Satya Nadella Appointed Microsoft CEO as Bill Gates Shifts from Chairman to 'Technology Advisor'

[Liquorpuki]

These were failed attempts to create a smartphone at best. Most of them are high-end feature phones with more fancy features. Others tried to bring the desktop computing metaphor on a phone with a start button on the taskbar. A smartphone doesn't have tasks. It has fully automated process and file management otherwise it isn't a smartphone.
Tablet-PCs existed before and not as a niche, but as a failed and abandoned form factor of desktop computers with added touch-screens. These were not tablets.

No, companies like Blackberry, Palm, HTC, and Samsung were all making money off smartphones long before Apple entered the market. Treos, Communicators, Blackberrys were all market successes back then.

The definition of a tablet has evolved over the past decade. Used to be a convertible or detachable was considered a tablet. Now only slate form factor devices are considered tablets and convertibles/detachables are called hybrids.

And you're making up your own definition on what a smartphone is.

Anything pre-GUI is irrelevant for computers becoming personal computers. The command-line interface and its huge knowledge requirements made computers something for circles of experts, not for individuals to use them on their own.

CLI catered to the consumer market. And there weren't huge knowledge requirements. All you had to do was remember a few commands like "CD" and to run the file that ended in exe. Little kids were using CLI

The importance of the GUI is it made the interface more accessible, just like hardware commoditization made the price more accessible.

 

[krravi]

This feels like a safe move. More of the same for Microsoft. They picked a guy with cloud and enterprise experience while everything is going mobile.

Gates stepping down is not as big a deal as it first seems. He'll now be more available to be involved on actual Microsoft products.

Where do you think the content for the mobile experience comes from?

 

[Digital Skunk]

Where do you think the content for the mobile experience comes from?

That's why he said it was a safe move.

Although, I do disagree that it'll be more of the same for Microsoft. That seems more like a joke considering what Apple has been doing for the past 4 years.

 

[Gudi]

You are speculating on the basis of no information, and refusing to even consider that Microsoft could have just gotten extremely lucky.

You realize that fortuity isn't a great explanation for anything? Bill Gates became the richest man in the world, so of course he was extremely lucky. But he didn't use a random sentence generator to write his contracts either. Now that Microsoft is losing its unique business advantage in mobile, misfortune also isn't the only explanation.

Things happen for a reason. „God does not play dice.“ – Einstein

 

[Gudi]

I think individuals jumped on GUIs quicker than businesses.

Individuals buy computers for themselves, that's why they care about the usage experience. Businesses buy computers for employees. If the guy making the purchase decision isn't the same guy who will use the computer daily, than usability becomes something of secondary importance. Microsoft grew up with a lot of these high-volume business customers, who were not so interested in little UI improvements. Now they need to learn to put the user first quickly. Because in mobile everyone is buying just one device for oneself.

 

[IJ Reilly]

You realize that fortuity isn't a great explanation for anything? Bill Gates became the richest man in the world, so of course he was extremely lucky. But he didn't use a random sentence generator to write his contracts either. Now that Microsoft is losing its unique business advantage in mobile, misfortune also isn't the only explanation.

Things happen for a reason. „God does not play dice.“ – Einstein

No, not "of course." Lots of really smart and determined people don't become massively wealthy, but you never hear about those people. Without a bunch of luck, even a really smart and determined person doesn't get there. Gates had it, and at times, he's even admitted it.

 

[krravi]

That's why he said it was a safe move.

Although, I do disagree that it'll be more of the same for Microsoft. That seems more like a joke considering what Apple has been doing for the past 4 years.

Agree.. Apple and Google are on the top of the game!

 

[danielsutton]

It's as though they believe sheer will can force the merger of desktop and mobile to be successful.

You are right, it does seem as though Microsoft believes that will alone can merge desktop and mobile devices. I don't think Microsoft will go out of business, but there will be a seismic change in their business model, and they will not be as big as they once were. I think Microsoft will have to start giving Windows away for free, and switch to selling their software products in a cross-platform fashion. Windows is no longer the cash cow that it once was...

 

[Digital Skunk]

I think Microsoft will have to start giving Windows away for free, and switch to selling their software products in a cross-platform fashion. Windows is no longer the cash cow that it once was...

They are doing this now, so what were we getting at with those two remarks?

Windows 8.1 was a free update, like Mavericks was for the Mac. Office for Mac has been on the market for a decade, and users can sign up for Office 365 and install Office on up to 5 machines, including Android phones and tablets, iPhone, and Windows RT.

It seems that everyone wants to think non-Apple competition is just doing it wrong, when in fact they are doing it different.

I wish some of you young bucks were around when we went from OS9 to OSX. It was MUCH WORSE then going from Windows 7 to Windows 8. Give credit where credit is due, MS is trying to be different at least, while every OS update Apple has put out since Snow Leopard has crippled even top end machines. We have to wait for a x.x.5 update to get bug fixes sometimes.

 

[krravi]

That's why he said it was a safe move.

Although, I do disagree that it'll be more of the same for Microsoft. That seems more like a joke considering what Apple has been doing for the past 4 years.

Microsoft doesnt need to be innovative. If they can just maintain their installed base on the IT infrastructure of 90% of the businesses/Home PC market they can hold on to their GOLD.

Apple and Google on other hand HAVE to be innovative as that is their only source of revenue.

 

[danielsutton]

They are doing this now, so what were we getting at with those two remarks?

Windows 8.1 was a free update, like Mavericks was for the Mac. Office for Mac has been on the market for a decade, and users can sign up for Office 365 and install Office on up to 5 machines, including Android phones and tablets, iPhone, and Windows RT.

It seems that everyone wants to think non-Apple competition is just doing it wrong, when in fact they are doing it different.

I wish some of you young bucks were around when we went from OS9 to OSX. It was MUCH WORSE then going from Windows 7 to Windows 8. Give credit where credit is due, MS is trying to be different at least, while every OS update Apple has put out since Snow Leopard has crippled even top end machines. We have to wait for a x.x.5 update to get bug fixes sometimes.

Windows 8.1 was an "oops" update for Microsoft. The Metro UI had a terrible reception, and Microsoft made some tweaks to the tile interface, which would have caused an uproar had they charged for the 8.1 update. Windows 9 may end up bringing back a more proper Start Menu, and will also likely be a free update, although that is an operating system upgrade, rather than a point release.

 

[brianvictor7]

Good luck.