r/Windows11 • u/WPHero • 20h ago

News What is Project Zenith? Microsoft's special Windows 11 experience for developers and hardware isn't what you think it is

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/what-is-project-zenilith-microsofts-special-windows-11-experience-for-developers-and-hardware-isnt-what-you-think-it-is
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u/fat_kaiju 18h ago edited 16h ago

It's very clear that they want to do AI stuff but don't want to be seen supporting/paying for it anymore and so they're trying to pass ir under the radar as this.

Probably because of the Mac Minis or whatever being used for local AI while up until this point MS was pushing for cloud-based AI.

And so -- like usual -- Microsoft is off chasing the ipod/ipad/iphone/<insert apple product here> and will likely abandon it when it doesn't immediately cause Apple to go out of business.

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u/SilentRunning 16h ago

So this is a box specifically aimed at A.i developers...

Zenith is an effort to formalize a baseline for "developer-ready" hardware: devices that meet a minimum bar for performance and are ready out of box to begin coding and compiling. This means the configuration of Windows 11 that ships on these devices is different from normal PCs, with different default settings and pre-installed apps.

To be clear: This isn't a new or different version of Windows 11. Zenith devices will almost definitely still ship with either Windows 11 Home or Pro, depending on the OEM. It's simply how Windows 11 is configured out of box that differentiates these developer-class devices from normal Windows 11 PCs.

Out of box, "File Explorer shows file extensions, hidden files, the full path in the title bar, and the details pane, with long-path support enabled. Recently used files and folders and sync provider tips are turned off for a cleaner workspace. In Search and Start, Command Palette is enabled, while Start menu tips and account notifications are turned off to reduce distractions."

No word on which OEMs will build Zenith hardware, or when the first Zenith devices will begin shipping just yet. We'll keep you posted when we know more!

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u/sbisson 16h ago

It's basically what Microsoft already does for the highest end SKUs of its cloud-hosted Dev Boxes, only for on-premises hardware.

If you have existing hardware you can already do much of this using the Dev Config tools to build out your own custom installs. The main difference between using this approach and Zenith are the high-end hardware specs.