I did some exploring on Windows 8 and it does looks like it might be on the right track to being an OK product. However I cant help but wonder if it might be ridiculed like the iPad intially was for lack of content creation. Does anyone know if the Windows 8 tablet portion of the OS will have plenty of content creation? Does anyone feel like the iPad could have more content creating capabilities?
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iPad Content Creation
- Thread starter Sdreed91
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It doesnt matter if the Metro side of W8 doesn't do creation since you can run the full regular OS on the same device. I think it will be an excellent product.
I just doubt its going to be a good work OS; I can't see production shops dealing with Metro across several monitors. I also doubt how good classic Windows will be on a touch screen. You also need to define content. At its base, a text editor creates content, but the iPad has always been able to creat some content, now it can do more, when Adobe ports their touch products over to iOS it will be able to do even more.
I agree. iPad from day one has been able to create documents presentations like you said. I also feel though that it is still maturing there is plenty more it can do on the iPad it just needs more time. I mean obviously something is being done right by Apple. Also as you noted I think MS may be a little to hopeful with a touch version of Classic Windows. I think Apples approach is a much better and more thought out execution. Making an OS that has been long defined by a precise mouse pointer will be difficult to use with a finger at least IMO.
This is far from sure as far as tablets are concerned.
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Depends... What kind of content have you in mind?
Incorrect. Msoft has already stated they will have a single-OS strategy. They further said that both Intel and AMD powered devices will get Metro and Classic Windows 8. Now considering they are creating touch interaction for regular Windows, doesn't it make sense this is for tablets?
Aren't they also porting Windows 8 to ARM chips (primarily for tablets)? If so, I seriously doubt that applications written and compiled for x86 Windows will run on ARM chips unless they are creating a huge emulator which would likely be very slow and battery-draining.
Hot off the presses:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-to-drop-desktop-app-from-windows-8-arm-tablets/11325
Any tablets using x86/x64 processors are likely to be larger than current tablets in order to have any appreciable battery life. Sure they will run legacy Windows apps but old apps not designed for touch input are pretty useless on a tablet anyway.
Hot off the presses:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-to-drop-desktop-app-from-windows-8-arm-tablets/11325
Any tablets using x86/x64 processors are likely to be larger than current tablets in order to have any appreciable battery life. Sure they will run legacy Windows apps but old apps not designed for touch input are pretty useless on a tablet anyway.
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"Even if Microsoft did go ahead with its plan to offer Desktop App on Windows 8 ARM tablets, it wouldnt run existing Windows x86/x64 apps. Developers still were going to have to rewrite them.
Thurrott didnt know whether Microsoft still plans to support the Desktop App on ARM-based Windows 8 notebooks; his information was expressly about ARM-based Windows 8 tablets.
Ive asked Microsoft if the Windows team will confirm (or deny) Thurrotts report. No word back so far (and Ill be surprised if there is any update here)."
There is no final confirmation yet, so Msoft may still offer Desktop but only run ARM-compiled desktop apps. I do agree that x86 Windows 8 Tablets will be larger, but if you fancy having the ability to do full work then you'll probably pack a mouse of some sort in your bag. I can see Msoft requiring a USB port as a requirement to release a W8 Tablet.
I think if Apple themselves hadn't created the "content consumption, not creation" meme, nobody would have. Yes, there are a few things about iOS that get in the way of many professional-level creation uses, but for the home user - say, a blogger posting, a person editing photos to post online, writing documents without to heavy of formatting needs - it's perfectly fine, and there are constantly apps coming out to make it better.
I think it *could* be ok for content creation, but only if you're willing to accept some pretty big compromises.
First point: there will be 2 kinds of win8 tablets. The arm ones, which will be like the iPad, thin and light with good battery life, and the intel/amd ones that will be a bit thicker and heavier, and possibly have worse battery life. The serious content creation apps all run on intel/amd, there's unlikely to be much that runs on arm initially. So you'll need one of the 'big' tablets.
Next, you're going to need a stylus. Again all the creativity apps are built for standard windows, not metro. Meaning tiny buttons, scroll bars, general incompatibility with fingers.
Finally, performance is likely to be poor. The intel/amd CPUs that will go into tablets will be very low power, and they'll be nowhere near the speed you'd get in a desktop. Most of the software is built for the desktop, and expects a decent CPU. It's going to run slow in a lot of cases.
Of course all that will change if/when companies start writing apps for metro, but I suspect you'll see those apps on the iPad first. If they're going to rewrite their apps for arm + touchscreen, would they write it for windows 8 which is fresh and untested, or would they write it for the iPad with perhaps 80,000,000 active devices by the time win8 tablets are released?
First point: there will be 2 kinds of win8 tablets. The arm ones, which will be like the iPad, thin and light with good battery life, and the intel/amd ones that will be a bit thicker and heavier, and possibly have worse battery life. The serious content creation apps all run on intel/amd, there's unlikely to be much that runs on arm initially. So you'll need one of the 'big' tablets.
Next, you're going to need a stylus. Again all the creativity apps are built for standard windows, not metro. Meaning tiny buttons, scroll bars, general incompatibility with fingers.
Finally, performance is likely to be poor. The intel/amd CPUs that will go into tablets will be very low power, and they'll be nowhere near the speed you'd get in a desktop. Most of the software is built for the desktop, and expects a decent CPU. It's going to run slow in a lot of cases.
Of course all that will change if/when companies start writing apps for metro, but I suspect you'll see those apps on the iPad first. If they're going to rewrite their apps for arm + touchscreen, would they write it for windows 8 which is fresh and untested, or would they write it for the iPad with perhaps 80,000,000 active devices by the time win8 tablets are released?
I use Windows 8 on my iPad frequently.*
I think the Metro Apps and UI are pretty solid and with time Microsoft will have as many content creation Apps running as Apple has on iPad.
I don't think old-style Windows programs make as much sense on a phone or "slate" style tablet. I have a pretty nice Toshiba with full blown windows + stylus. It's just not a great experience. The stylus is awkward, Apps expect weird stuff like "hovering" and right clicks which are hard do while standing.
I'm really happy to see Microsoft step out of the keyboard/window/mouse world with Metro. I hope they get some traction. I think it will push innovation in the tablet space forward.
Tablets can really be great for content creation, especially with the right apps.
* I use an iPad Remote Desktop "RDP" app to test Metro Apps on a real tablet. Basically, I run the Windows 8 Developer edition under Parallels on my iMac. Rough out a Metro App on the iMac, then connect to the Parallels VM and "run" it using the iPad. It really feels like you're running the Metro App live on the iPad. It's a great way to test usability - on a real tablet - rather than guessing using a laptop.
I think the Metro Apps and UI are pretty solid and with time Microsoft will have as many content creation Apps running as Apple has on iPad.
I don't think old-style Windows programs make as much sense on a phone or "slate" style tablet. I have a pretty nice Toshiba with full blown windows + stylus. It's just not a great experience. The stylus is awkward, Apps expect weird stuff like "hovering" and right clicks which are hard do while standing.
I'm really happy to see Microsoft step out of the keyboard/window/mouse world with Metro. I hope they get some traction. I think it will push innovation in the tablet space forward.
Tablets can really be great for content creation, especially with the right apps.
* I use an iPad Remote Desktop "RDP" app to test Metro Apps on a real tablet. Basically, I run the Windows 8 Developer edition under Parallels on my iMac. Rough out a Metro App on the iMac, then connect to the Parallels VM and "run" it using the iPad. It really feels like you're running the Metro App live on the iPad. It's a great way to test usability - on a real tablet - rather than guessing using a laptop.