Windows 8

[Geekyfanboy]

Building "Windows 8" - Video #1

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Warning: My opinion ahead ;)

I personally find this all funny.  Apple announces that Lion OSX will contain elements from its iOS devices.  Namely: iOS folder system, full-screen-apps, how apps are deleted, Instant On/Off, the App Store, "Apps" on the Desktop and a few other things I can't remember.  Not a revolution, but an evolution.  So Microsoft, turns around, takes the entire UI and setup of its so-far-failed Windows Mobile 7 OS and puts it on a Windows 7 platform. Forgetting about taste or preference, but taking a failed product that has about 2% of the Smartphone market and putting it on one of the most successful Operating Systems that controls about 90%+ of the PC market....seems like a bad decision.  

Windows 7 worked, but this seems to be taking a step in the wrong decision.  Mostly because I don't think Microsoft has thought out the Metro UI well enough for mouse and keyboard.  Its a conglomerate mess of information that isn't that clean, and blown up on a 21" screen it just doesn't work from that video.  I realize they are trying to make a universal OS, but there is a reason why Mac OSX and iOS are separate OSes.  

Granted, I'm being picky, its early on and maybe once we get to the final product it'll look good so I'm not saying I won't even try it, but...I wonder if it is the right decision to go down this route.  (Although I am not a fan of the "tile" OS)

King

[billybob476]

Companies the size and complexity of Apple or Microsoft don't make announcements like this at the drop of a hat. I've been hearing about integration of Metro features in Windows 8 for at least the last few months, which means it has been in the works much longer then that (most likely since before Win Phone 7 released).

They didn't announce this because Apple did it.

[X]

Warning: My opinion ahead ;)

I personally find this all funny.  Apple announces that Lion OSX will contain elements from its iOS devices.  Namely: iOS folder system, full-screen-apps, how apps are deleted, Instant On/Off, the App Store, "Apps" on the Desktop and a few other things I can't remember.  Not a revolution, but an evolution.  So Microsoft, turns around, takes the entire UI and setup of its so-far-failed Windows Mobile 7 OS and puts it on a Windows 7 platform. Forgetting about taste or preference, but taking a failed product that has about 2% of the Smartphone market and putting it on one of the most successful Operating Systems that controls about 90%+ of the PC market....seems like a bad decision.  

Windows 7 worked, but this seems to be taking a step in the wrong decision.  Mostly because I don't think Microsoft has thought out the Metro UI well enough for mouse and keyboard.  Its a conglomerate mess of information that isn't that clean, and blown up on a 21" screen it just doesn't work from that video.  I realize they are trying to make a universal OS, but there is a reason why Mac OSX and iOS are separate OSes.  

Granted, I'm being picky, its early on and maybe once we get to the final product it'll look good so I'm not saying I won't even try it, but...I wonder if it is the right decision to go down this route.  (Although I am not a fan of the "tile" OS)

King

How is windows 7 phones failing? King you should research those numbers

http://wmpoweruser.com/great-news-windows-phone-hits-7-us-market-share-in-march-2011/

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Companies the size and complexity of Apple or Microsoft don't make announcements like this at the drop of a hat. I've been hearing about integration of Metro features in Windows 8 for at least the last few months, which means it has been in the works much longer then that (most likely since before Win Phone 7 released).

They didn't announce this because Apple did it.

Just saying that the timing is rather interesting and amusing to me.  

@X, I heard from 4 news reports that WP7 had only gotten 2% and was unlikely to ever hit 10% in its lifetime about a month ago.  I guess doing my own research right this moment now, it shows at 7%.
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061111-251.html <---shows that WP7 is also in decline.  I'd call this a failure.  I don't think I've even seen a Windows Phone in the wild around here, although granted that isn't saying much as I rarely see BlackBerry phones around here. See plenty of iPhones and Droids though with basic phones.  

King

[turtlesrock]

windows 8... hmm. looks interesting.
then again, this is coming from a person who only just learned what ROM was yesterday. :-\

[X]

Companies the size and complexity of Apple or Microsoft don't make announcements like this at the drop of a hat. I've been hearing about integration of Metro features in Windows 8 for at least the last few months, which means it has been in the works much longer then that (most likely since before Win Phone 7 released).

They didn't announce this because Apple did it.

Just saying that the timing is rather interesting and amusing to me. 

@X, I heard from 4 news reports that WP7 had only gotten 2% and was unlikely to ever hit 10% in its lifetime about a month ago.  I guess doing my own research right this moment now, it shows at 7%.
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20061111-251.html <---shows that WP7 is also in decline.  I'd call this a failure.  I don't think I've even seen a Windows Phone in the wild around here, although granted that isn't saying much as I rarely see BlackBerry phones around here. See plenty of iPhones and Droids though with basic phones. 

King

Didn't you also say Droid didn't stand a chance against iOS and now it's the #1. I'm not seeing failure here.

[X]

http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html

[KingIsaacLinksr]

http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html

Where did Droid come into this argument anyway?  If I did state it would fail, then yes, I was proven wrong.  However, Droid also did come a long way from whenever I would have made that statement and back then it was a pretty bad phone back then.  Google did a good job of upscaling it to meet and in some cases beat iPhones.  

