Windows 365 at all, and region availability is limited. Cue the memes: “Thin clients, thick drama,” “M$ naming speedrun,” and “Three monitors, zero info.”