"Nothing is stopping anyone from downloading an executable file and running it on a desktop computer." Have you ever had a job? If you're in a workplace you probably don't have admin rights to install software on your desktop unless you are a dev, and even then it's not exactly guaranteed.
For home computers, there's now "Windows S".[1] This is totally locked down.
"To increase security and performance, Windows 11 in S mode runs only apps from Microsoft Store."
It's possible, for now, to turn off Windows S mode. For now. Usually. The Windows Store server has to approve turning it off. In an enterprise configuration, some in-house server has to approve.
> It's possible, for now, to turn off Windows S mode. For now. Usually.
As much as I enjoy seeing someone trash Microsoft, this is just a dumb take. Like I said to the other user, how do you think software development happens? Microsoft wants people to develop using Windows [1][2][3]. You can only do that by installing additional software. This is not, and never will go away. Yes, some corporate setting will have locked down computers, but thats how its already been for several decades.
> If you're in a workplace you probably don't have admin rights to install software on your desktop unless you are a dev, and even then it's not exactly guaranteed.
OK then, ask the admin to install it, I don't see the problem. If its appropriate work software, then it shouldn't be an issue. Web browser should be for... browsing the web. If you're simply using a browser to bypass admin restrictions, it seems like you're doing something wrong.
An admin won't just install it. Any software installed on a system connected to the corporate network is a security risk and would need to be vetted.
This takes weeks and can often take months. If the choice is between writing the business case, getting management sign off and waiting weeks for deployment vs running it immediately in the browser, I'm choosing the browser.
My read on that comment was more along the lines of everything must also be available to run in the browser now because users demand it.
The performance of apps run in the browser has improved so much lately that users' habits and expectations have shifted.
