In 2007, Microsoft introduces a new version of Windows called Vista, a grand name for what turns out to be an embarrassing dud. (Memories of my first and determining interaction with Vista can be found here.)
Steven Sinofsky, once a Bill Gates technical assistant and, at the time, head of Microsoft Office development, is given a shovel (and a pad of pink slips) and told to clean the stables. To create a new, respectable version of Windows in a mere 30 months will require great discipline, a refusal to compromise, the rejection of distracting advice, relentless attention to the schedule, as well as the merciless pruning of features and people who get in the way. Sinofsky had it all: superb technical skills, the dogged drive of a rassar, and the political will to mow down the obstacles.
In July 2009, Microsoft unveils Windows 7, a product widely acclaimed as absolving Vista’s sins, and Sinofsky is promoted to president of the Windows division, a title parsimoniously bestowed.
Sinofsky immediately begins work on the next version of Windows, following his proven strategy of adding solid, well-defined details while maintaining backwards compatibility and avoiding the rat trap of “feature creep”. But something happens along the way: In early 2010, the iPad comes out. Although the device is initially misunderstood by Microsoft — Steve Ballmer speaks of “slates and tablets and blah blah blah” — it doesn’t take long for the Redmond company to realize that it needs an answer, it needs to defend its PC empire against the interloping tablet that has been so warmly embraced by the public.
The company changes course and Sinofsky gets a new mission: Windows 8 isn’t going to be a mere clean-up job, it’s not an “embrace and extend” improvement, but a new ”reimagined” Windows, a PC Plus that will straddle the PC and tablet worlds. The new OS will provide a radically new look-and-feel, a touch-screen interface in addition to a keyboard and mouse (or trackpad), and it will stray from the comfy x86 monogamy to also work on ARM processors.
A little over three years later, right after delivering Windows 8, Sinofsky is abruptly sacked.(Excuse me, he’s “amicably” sacked… by his own “personal and private” choice).
Windows 8, Windows RT, and the Surface tablet are now on full display, as are the reviews — and they’re not pretty. As summarized in this June 2012 Business Insider piece, the pundits were concerned and baffled right from the start:
“Worst of all, the traditional desktop is buried — it’s just another Metro app — but there are still some things you can only do from the desktop, and some only from Metro.” (Matt Rosoff)
“In my time with Windows 8, I’ve felt almost totally at sea — confused, paralyzed, angry, and ultimately resigned to the pain of having to alter the way I do most of my work.” (Farhad Manjoo)
“Windows 8 looks to me to be an unmitigated disaster that could decidedly hurt the company and its future… The real problem is that it is both unusable and annoying.” (John Dvorak)
Perhaps these were simply hasty judgments meant to capture eyeballs, maybe customers would ignore the critics and embrace Windows 8. But no. Five months later, Paul Thurrott, the author of the respected Windows Supersite blog, gives us this post:
“Sales of Windows 8 PCs are well below Microsoft’s internal projections and have been described inside the company as disappointing.”
As head of HP’s Personal Systems Group (PCs and printers, a $55B/year business), Todd Bradley’s opinion of Microsoft’s latest creations carries considerable weight. Last week, in a long CITEworld interview, Bradley wasn’t impressed:
“I’d hardly call Surface competition.
CITEworld: Why not?
TB: One, very limited distribution. It tends to be slow and a little kludgey as you use it. I just don’t think it’s competitive. It’s expensive. Holistically, the press has made a bigger deal out of Surface than what the world has chosen to believe.”
As reported two weeks ago, I quickly encountered Windows 8′s split personality when I tried to use my new Surface, but I wanted the bigger picture.
Was Windows 8 running on a PC — Microsoft’s home turf — really an “unmitigated disaster”? I head over to the big Microsoft Store in the Stanford Shopping Center to buy the full version of the new OS — and they don’t have it. The upgrade version, yes, but no copies of the “System Builder” DVD that you need for a complete, from-scratch installation. Curious.
I head back home, order a copy from Amazon, buy an additional license from Microsoft for my second machine, and two days later I’m in business. The installation process is flawless (one with VMware Fusion, the other with Parallels), but things quickly go downhill. The problems I had with the Surface are just as distracting and frustrating on a PC: One moment you’re in the new, elegant, and, yes, reimagined User Interface, the next moment you’re foraging in the old Windows 7 Desktop. And, of course, existing Office apps have no place in the new UI.
It’s no wonder that customers aren’t keen to buy Windows 8. As a recent survey shows, “about one-third of Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP users who are ready to buy a new personal computer say they intend to switch to an Apple product.”
