Microsoft Previews Windows 8 for Tablets and PCs

[DougB541]

Windows 7 overtakes XP? I should damn well hope so. Especially given the fact that Windows is universally licensed and comes on nearly every PC known to man, including junk boxes.

What does that say about Lion? Easy.

Apple's penalty for "losing" the PC war in the 1990s is that they're now the most profitable PC maker in the world. Mac sales growth has outpaced the industry for well over 20 consecutive quarters. Apple owns the $1000+ category. And they are set to have another record quarter selling expensive gear that runs an unlicensed, closed-platform OS.

Apple doesn't ship junk.

Ok....but, did you read who he was responding too.

He is pointing out that there is a large windows 7 user base...something this wes dude claimed there wasn't.

No need to blow the apple profit trumpet as this wasn't about profits...it was about userbase.

 

[*LTD*]

So we note that this device doesn't have one fan, but it has two

Fans blowing hot air.

LOL

If you see a fan, they blew it.

 

[Renverse]

MS aren't risk-takers. That sort of dynamism is for others - the leaner, meaner, and certainly much more profitable competition.

I believe they looked at the middle ground here. They couldn't alienate 450 million potential customers with a brand new UI. They needed to include the old UI as well, but as touch computing matures, I expect that by Windows 10 or 11, The UI will fade away, just as I think that the next few versions of Mac OS will do the same.

The risk here was introducing this new UI for standard PC's and laptops, replacing the start menu with it. Customer reaction on this we'll have to see, but based upon customer satisfaction on WP7, I think they'll be alright.

 

[whiteboytrash]

We all know iOS has no future unless it suffers some dramatic changes.

iOS won't be able to compete against OS like Android or Windows 8. I predict the iPad will be the device that will suffer most. Tablets must allow more productive and intensive tasks. iOS has NO REAL MULTITASKING, which is a deal breaker. iOS has many limitations nowadays, imagine if it keeps this way on 2012 or 2013.

Most people won't choose an iPad over a windows 8 tablet. I have one and I love it but iOS has become too limiting. A year ago it was ok, but now I need to be able to do more stuff: load youtube videos on the background, send bluetooth files, download stuff from the internet, etc.

iPad is not the problem. iOS is. If Apple dont change radically iOS (to allow more features I mean. The OS looks very nice and its very intuitive, but its limiting) then next year windows 8 tablets will EAT the iPad in sales.

iPad = 256MB RAM. iPad 2 = 512MB RAM. This is a joke compared to android tablets now and it will be even a bigger joke next year with 4GB RAM windows 8 tablets.

As I watch my 2 year old son pick up the iPad and he begins to use it within minutes and understand its UI I know deep inside all he really needs is multitasking. When he looks to me and smiles I know that really means he wants to download a youTube video as he plays a strategy game on the device. And when he giggles he really means that he needs more RAM to complete those complex tasks that tablet users need. You know like downloading "stuff" from the internet.

Heaven help me! Is this how far we've come? Download youtube clips - in the background? If you want to be productive you don't download "stuff" and you don't stream youtube in the background.

When people speak of multitasking on iOS devices all I ever here the reason why is so they can't watch a video at the same time as working on a spreadsheet! - yes thats what all power intensve users do!

 

[AAPLaday]

I'm enjoying reading some of the comical responses on here. Great entertainment

 

[Speedy2]

Picture of Windows 8 in classic mode:


MS is marrying the two...so the idea is you are out and about with your tablet in the Metro UI part of the OS....however you get home and place your tablet in a dock and you have your full PC with mouse and keyboard.

It's no quite that easy.
You forgot to mention that there is no start menu anymore. A click on that button or pressing the Windows key will throw you back to the Metro interface.

Read the article.

 

[mabaker]

How has Apple with their tiny little percentage shaped the market? Most PC's sold are Windows boxes. You do know that, yes?

You also have a very unhealthy obsession with Zune. You should see someone about it before it becomes an obsession of yours (some would argue it already is).

IT has shaped the whole damn industry. Every single manufacturer out there is looking up to Apple and the trends THEY set. Apple never adapts, they SET the bar. Even your Sony is merely an answer to Apple's top of mind domination. Nothing more.

