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gnomeisland

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 30, 2008
1,106
837
New York, NY
Windows 8 Metro interface is cool. There are some things about it I *really* like some things that are better than Apple's implementation. However, all those things hinge on abandoning almost everything MS Windows has stood for/supported in the past.

MS knows that to move forward it MUST now reinvent itself. Apple knows this too and we see that in Lion's idiosyncrasies. One thing that stuck out to me when I started watching this video ( http://video.ch9.ms/build/2011/mp4/BigPicture-1.mp4 ) is that Apple's advantage is the iOS penetration (in particular the iPad) MS's advantage is their massive installed base of existing Wintel hardware. However that hardware will not really take advantage of Metro (as I see it now).

Microsoft is betting the farm on that existing base but if they are wrong and the installed base isn't enough momentum to stay with MS this could/will be the mass migration. The same thing is happening with FCPX, although to Apple's disadvantage. Moving to FCPX means relearning a new system so why not learn another competitors system if you like it better? The problem with FCPX is it gave people an opportunity to switch which is what I see Metro/Win8 as doing.

I think Apple should follow Adobe/Avid's example and do a mass "buy back" of old PC's on the release of Win8. With their healthy margins they could probably do it and only bleed a little bit of money while gaining exponential market share. What do you guys thing?
 
So by 'running scared' you mean they are making a bold step forward to unify their products to an extent no one has tried before? To me that's pretty much the opposite of running scared.

You're right that Metro UI is pretty useless on most desktop machines, but that's where they step in with their tablets. The appeal of these is that you have your desktop right there at your fingertips, something not really offered by Apple, and this is far more appealing to me than a tablet running a mobile OS. Also, Windows 8 runs WP7 apps too, which gives it the opportunity to have the iPad appeal as well.

To be perfectly honest, I think it's brilliant, one of the best things MS has ever done.
 
Combining legacy windows with touch OS = bulkier software etc. Read
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2011/...lopers-windows-8-tablets-with-a-taste-of-bob/

I read and laughed heartily. How is it bulkier software if it can run on an atom with 1 gig of RAM? This guy acts like people have to use the Metro interface, and that it's finger compatible only. It's not. It's also not a layer running on top as he suggests.

Furthermore, how are Windows 8 tablets considered to have "limited functionality" compared to an iPad? And how is Windows 8 a reaction to the iPad? It's a big step ahead of what Apple did with Lion.

He also makes pretty big assumptions about what people will like and hate. I really can't take this guy seriously, his article reeks of bias.
 
Yet Lion is not generationally the same as Windows 8. I envision iOS and OS X merging in iOS 6 or 7. That will be when they become more comparable.

I really commend Microsoft for doing this. I don't yet know if I would become drawn into their eco system fully, because if Apple can game console with features similar to Xbox+Kinect, I would sell my Xbox for that. The everything else of Microsoft just isn't enough for me to completely change eco systems.
 
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2011/0...-taste-of-bob/

I don't think the author of that article understands a lot of key issues. He also makes some unsubstantiated and enormously generalised claims. It just smacks of someone who doesn't want to give the platform a chance. I don't rate this article at all.


Combining legacy windows with touch OS = bulkier software etc. Read

It also provides an easier upgrade route for customers. Particularly business customers who would be unable to roll out new versions of Windows without legacy support. Plus, it helps developers as they do not have to react as quickly to platform changes.
 
He predicted failure of Palm, Zune, Windows mobile, and Android legal woes.

We'll find out whether the Windows Zune tablet will do in the market place when it's actually a real product with specs and price.
 
He predicted failure of Palm, Zune,
Fair enough
Windows mobile
WM didn't fail, it was old and needed to be updated badly
and Android legal woes.
Predicting legal battles for a company going up against Apple is like predicting the Sun will rise in the morning.
We'll find out whether the Windows Zune tablet will do in the market place when it's actually a real product with specs and price.

I predict they will sell as well as netbooks, no better no worse.
 