According to the Thurrott post mentioned earlier, the inside story is that Sinofsky was let go because of his “divisiveness”, that his departure isn’t a consequence of Window 8′s poor numbers. But if we imagine a different reality, one in which Sinofsky stands before a big Mission Accomplished banner, where critics rave about the beauty, harmony, and impeccable polish of a Windows 8 that runs flawlessly on PCs, laptops, tablets, and Surface-like hybrids…do we think for a moment Ballmer would have shown Sinofsky the door?
I think the real story behind Sinofsky’s removal contains elements of both personality and (Windows 8) performance. It’s no secret that Sinofsky made a lot of enemies while he pulled off a not-so-minor miracle with Windows 7. As a reward for his accomplishment, he was given a much more difficult assignment. Windows 8 had become a 21-blade Swiss Army knife: a great list of features on paper, dubious usability in practice. Add the need to adapt the operating system and the sacrosanct (and golden goose) Office applications to the new ARM processor and you end up with a Mission Impossible.
The same traits that made Sinofsky an extremely successful turnaround artist after the Vista mess — his monomaniacal pursuit of a clear goal — became liabilities in this reimagined world. He slipped and fell, the enemies saw their chance, the bayonets came out. Even supremely gifted [redacted] have a sell-by date.
Of course, none of this says anything about who came up with the mission. Was it Ballmer’s idea or Sinofsky’s? Microsoft isn’t talking.
Now let’s turn to Apple. The “recomplicated” Windows hands the Cupertino company an intriguing opportunity. They can capitalize on Microsoft’s misstep, extend a welcoming hand to the Windows users who intend to switch to Apple, and make the iPad the sine qua non of what a Post-PC device should be. (I use the “Post-PC” moniker for lack of a better one. For me, it doesn’t stand for the end of the PC but for its broadening into three instances: classic, tablet, smartphone.)
From the beginning, the iPad, designed to be a new genre, not a derivative, came with limitations. Yes, you could do some productivity work, but iOS’s lack of multi-tasking, a favorite whipping boy of the critics, made it difficult. To be sure, the OS supported concurrent activities inside the device, but running several applications at the same time was a no-no. The processor couldn’t handle it and, even if it could have, battery life would have been terrible.
So whether it was divine inspiration or simply a bowing to necessity, Apple shunned the temptation to make a PC-only-smaller, and created a whole new genre of personal computers. Microsoft couldn’t resist and gave us Windows Mobile with a Start button.
Almost five years have elapsed since the birth of iOS. (We’ll give a quick but deep hat tip to its ferocious and now deposed champion, Scott Forstall, and leave the discussion of his own exit for a future Monday Note.) With the latest iPad hardware, we have a fast processor and there are even faster ones in the making. Does the more muscular hardware and road-tested OS portend a future that supports the running of two applications side-by-side in a split-screen arrangement? Or perhaps a slidebar that reveals and hides the second app.
This isn’t exactly an original idea: Samsung just released a firmware update providing a split-screen multitasking view. And, of course, as explained here, the Snap feature in Windows 8 provides a neat way to run two apps side-by-side on a laptop or tablet.
Today, preparing a Keynote document that incorporates elements from other apps requires clumsy mental and physical gymnastics. Having access to the source and destination documents at the same time would be a welcome relief and a boost to business uses.
There are other quirks. You can edit a Mac-originated Pages or Numbers document on your iPad, but no such joy awaits users of Apple’s well-loved Preview. Upload a Preview PDF into iCloud from your MacBook and then grab your iPad and see if you can find it… No, you need to use DropBox or the (excellent) Microsoft SkyDrive. (One “explanation” for this state of affairs is the strong security that pervades iOS. Inter-application communication can open backdoors to malware, which is still quite rare in iOS. But if it can be done for Pages and other iWork apps…)
Now that all OS X and iOS software is under one hat, Craig Federighi‘s, perhaps we can expect these workflow speed bumps to be ironed out. Multiple concurrent applications, a document store that’s common to all apps… This is Apple’s opportunity: Stick to its guns, keep laptops and tablets clearly distinct, but make iPads easier to love by business users. The comparison between a worst-of-both-worlds Surface hybrid and the iPad would be no contest. iPad mini for media consumption, everywhere; iPad for business and everything else.
Apple can finish the job Sinofsky started.
Related columns:
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57 Comments
From Maui… but sober: I meant “laptop or tablet”, not _of_ tablet
Stop comparing a PC to an iPad.