 

[Renverse]

So we note that this device doesn't have one fan, but it has two

Fans blowing hot air.




Developing code an a tablet? That's sick. Dual 1920 x 1200 is the absolute minimum for me.

The tablet includes a HDMI dock for 1920x1200 output, and a full-size USB port(s?) for peripherals.

 

[adder7712]

I surely want to run it on a VM.

I'll get it and load it up on Boot Camp when it comes out!

 

[pondosinatra]

I see Microsoft is following Apple's mistakes with Lion....

Look you cannot simply throw out the desktop metaphor we've all been using for the past 30 years and replace it with hand gestures. It's painfully obvious watching any of the demos. How many times did buddy try and swipe open a window? 5? 6? times? It was the same thing when Schiller demoed Lion.

This makes people LESS productive.

Want to have a great OS for tablets? No problem. But don't try and force that crap on my iMac or PC.

And while we're at it - I WANT AN EFFIN MATTE SCREEN APPLE!

 

[wescravn]

I see Microsoft is following Apple's mistakes with Lion....

Look you cannot simply throw out the desktop metaphor we've all been using for the past 30 years and replace it with hand gestures. It's painfully obvious watching any of the demos. How many times did buddy try and swipe open a window? 5? 6? times? It was the same thing when Schiller demoed Lion.

This makes people LESS productive.

Want to have a great OS for tablets? No problem. But don't try and force that crap on my iMac or PC.

And while we're at it - I WANT AN EFFIN MATTE SCREEN APPLE!

What mistakes in Lion? It's not the default UI. You don't even have to use it.

 

[macsmurf]

Thank you. Finally someone with a brain.

I believe that the point is not to combine them but to make an OS that can be used either with touch or with mouse/keyboard.

You obviously need to make both a touch and a non-touch GUI for each app but I believe the idea has merit. I don't have a problem switching between the touch mail app on my iPod and the non-touch mail app on OS X. Why is it bad to allow a keyboard and a mouse to be connected to an iPad? You can already connect a keyboard. Why not a mouse (with a mouse optimized GUI)?

Granted, a touch GUI does not make much sense on a desktop but that doesn't necessarily mean that a desktop GUI does not make sense on a tablet.

 

[*LTD*]

Ok....but, did you read who he was responding too.

He is pointing out that there is a large windows 7 user base...something this wes dude claimed there wasn't.

No need to blow the apple profit trumpet as this wasn't about profits...it was about userbase.

There's always a large Windows user base by default. Sheer force of numbers thanks to universal licensing. Even lousy Vista - the Edsel of operating systems, developed a huge user base, despite a mass migration back down to XP.

Using the "lots of people use Windows" argument is rather lame. In fact, it's a lot less than it used to be, and has been steadily declining. MS has failed to reinvent the space or reinvent their business. This is why their current ideas are not only a reaction to market forces that have proven to be beyond MS' competence, but also a weak and ill-conceived one at that.

They are committing the very mistakes that others, by their sheer avoidance (of those mistakes), have reaped major rewards.

 

[Dr McKay]

Windows 7 overtakes XP? I should damn well hope so. Especially given the fact that Windows is universally licensed and comes on nearly every PC known to man, including junk boxes.

What does that say about Lion? Easy.

Apple's penalty for "losing" the PC war in the 1990s is that they're now the most profitable PC maker in the world. Mac sales growth has outpaced the industry for well over 20 consecutive quarters. Apple owns the $1000+ category. And they are set to have another record quarter selling expensive gear that runs an unlicensed, closed-platform OS.

Apple doesn't ship junk.

So, by your logic, because Apples stuff costs more, it must be quality and so it doesn't matter they sold less. Yet Snow Leopard was $30. Windows 7 was much more expensive.

And guess how long it took Windows 7 sales to exceed the market share of Snow Leopard.

2 weeks. Vista by comparison took 3 months to reach the level Windows 7 got in those 2 weeks.

 

[rjohnstone]

I see Microsoft is following Apple's mistakes with Lion....

