A few weeks back we informed of a development in Windows 10 Build 9879 in which Microsoft changed the name of Network node in File Explorer to “Computers and Devices”. Well guess what, they’ve changed the name back to Network with January Technical Preview (Build 9926) as you can see in the image above.

This shows you the intensity of the debate going on in Microsoft internally. Clearly there’s a progressive group that wants to move the platform ahead, but there is also a conservative group obviously that wants to retain things the way they are as much as possible for the fear of backlash from the Enterprise. See, the Network node is big in the Enterprise. Most domain users and admins start their domain browsing therefrom. To change the name is another confusion for the sensitive Enterprise people that will require retraining for users.

But it’s the 21 century, we need to move on. The Network node services not only network files anymore, the former name “Computers and Devices” is more appropriate in this age with each household becoming a veritable networked home. How do you drive adoption of paradigm shift in Consumer Computing at the moment without alienating the crusty enterprise people. I say branch off Consumer platform and Enterprise platform and develop both further. When the consumers gets their platform, we can start building its UX into the Enterprise platform and so move the Enterprise gradually into the 21 century.