An iPad cannot use multiple monitors.
An iPad cannot multi task
An iPad cannot use command line tools
An iPad cannot run linux.
A huge market exists for the iPad because many users only need *light computing*; that is to say email, web browsing, and so on. However the iPad cannot and will not replace a desktop computer. The simple fact is computer programming is still faster and more productive by an order of magnitude on a desktop computer.
Refusal to compromise is what bought you Longhorn and Vista. Ability to compromise is what bought Windows 7.
Actually, I just bought two iPad minis (with my iPad 2 headed for eBay) — one for home and consumption as you suggest, but the other for the office and creation. Two quick examples of the latter:
1. In portrait mode, the iPad mini’s keyboard (unsplit) blows away the iPhone and iPad (including with split keyboard) for fast and accurate thumb typing (my favorite way to type). Yes, I’m typing this comment on an iPad mini.
2. The iPad is too unwieldly (for me) to use for paper replacement. If I’m right, the iPad mini will completely replace paper in my office, including handwritten notes. I’m currently searching for the note-taking app and stylus combination best suited for me. It’ll probably require some trial and error (i.e., wasted money) but I think I’ll succeed with this experiment.
Steven Penny you are being a tad closed.
“An iPad cannot run linux”
It runs Unix, which is better.
The point being is that for the vast majority of the people the iPad does all that they bought a computer for, sometime more.
The sad and somewhat anti-geek truth is that most people don’t need to compute with a computer. They want to email, they want to watch videos, they want to type a letter.
Professionals such as video editors and Pro musicians can build a workstation that will fulfill the tasks that they require.
I don’t see how Sinofsky or even Microsoft is relevant to anything Apple does.
Here in Northern California we ignore Southern California and NYC. Why would Washington even cross our minds?
iPad shipped with Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and a year later they did iMovie and GarageBand and then a year later they did iPhoto. Obviously, Apple intends iPad to be used as a PC no matter what foolishness the Wintel PC makers engage in.
> multitasking
If you want to run 2 iOS apps side-by-side, Apple has a device for that. It’s called 2 iPad minis. It costs about the same as 1 Surface.
Or get one iPad and one iPhone, many combinations of which are cheaper than 1 Surface.
I run an iPad and iPhone all day while working, with one app on one and one app on the other. I used to run both on one Mac, switching back and forth between them. Now, for half the price of a Mac, each app has its own device that it completely takes over, there is no multitasking overhead, no interface gewgaws to learn. Just 2 devices that capture all of my work.
In the past, if your work required more than one paper notebook at a time, you just bought a second notebook. You didn’t split one notebook up into 2 halves and flip it around all the time awkwardly. Notebooks are cheap. iOS devices are cheap and getting cheaper. You get 2 to run 2 apps side-by-side.
> Stop comparing a PC to an iPad.
iPad is “iPod PC.” It is a PC built out of iPod hardware and Mac software. iPad runs native C/C++ PC apps like Keynote, Pages, Numbers, iMovie, GarageBand. That is all it does: full-size native C/C++ PC apps.
Apple provides all of those non-iPad features in a device called a Mac, which is what most programmers use today. The Intel Mac has had 90% of the high-end PC market for over 5 years.
Linix systems can’t edit video like iPad. Linux systems can’t do audio and music like iPad, or graphics like iPad, or many other things iPad can do because of its Mac heritage. As Linux is to Web servers (pervasive, useful, professional) so the Mac is to creative production work: music, movies, publishing. Even the typical office document workflow is from the 1985 Mac.
So iPad is compared to Windows PC’s because it is a PC. iPad is the #1 PC in the low-end PC market for 2 years now, outselling all of HP’s PC sales in that time.
No, iPad is not a server PC or a workstation PC or a notebook PC. iPad is a tablet PC. Most people prefer a tablet because their main killer app is Wireless Networking. That means antennas, batteries, small size, carry it with you 24/7. A Linux desktop is NOT the best way to exploit persistent wireless networking where the user is irradiated by Internet Protocol all day every day; everywhere they go.
Linux systems cannot be deployed as client systems where there is no I-T support. Linux systems require months of training. The apps that run on Linux are useful to maybe 1% of humanity. Suggesting Linux instead of an iPad is like saying use a Wii as a Web server.
During the first 30 years of consumer computing (1977–2007) only 15% of humans ever bought a PC. Something like 75% have mobile phones. Most people are looking for a mobile PC like iPad, not a traditional Intel PC with a Mac interface.
