Updated September 2026: when Microsoft launched Windows 365 in 2021, I argued Apple should respond with a unified operating system across its devices and a cloud version of macOS. I have rewritten it with what Windows 365 turned out to be and where Apple has and has not moved.
Windows 365, launched in August 2021, puts a full Windows PC in the cloud that you can open from a browser or an app on almost any device. I saw it as a warning for Apple: if your computer can live in the cloud, tying macOS to Mac hardware could become a weakness. My suggestions were a single operating system across iPhone, iPad and Mac, and macOS available in the cloud.
What is Windows 365?
It is a Cloud PC service sold mainly to businesses. Each user gets a personal Windows desktop running in Microsoft's data centres, with their apps and files, accessible from Windows, Mac, iPad, Android or a browser. Companies use it to give contractors and remote staff a managed PC without shipping hardware.
Has it changed the laptop industry?
Not as dramatically as I expected in 2021. Cloud PCs have found a solid place in businesses, but most people still use a physical laptop for everyday work. A cloud desktop depends on a good internet connection and costs a monthly fee, which limits it for home users.
Has Apple moved towards a unified operating system?
Partly, in its own way. Apple has kept iOS, iPadOS and macOS separate, but brought them much closer: the same chips run across iPad and Mac, iPhone and iPad apps can run on Apple silicon Macs, and iPadOS 26 introduced a windowing system much closer to the Mac's. Apple also gave its 2025 releases a shared design language and version numbers across devices.
Is there a cloud version of macOS?
Not from Apple for consumers. Businesses can rent Mac hardware in the cloud from providers such as AWS, mainly for building and testing apps, but there is no Apple equivalent of Windows 365 for everyday users. Apple's approach remains that the Mac experience runs on Apple hardware.
Does that matter for Mac users today?
For most, no. Apple silicon Macs are fast and efficient, and iCloud keeps files in sync across devices. It matters for people who switch between Windows and Mac at work: the Windows App on a Mac lets them open a Windows 365 Cloud PC, but there is no route the other way. That asymmetry is the part of my 2021 argument that still stands.