When Microsoft dies, who will take over?

[Blackberryroid]

Microsoft is most famous for it's OS, Windows.

But let's assume that we're 5 years in the future and that Microsoft suddenly went bankrupt and there is no more "Windows" anymore.

What will be the replacement? Which is most likely

Sure, Apple can provide Macs but not everyone can afford a Mac. Will Google make Android for computers? Will Linux (Ubuntu) be the standard OS? Or will Apple release OS X for PCs?

What do you think?

[SilentPanda]

Another company would buy Windows and it would carry on. It's too valuable to just disappear.

[Apple fanboy]

Apple of course!

[LizKat]

Let Carl Icahn run it into the ground.

[roxxette]

Microsoft will die yeah.....

[TSE]

Hey guys lets assume 20 years from now cars are illegal what takes over then

i think rollerblades

[mrsir2009]

Originally Posted by TSE

Hey guys lets assume 20 years from now cars are illegal what takes over then

i think rollerblades

Scooters

[Orange Furball]

Originally Posted by mrsir2009

Scooters

Tech Decks

[khammondnm]

Linux will become more of a norm.

[SporkLover]

Originally Posted by Blackberryroid

Microsoft is most famous for it's OS, Windows.

But let's assume that we're 5 years in the future and that Microsoft suddenly went bankrupt and there is no more "Windows" anymore.

What will be the replacement? Which is most likely

Sure, Apple can provide Macs but not everyone can afford a Mac. Will Google make Android for computers? Will Linux (Ubuntu) be the standard OS? Or will Apple release OS X for PCs?

What do you think?

You don't understand what Microsoft provides if all you can think of is Windows.

Enterprise is where Microsoft's bread is buttered and until Linux or Apple can provide the wide variety of products that Microsoft does there is little chance of uprooting it even in the case of Microsoft bankruptcy.

[ChristianJapan]

None of the named candidates would make it. Or all will make it.

Android based on Linux; so it's kind of double in the list. Mac OS X moves a bit too much away from enterprise with the whole Eco system.
MS still deliver the more stabile environment for government and big companies; where lots money is.

So lets follow the cloudy trend and move lots functionality OS-agnostic into the browser. I believe that will happen. For most stuff. Yes, there are hardcore user making videos/audio etc. those still have specialized system. But the 80% of Office and Mail user don't really need more. I see in my own business day ... We just move 20'000 user per single device policy on the iPad. Browser based to a high extend and access per WebDAV to file server as regular cloud/dropbox is a NoGo. Looking on alternatives like Win 8 (regular and RT).

The share from MS will shrink but not disappear. Not in five or 10 years.

[roadbloc]

Originally Posted by SilentPanda

Another company would buy Windows and it would carry on. It's too valuable to just disappear.

On the very unlikely chance they do go, this is probably the most likely of outcome.

[Renzatic]

If we ever find ourselves in an economic situation where a company with $50 billion in the bank and untold billions more in assets goes bankrupt in 5 years, I think I'd be more worried about the marauding hordes breaking through my palisade to steal my stockpile of beans than I would anything else.

Cuz, you know, that would kinda be one of the major signs of the fall of western civilization and all.

[SprSynJn]

Originally Posted by TSE

Hey guys lets assume 20 years from now cars are illegal what takes over then

i think rollerblades

Segway.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by SprSynJn

Segway.

No. Robot horses.

[G51989]

Originally Posted by Blackberryroid

Microsoft is most famous for it's OS, Windows.

There is MUCH MUCH more to Microsoft than just Windows, the list goes on for pages.

What will be the replacement? Which is most likely

Seeing as Microsoft isn't going anywhere, there really isn't a viable replacement for Windows in the tech world. A big Linux distro would be most likey though.

Sure, Apple can provide Macs but not everyone can afford a Mac. Will Google make Android for computers? Will Linux (Ubuntu) be the standard OS? Or will Apple release OS X for PCs?

Macs won't become the norm, they've always been pretty irrelevant. Expensive, with a very limited Ecosystem.

What do you think?

I think you need to take a huge step and look back at Microsoft.

[notjustjay]

I think it's possible that in 5-10 years, computers will look very different than they do today.

More and more of our data is being stored in the "cloud". Some of it literally, using services like iCloud, iTunes Match, Dropbox, etc. Or, the stuff we really care about is stored in services like Google (Gmail, Calendar, etc.) and social networks like Facebook and Twitter (photos, profile info, friends, collections of status information). Or we pay to access data that's not really "ours", like Netflix.

We access this stuff using our PCs, sure, but more and more from our smartphones and tablets, and media access devices like smart TVs, Apple TV and Boxee Box, and media consoles like PS3 and Xbox.

As more "devices" are becoming powerful and computer-like, the traditional multipurpose desktop computer (running a desktop operating system) is being used comparatively less.

At work, I really just use my Dell PC as an email and web browsing client, and as a terminal into a Linux server where I do all my real work. I see that everywhere. The bank teller is using her PC to remotely access the bank server. The cashier at the grocery store is using his PC as a terminal to the store database.