Windows 8 manage improve on memory management and has a glimpse on the live dashboard that is nice on a second monitor. With the strong position of Microsoft on the operating system, pro managing tools and Nokia as good hardware that should have been enough, with another step for next year when some plaster have dry up.
Windows 8 is selling ok, and don’t forget the 90% of the PCs that will be sold next year will have Win8, that is about 350 mln
There are a lot of people who use computers who just don’t trust Apple (I am one) and a lot of people who won’t want to swap M$’s OS monopoly for Apple’s hardware monopoly (I am one). I know plenty of non-geeks who share similar concerns. Apple *could* fill a lot of the area that M$ fills – I’d be quite happy to run OSX rather than Windows – but a lot of people will not invest in a hardware platform that gets EOL’d so quickly and arbitrarily as Apple does. Also, Apple’s closed shop, “our way or the highway” attitude won’t work for a lot of people / businesses.
For casual use, they’ve got a good story, the for business and techno-savy audiences, not so much.
What a pity. I would have thought Jean-Louis Gassée would have been more perceptive. Anybody who actually knows Windows 8 is just going to laugh at this….
This seems like a great opportunity for Apple. Apple is trusted by lots of people, just look how crowded the stores are. In comparison to the chaos presented by MS Apple is presenting a clear product line. We sell windows equipment built in to our product. I’ve struggles for years as MS has mangled the UI of office. I look forward to the general public moving away from using windows and office.
@ Steven Penny: You’re right, I shouldn’t compare the iPad to a PC. Please take a moment to re-read today’s Monday Note. I’m careful to say there are three distinct kinds of personal computing devices: classical PCs, tablets and smartphones. I also write Apple didn’nt fall into the trap of making a “PC only smaller”.
All I suggest is Apple to make the iPad a little more useful in some business uses.
I know very well a tablet can’t run Linux and many other things you mention.
For more about different viewpoints on the iPad, please refer to the felicitously titled Failure Of Empathy post: http://muledesign.com/2010/02/the-failure-of-empathy/
According to a similar premise as this article’s author, after a bruising experience with Windows 8 CP and RP, I bought a MacBook Air. I was tired of the switcheroo that I felt like Microsoft had pulled, and tired of the mishmash of features I felt Windows 8 represented…none of them executed very well. I just wanted a real DESKTOP. The whole “metro” interface was lost on me. So I bought a high-end MacBook Air and set out to convert to a new way of doing things. A couple month’s later and I’ve put the MacBook on Ebay. Why? The hardware was impeccable: fast, beautiful, and sturdy with an exceptional screen, keyboard, and trackpad…but the main thing that I couldn’t stand was the Mac OS. If I could’ve installed Windows on my MacBook with native drivers (not just the merely “meh” Bootcamp drivers provided by an apathetic Apple) I would’ve done so. Particularly if I could’ve made the MacBook a Windows ONLY machine. In any case, I installed Windows via Bootcamp and over time found myself using it more and more and more. It just did multitasking far more efficiently than Mac OS X. And yes, this was with Windows 8. In other words, pitting Windows 8 versus Mac OS X Mountain Lion (10.8), Windows 8 won. I found it more appealing, and more efficient than OS X.
So now the MacBook is on Ebay where I’ll absorb a several hundred dollar loss to switch back to native Windows machines. I bought a Lenovo Yoga which runs Windows 8 like a dream, features an incredible screen, and build, and look. Its keyboard isn’t as good as the MacBook’s, nor is its trackpad, but on the whole I’m glad I switched back. No more Mac for me. When you’re used to the Windows way of doing things, the truth is that Windows 8 is still less of a learning curve than OS X. And to some extent, I think that for many Windows users, the OS X paradigm is incomprehensible.
Just my two cents.
Now if Apple ever dumps OS X and puts Windows on their machines THEN we’ll have ourselves a horse race because they really do make the best hardware in the business.
@ JackSchofield: You might very well be right. To form my opinion, I rely on three instances of Windows 8/RT which, unlike many reviewers, I paid for and set up myself. Further, I see people with impeccable pro-Microsoft credentials, such as Paul Thurrott, expressing similar concerns. I wouldn’t mind being wrong here, I like Windows 7 and one can hope Windows 8 will mature in time. But the competition isn’t sitting still.