Look you cannot simply throw out the desktop metaphor we've all been using for the past 30 years and replace it with hand gestures. It's painfully obvious watching any of the demos. How many times did buddy try and swipe open a window? 5? 6? times? It was the same thing when Schiller demoed Lion.

This makes people LESS productive.

Want to have a great OS for tablets? No problem. But don't try and force that crap on my iMac or PC.

And while we're at it - I WANT AN EFFIN MATTE SCREEN APPLE!

The funny part is this is a developer preview build of Win 8... it was not expected to be perfect.

Schiller was showing off a finished product... that is frikkin hilarious.

 

[Oletros]

Using the "lots of people use Windows" argument is rather lame.

Is lamer saying that Windows 7 has a little introduction rate. And false

 

[*LTD*]

The funny part is this is a developer preview build of Win 8... it was not expected to be perfect.

Schiller was showing off a finished product... that is frikkin hilarious.

I'm not sure what the problem is. Lion is driving Mac sales (especially blockbuster Macbook Air sales), and Apple is expected to achieve record Mac sales this quarter. Yet again. Response to Lion has been overwhelmingly positive.

 

[accessoriesguy]

you know, although i love apple now, i still don't have a problem with Windows XP

 

[born4sky]

is that just me who thinks that Windows 8 interface is horrific?

Windows Tablets ... unless they will be $100 they wont beat apple, just look at webOS it was great ... but where is it right now?

Microsoft has a lot of money, but they dont really have a great strategy. Unlike Apple microsoft dont learn on it's mistakes and keep doing the same thing all over again and again. Does anyone know where iPad came from? Newton does that ring any bells???

If they didnt came up with xBox they would have some big financial problems. xBox has great community, like no others... so why not make it even better ... Bring new xbox now...

They should continue inventing and not catching up... It's very hard to come up with something new, and if you cant why not improve something that worked well for them before, why? Why not do that...

 

[Oletros]

If they didnt came up with xBox they would have some big financial problems.

What? Financial problem without xbox?

 

[wescravn]

The BEST PART OF WINDOWS= SECURITY UPDATE 85!

 

[Eidorian]

I believe they looked at the middle ground here. They couldn't alienate 450 million potential customers with a brand new UI. They needed to include the old UI as well, but as touch computing matures, I expect that by Windows 10 or 11, The UI will fade away, just as I think that the next few versions of Mac OS will do the same.

The risk here was introducing this new UI for standard PC's and laptops, replacing the start menu with it. Customer reaction on this we'll have to see, but based upon customer satisfaction on WP7, I think they'll be alright.

The "middle ground" is going to be tossed out often in this sense.

In their blog posts, they are putting all the user statistics they gathered to work. They want to please the masses and the power users. Though they are not all ears for everyone's idea or opinion...

 

[435713]

Apple fanboys/girls are pure nuts, I love it.

Blind hatred for MS for no reason. Talk about something going really bad when they used a Windows computer. Or jealous that Gates literally owned Jobs. Don't worry guys, I am sure the same thing would never happen with the itoys vs a large # of devices.

PS: Any photos of your Steve Jobs shrines? I wanna see!!! SJ's pajama pants maybe?

PS2: Lions few million is actually > than Win7 near half a billion.

If a Mac is > PC then a Mac is greater than even itself.

 

[rjohnstone]

I'm not sure what the problem is. Lion is driving Mac sales (especially blockbuster Macbook Air sales), and Apple is expected to achieve record Mac sales this quarter. Yet again. Response to Lion has been overwhelmingly positive.

Lion lasted 2 weeks on my 4 month old 21" iMac.
Daily grey screens of death were pissing me off.
Simply browsing the internet should not crash the entire OS.

 

[pondosinatra]

I'm not sure what the problem is. Lion is driving Mac sales (especially blockbuster Macbook Air sales), and Apple is expected to achieve record Mac sales this quarter. Yet again. Response to Lion has been overwhelmingly positive.

The Dodge Caravan had record sales also....doesn't mean it wasn't crap. Lady Gaga is getting record sales - but I still don't care to buy her latest album.

Etc.

There's more to life than what Apple's share price is doing. And I say that as an Apple shareholder.