If it looked like Windows,shared files with Windows, and ran Windows apps (via emulation or virtualization) that would be a huge deal in keeping companies on MS platforms, even if they're Linux underneath.
Good point. The market segment of keeping companies on MS platforms is one I had not considered. That will certainly contribute to Linux not gaining a marketshare, and possibly fragment the overall Linux developers' ecosystem.
IMHO, this is the strategy. MS can't extinguish Linux; it's too late for that. But they can make it invisible and a "non-issue" for users. That would be a big deal and arguably better for everyone. Pretty smart, Microsoft.
It might be useful. Novell did that with Netware, and things didn’t go so well. But they didn’t have cloud revenue.