First, I’m mainly a Linux user and I try to usually to stay in Linux to doing serious stuff, keeping only Windows for games and when I need to use M$ Office. I’m very near to be a Linux fan boy. But I try Windows 8 in my Tablet PC (A four years old HP TX2-1350) and the machine now works pretty quick, plus for first time I feel that the multi-tactile screen it’s useful for anything more that reading a book in the train. Holy shit, even I can win a one year old MacBook Pro when I watch the time to boot to be ready !
Seriously Windows 8 is pretty far of be the next Windows Vista or Windows ME fiasco, but the movement of forcing to use Metro plus how works the M$ store, it’s the things that I feel that really hurts this OS..
I would not trust Thurrott on Win8 and Sinofsky, great post on reddit explaining why http://www.reddit.com/r/microsoft/comments/13ay9t/thoughts_on_steven_sinofsky/
The iPad of today will become the desktop of tomorrow. Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung know this. What I mean is that the tablet will, in some versions, have a large screen and accept input from keyboards, mice, touch, drives, etc. It will have multitasking, and everything a desktop has today. All the players are headed in that direction, but some, like Microsoft, and Samsung are trying to play leap-frog. That is what Win8 is. Apple’s strategy is to start with a basic touch screen platform, and let the rest develop organically. See what ideas and conventions come from developers and users, and build-in the best ones. Another of the great opportunities in all this is the chance to up the security. Microsoft is missing out on these 2 opportunities in their attempt to jump ahead.
>>>This isn’t exactly an original idea: Samsung just released a firmware update providing a split-screen multitasking view. And, of course, as explained here, the Snap feature in Windows 8 provides a neat way to run two apps side-by-side on a laptop or tablet.
And webOS’s multitasking is forgotten. And Glimpse for webOS showed what all tablets *should* be — which is still superior to Samsung and MS solutions.
All the fanboys are happy to proclaim Windows 8 a failure after three weeks. Everyone knows companies don’t consider migrating to a new corporate OS for a year or more after it comes out.
Productivity apps are just part of the equation. Device security and manageability are key requirements for any company that chooses to adopt devices on a massive scale. And so far, at least, Apple continues to show no interest in really making their products more suitable for company use inside corporate firewalls. They will have to ramp up their security and manageability strategies in a big way to compete seriously in the enterprise. Apple’s current track record for patching security holes for consumers is not great. Microsoft is miles ahead here. Sure Apple can build up that expertise on the security front over time, but they have yet to make a real commitment there.
Thanks,
Lionel
Interesting. I have a surface and have a Samsung Series 7 slate, along with a 2012 Macbook Pro. I also have an Asus laptop as my primary home machine. As it happens I am working on some code in Xcode on my Macbook while I write this.
For personal browsing, email, etc., I more often find myself going to the Win 8 machines, including the Surface than any of the others. I think there is a lot of media that wants a controversy and wants Win8 to fail so they have something to write about.
Like anything new it takes a bit of time to pick up on a new paradigm, but Win 8 isn’t rocket science and does work really well with my legacy Windows apps.
How convenient for Jean-Louis to just pick only those commentators who had negative things to say about Windows 8 and to nicely leave out any of the positive reviews. To add insult to injury, Jean quotes Thurrott as if he is doing some sort of favor and to look like he has written an objective article. Read the article on reddit on why some of the bloggers are talking negatively about Windows 8. Hint, it has nothing to do about the product.(http://www.reddit.com/r/microsoft/comments/13ay9t/thoughts_on_steven_sinofsky/). If you want to be objective, atleast look at Hal Berenson’s blog posts and update this article. (for starters here are the two recent articles from Hal’s blog: 1) http://hal2020.com/2012/11/18/is-microsoft-making-a-dent-in-public-perception/ 2) http://hal2020.com/2012/11/15/a-scenario-where-the-surface-shined/)
Hi @Jean-Louise
I am a first time reader and have to say that whilst your intention may have been to be open and logical it was anything but in my opinion.
First your logic…The story is about the possible failure of Windows 8 the OS. To help make that case you use HP’s quote saying how bad the MS offering is. However you didn’t mention that this quote had no real place or context for your story as HP was talking about how they were not threatened by the MS Surface Tablet NOT THE OS. In fact in that story HP state they liked Windows 8 and it would bring many sales.
HP (like many OEM’s) obviously did not like MS barging in on their market.
Secondly, being open….it is disengenuous of you to attribute Sinofsky’s departure to a supposed poor Windows 8 received product. Firstly it is now widely know that Sinofsky was always going to have to leave after W8 because of his lack of being a team player and being devisive.