I could imagine that computers of tomorrow will essentially be thin clients in a variety of shapes and sizes. An interface to the real data which is stored elsewhere.

I suspect Apple does too, which is why they are slowly bringing iOS features to desktop computers. This latest rumor that they may be interested in making their own chips would seem to add fuel to the fire. "But you won't be able to run Windows! Or desktop apps!" is the main cry against. "Exactly", I think Apple is thinking. "And you won't need to."

However, I don't see Microsoft ceasing to exist in such a world. They would simply take on more of a "behind the scenes" role. IBM no longer sells PCs or consumer software, but they still very much exist.

[YanniDepp]

I don't think there will be a 'single OS' to take over from Windows. The days of having one 'dominant OS' are over.

There will be a shift to cloud services that are accessed either through a standards-based web application, or a native app for the major devices.

Look at what Valve are doing with Steam: they brought the client (and their own games) to the Mac, and now they're doing the same with Linux (Ubuntu will be the distro officially supported).

Look at Netflix for video streaming (web app for Windows and Mac, native app for iOS, Apple TV and Android), or Spotify for music streaming (native app for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS).

Look at Google Docs, Office 365 or 280 slides as good examples of office suites presented as a web application.

[MrMacMack]

Seems like Microsoft ruled the era of desktop / laptop computing... but now as times are changing and more people are using mobile devices, it's really hard to say who would take over if Microsoft kicked the bucket. I think there really wouldn't be one company or OS with a huge extreme percentage of the market share. Instead I think it would possibly be a variety such as Apple and a few new emerging Linux based distros.

[smoledman]

Worst case scenario, Microsoft kicks the bucket in consumer and continues on as an enterprise-services only company(Windows Server, Azure, CRM Dynamics, SQL Server).

[Mousse]

Originally Posted by TSE

Hey guys lets assume 20 years from now cars are illegal what takes over then

Horse and buggy.

Originally Posted by notjustjay

I think it's possible that in 5-10 years, computers will look very different than they do today.

More and more of our data is being stored in the "cloud". Some of it literally, using services like iCloud, iTunes Match, Dropbox, etc. Or, the stuff we really care about is stored in services like Google (Gmail, Calendar, etc.) and social networks like Facebook and Twitter (photos, profile info, friends, collections of status information). Or we pay to access data that's not really "ours", like Netflix.

What's old is new again. I'll dust off the dumb terminals and fire up the mainframe.

I'm seeing a trend here. Regression in the English language, personal transportation and computing. Slide rulers will be all the rage when my grand kids start college.

[MrMacMack]

Originally Posted by Mousse

What's old is new again. I'll dust off the dumb terminals and fire up the mainframe.

Interesting way of looking at that. And you know what, that's scary to see how true that is.

[ChristianJapan]

Originally Posted by G51989

A big Linux distro would be most likey though

They still have a long way ... Still too any changes from version to version; all the trouble with graphic driver (e.g. Nvidia closed source driver). Software distribution in enterprise style ? My company has globally 140'000 laptop/desktops; I can not imagine to maintain that with all being Linux. We also use some RH server; not for mission critical though.

I like it for my nerdy/geeky desire to play with computer. And I used it for long time also for productive tasks like Canon raw file processing.

But as replacement on everyone desktop ... This would require a long-term consistency a community based system can't really deliver.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by SilentPanda

Another company would buy Windows and it would carry on. It's too valuable to just disappear.

Logically, if Windows is valuable, then Microsoft will not go bankrupt. Reversing the logic, if Microsoft goes bankrupt, then Windows must have lost its value.

How could this happen? Hypothetically, Apple could decide that their computer revenue is small compared to the iOS device revenue, and that having lots of computers run MacOS X would make people buy more iPhones and iPads. So they could start licensing MacOS X to Dell and HP and Acer and Toshiba and Lenovo and everyone else (except Samsung, obviously) for $20 or $10 a piece. I'd say that would be quite fatal for Microsoft. PCs with MacOS X would be cheaper than PCs with Windows.

Not saying this would happen, or that it would make sense for Apple, but _if_ it happened, nobody would buy the rights to Windows.

[ChristianJapan]

Originally Posted by gnasher729

Hypothetically, Apple could decide that their computer revenue is small compared to the iOS device revenue, and that having lots of computers run MacOS X would make people buy more iPhones and iPads. So they could start licensing MacOS X to Dell and HP and Acer and Toshiba and Lenovo and everyone else (except Samsung, obviously) for $20 or $10 a piece. I'd say that would be quite fatal for Microsoft. PCs with MacOS X would be cheaper than PCs with Windows.

While a good idea (and happen in the past) this could cause trouble in stability while running on non Apple platforms due to driver support. One of the biggest nightmare I have in my windows history was (and is) incompatibility of drivers of all kind.

If Mac OS X don't run well on a Dell that would be hell.

This would end up in fingerpointing and maybe compromises on Apples side impacting the whole system.

If the license of Mac OS X include a strict governance, hardware guideline and certification: good to go. That could solve our Mac Pro Problem.