From looking through the back catalogue it seems the author is critical of everything that isn't produced by Apple. If you predict the failure of every product, you are going to be right sometimes...
 
From looking through the back catalogue it seems the author is critical of everything that isn't produced by Apple. If you predict the failure of every product, you are going to be right sometimes...

He is a writer at AppleInsider and makes his money posting flame bait. By reading his articles (and worse, commenting on them) you only serve to allow him to continue spreading nonsense to a large audience.
 
So by 'running scared' you mean they are making a bold step forward to unify their products to an extent no one has tried before? To me that's pretty much the opposite of running scared.
. . .
To be perfectly honest, I think it's brilliant, one of the best things MS has ever done.

By "running scared" I mean they are likely overstepping themselves. They are potentially in a damned if they do and damned if they don't situation.

Perhaps they can pull it off. There is a lot to like in Metro/8, but most of that there is to like requires a pretty extensive reworking of existing programs. And if you want to run legacy apps you are back in a legacy environment--meaning you need a keyboard and mouse. So if you want a tablet you'll be straddled with enough hardware to run full scale apps, and if you need the desktop experience for your legacy apps you've got this awkward start menu that becomes the metro interface. Metro is brilliant for touch control but awkward for they keyboard and mouse.

Apple is in the same boat to a lesser extent and I personally loathe launchpad in Lion for the same reason. It is an ineffective carry over.

Now MS may work with Intel and the PC makers and everything will come together but the success of Metro/8 will depend on a user *experience* and not just a user interface. Past experience has shown that people did not want to pay and carry around a full laptop just to have the tablet experience. I believe the form factor is key part of the iPad's success. That may be less of an issue in several years but for all the wiz-bang-ness of Metro/8 I see some real concern and uncertainty in MS. They may well be betting the farm on this one.
 
I just downloaded the developer preview. I have to say it looks pretty good. I don't have a touchscreen computer, but I wasn't limited when using the mouse and keyboard.

Most casual users will not miss the desktop UI. But even still, the old desktop UI is right there.

I think having a unified operating system is really nice, even for power users. I am a power user, and I want to use my iPad for certain things, and my PC for more complex tasks. I can now imagine a situation where I only need one device to do both these.

Visual Studio 11 is nice. I think developers will jump on this very quickly. Even the HTML 5 apps look like they were built natively.
 
Engadget just posted this article on the future "plug-in free" (no Flash) Internet Explorer 10 app.

Apple sets the trends and others follow. The good thing is MS is actually moving forward more aggressively now.

BTW, here's a great post on Engadget RE the article:
JonnyFive
oh, so it's ok if microsoft does it... i see.
 
Engadget just posted this article on the future "plug-in free" (no Flash) Internet Explorer 10 app.

Apple sets the trends and others follow. The good thing is MS is actually moving forward more aggressively now.

BTW, here's a great post on Engadget RE the article:

Apple's trend is to not allow Flash at all. At least with a Windows 8 tablet you will have the choice of installing a browser that supports Flash.
 
Apple's trend is to not allow Flash at all. At least with a Windows 8 tablet you will have the choice of installing a browser that supports Flash.

Engadget
Now, in an official blog post from the Redmond-based company, comes word that Internet Explorer 10 will be doing double duty, accommodating the web's old architecture and its HTML 5 future. Users who opt for IE 10's Metro-style app will be treated to a plug-in free experience, as MS has its eye on the evolving underpinnings of our information superhighway. Not to worry, though, the desktop app... will still function as it always has, providing compatibility for Flash, and a host of other extensions.
The desktop app will have Flash. The Metro app will be plug-in free. No Flash option for Metro, as far as this article says.
 
Apple is running scared because they fear Windows 8 will steamroll the market with an instantaneous significant market share, and guess where that will come from?
 
The desktop app will have Flash. The Metro app will be plug-in free. No Flash option for Metro, as far as this article says.

Yes but that's only for IE10. Users can install an alternative browser that could allow Flash for Metro. Who uses IE for anything other than downloading another browser anyway?
 
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