Microsoft Remote Desktop will be renamed to Windows App

If I were a senior executive at MSFT I would probably ask someone to send me the personnel files for the people who figured it was a good idea to pointlessly rebrand something from a descriptive name that is understandable to something pointless and generic. Because these are almost certainly managers who have nothing better to do and should be trimmed out of the org chart.

I'm not kidding.

Have you used the Windows App?

Which Windows App?

Google it!

Oh, you mean the Windows App Store?

No, the new Remote Desktop Windows App.

You mean there's a new version of Remote Desktop?

Yes, and it's called Windows App.

Right, it's always been a Windows app.

No! It's THE Windows App now. Get it?

No, I don't get it.

Microsoft Remote Desktop is a list of machines to connect to. It doesn't need to be more than that. It's a tool, it has to be functional first. People often have approximately 50 entries in there.

They never asked anyone for feedback. Why are there big squares instead of a list in that screenshot? Why is there a button "All devices"? I want "All devices" right now, from the moment I open the thing.

I certainly hope it won't suck, but it probably will.

Maybe it alludes to a future where you land directly at the Microsoft Store when you login and from there, everything including the desktop is an App - everything is on Cloud, you don't have any control over your machine (because there is practically nothing local) while simultaneously requiring you to have a 10ghz CPU to see partner-supported-mandatory-value-ad(d)s.

You have to wonder if these people ever stop and think through these decisions.

Start with: why are we even renaming this thing? Everyone already knows the name. The new name is not going to make us any more money. So what are we doing?

Next: is there any chance "Windows App" will be confusing for, I dunno, practically everybody? (I realize everyone else here has pointed this out.)

Maybe the decision to rename was made by AI.

https://genius.com/Abbott-and-costello-whos-on-first-annotat...

Completely agreeing with the other comments but tangent looking at the reference screenshot, does anyone else remember the emotive excitement of building out a new Windows build back in the day, hacking customisation that wasn’t out of the box, and getting that first boot with an exciting new desktop and theme? What times.

Separate observation, that comment trail in the article demonstrates everything about the corporate failure case that is our modern tech stack. If the most enthusiastic early adopters are getting immediately dismissed by the hypercare teams, what hope do the rest of us have. Where is the Netscape/Phoenix/Mozilla/Firefox for Desktop OS? When did we become so complacent about device monopolies?

Does anyone know the model of internal communications which allows such "interesting" decisions to arise in large corporations over time?

Is there a particular reason why Microsoft is so terrible at naming things? What’s wrong with “Remote Desktop”?

I suppose this will become another instance of "Outlook" where finding documentation or support for your version of the product (the web service or the email application) is made needlessly more complex.

From the same branding team that brought you Xbox One and ASP.NET, it's Windows App!

Uncharitable take warning.

My bet is on a PM thinking: "Surely if the project has Windows in its name we can't get laid off".

Also:

https://bonkersworld.net/organizational-charts

Great Idea, I am sure that will make it much easier to Bing it when Issues arise. Right? Right?

Look, I’m all for getting away from naming things Microsoft Enterprise Work Application for Students and Home Deluxe… but I think they may have gone a bit too far in the wrong direction.

This reminds me of Google Nest's three thermostat models: The Nest E, Nest Learning and the Nest. It's confusing even in their own marketing and support info.

> The Windows 365 App will undergo an in-place update to transition to Windows App.

I think the Windows 365 App is a different application than Microsoft Remote Desktop.

i am guessing this still won't run on linux?

Windows as an App sounds like I’m going to connect to windows 365 on azure

Looks like a copy of Gnome Connections with a worse name.

Looking forward to "Linux App".

billion dollar company, infinite cash, blind trust from government, and that's what they come up with?

insane

i'll say it again, if the west goes all in with microsoft, it'll collapse

Please tell me I can still "WIN + R" -> mstsc

Even though I'm well aware of HN's guideline against shallow dismissals, I still can't help but say it: Worst. Naming choice. Ever. Searching for documentation or assistance relating to "Windows App" will be effectively impossible.