Also unsure of what relevance the above article has to this.  As far as Nokia is concerned, they are a top-heavy company that has no clue of what they were doing.  Heck, they even had an interview and all but admitted it yesterday http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/the-oh-sh_t-moment-that-nokia-decided-to-abandon-meego/
It really was Nokia trying to save itself from an R&D disaster.

But Nokia couldn't stand being just another Droid-producing company because the CEO's/Board of Director's ego wouldn't allow that.  (my opinion btw, they obviously didn't admit this) So they joined an exclusive partnership with Microsoft so they could pat themselves on the back saying what a good job they did while in the meantime having tens of thousands of developers and fans leave the Nokia company.  Sure, its sound business to save your company...(so long as WP7 doesn't fail altogether)  But it still had consequences.  (And obviously they couldn't join RIM or Apple who control their hardware)

King

[Feathers]

windows 8... hmm. looks interesting.
then again, this is coming from a person who only just learned what ROM was yesterday. :-\

He's Quark's brother.  :roflmao

[X]

http://www.mobilityfeeds.com/mobility-feed/2011/02/it-is-official-nokia-partners-with-windows-phone-7-and-let-meego-and-symbian-down-microsoft.html

Where did Droid come into this argument anyway?  If I did state it would fail, then yes, I was proven wrong.  However, Droid also did come a long way from whenever I would have made that statement and back then it was a pretty bad phone back then.  Google did a good job of upscaling it to meet and in some cases beat iPhones. 

Also unsure of what relevance the above article has to this.  As far as Nokia is concerned, they are a top-heavy company that has no clue of what they were doing.  Heck, they even had an interview and all but admitted it yesterday http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/the-oh-sh_t-moment-that-nokia-decided-to-abandon-meego/
It really was Nokia trying to save itself from an R&D disaster.

But Nokia couldn't stand being just another Droid-producing company because the CEO's/Board of Director's ego wouldn't allow that.  (my opinion btw, they obviously didn't admit this) So they joined an exclusive partnership with Microsoft so they could pat themselves on the back saying what a good job they did while in the meantime having tens of thousands of developers and fans leave the Nokia company.  Sure, its sound business to save your company...(so long as WP7 doesn't fail altogether)  But it still had consequences.  (And obviously they couldn't join RIM or Apple who control their hardware)

King

What it has to do with Win 8 is say that you have a poor track record predicting failures. Hell if less than 10% of a market is a failure, Apple Computers has been a failure for more than four decades.

Beyond that, there are now analysis that are saying the windows phone will be the dominant os on the market within the next two years and well into 2015. Not only is the platform diverse, the open nature of the os will allow a wide variety of phones without the fragmentation that Droid had with multiple os in the wild.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/500-features-coming-to-a-windows-phone-7-mango-tomorrow/24983

[Rico]

Still more than a year off from Win 8.  I've said many times, Windows products have worked fine for me.  They've continued to grow and improve and there really isn't a lot of choice if you want to do certain things on a PC.  I still want a Mac someday (but that's really only for some of the apps/software they can run).  For now Windows is just fine for my needs.

[turtlesrock]

windows 8... hmm. looks interesting.
then again, this is coming from a person who only just learned what ROM was yesterday. :-\

He's Quark's brother.  :roflmao

OH! uhh... ;D (rom as in read-only-memory)

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Well X, I'm not being paid to be an analyst (though hey, I'm open to anything at this point ;))  But I have read where several analysts say that WP7 will be dead in 3 years so as far as analysts go, I don't think they can accurately predict the future of WP7+.  It will depend on whether they can gain traction again after the Windows Mobile 6 disaster and whether consumers find the OS attractive again.  I also don't have a giant crystal ball but darnit, I wish I did.  

And windows mobile being the dominate smartphone?  Right....umm, how long has Windows Mobile been out in the streets?  I had to check this but its been 11 years since they initially released a phone with their mobile software.  Were they ever the dominate mobile OS during those 11 years?  I know at least WM6 never was.  So now analysts turn around and say that this phone will?  Over iOS and Droid?  Unless WP7 comes out with some killer-must-have-feature, this will never happen.  A lot of people like Open Source.  A lot of people like stuff that works.  

What Windows managed to do was bring itself back to the lineup, but it took a long time to do this and there are no doubt some resentful feelings of the Window Vista era (as I like to refer to it now).  WP7 finds itself in the situation where if you like/depend on their Office Software and apps, then its the phone for you, but if you don't care/dislike, then Droid or iPhone or RIM do the job just as well if not better than WP7.  I guess time will tell if they'll be the leaders again or if the "Big 4" are the leaders of this new decade.  

King

[Bryancd]

I have no doubt Windows 8 will be a fine OS, but in regards to the analyst community King makes reference, there is no enthusiasm for Windows 8 or it's ability to move the needle in regards to MSFT's presence in the mobile market. I have said it before, Steve Balmer is a terrible CEO and MSFT is falling ever further behind in the portable market, which is the future of personal computing.