Lastly, to call Paul Thurrott respected is as if you are giving him an air of genuine authority and knowledge above other reporters. A merit he ill deserves. Have a look at his recent vodcast where he basically jumps for joy along with Mary J Foley because Sinofsky didn’t like them and black balled them from press releases.
His and Mary’s main motivation for posting negative feedback about Windows 8 and Sinofsky is motivated by pure self interest. I for one will listen to their content with far less importance than I used to.
The fact is nobody knows how well Windows 8 is selling and very few bloggers are taking into account that in a recession sales are going to be low anyway. I can’t remember there being so much negativity about MS in the press for a long time and perhaps some of this is the result of the way MS operates but the comforting thing is that they appear to be more out of touch with the customers than ever.
In the main almost everyone that has used Windows 8 and tablets running Win RT have had nothing but positive things to say whereas the bloggers are almost all running in the completely oposite direction.
@ JackSchofield: … and, of course, to guide me in my Windows 8 exploration, I bought the Kindle version of Windows 8 Secrets – Do Whay You Never Thought Possible With Windows 8 & Windows RT by… Paul Thurrott & Rafael Rivera. Have you reviewed it?
Windows 8 is a UI design failure. I’ve been using it for 6 months now.
All it needs are 3 small UI tweaks that let users find where everything is using the familiar windows paradigm.
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* The start button has to be reintroduced and should bring up the windows 8 tile view.
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* App should switch between a tablet mode and a desktop mode depending on whether a physical keyboard is attached or not.
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* Get rid of charms. If the user can’t see he doesn’t know its there.
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If MSFT can release an update with these changes, they are good to go.
@vishi gondi: I tend to agree, there is strong technology under the hood in Win8, the changes you suggest, or similar ones could help.
@Lionel Menchaca: As Dell chief blogger, I’m sure you’ll agree with me name caling only serves to obscure issues and raise tempers. Calling people “fanbois” isn’t helpful, I prefer this comment section to stay civil.
That said, you’re right, it’s early in the life of Windows 8 and I personally believe Microsoft has many opportunities to address concerns and play to its enterprise strengths. We’ll have to see how PC and Windows revenues bounce back.
@Lionel Menchaca and @JackSchofield: I’ll add I appreciate your using your real identity/name.
Microsoft won’t bring back the start button, and desktop mode is not going to happen, the purpose is to force users to get used to the tiles interface and hope users to buy metro apps like Apple is doing on the iPad, and hope more developer to write app.
The minutes Microsoft bring back the start button and desktop mode, every one will switch and forget the tiles interface, it means dead for Microsoft tablet.
Microsoft is in the position of the US auto industry in the 1970s, when the first major oil crisis caused a rush to small cars (mostly from Japan). US manufacturers, up to then successful with adding new features as the way to pull in buyers, tried to add the small car feature onto the big car.
Didn’t work then.
Won’t work now.
But only if it works in real life. The days of stuff working on paper only and the market buying the product anyway are over.
@Steven Penny: “An iPad cannot use multiple monitors.”
Yes it can — either via Airplay or HDMI cable the iPad can drive an external 1080P monitor.
And it can run all sorts of command line tools via iSSH and numerous other apps.
You might actually try using an iPad before talking about what it can and can’t do.
this is the funniest set of comments from the guy who ran the development of the mac portable (i had one), newton & the colossal money hole of be . glass houses
@Bryan & @AS147:
I agree that Thurrott had an ax to grind against Sinofsky — but how would that explain making up false rumors about Windows 8 sales not meeting MS internal projection? Thurrott has a strong financial incentive for Microsoft and Windows 8 in particular to do well.
Sinofsky being fired for being an absolute jackass would serve Thurrott just fine. Why make up a story about the Windows 8 disaster that will kill Thurrott’s book sales and drive away MS fans from his blog?
Still fighting the Mac/PC wars of the 90s..? You might want to wait longer than 30 days from launch to write Windows 8′s epitaph and you might also want to hang out in better company than the rogues gallery of reviewers you present (minus Thurrott, who has his own complicated relationship to Microsoft).
I agree completely except for the last line about the mini being a consumption only device and the full-sized iPad being the workhorse.
After less than a week with the mini, I’ve decided that it’s completely the reverse. The mini is new new “pro,” and the “regular” iPad is for older users or people who simply want to consume media.
Unless you have vision problems or are so old-school as to always need a physical keyboard like on a laptop, there is no reason at all to favour the old iPad over the new mini. Despite it’s many and varied flaws, the mini wipes the floor with the old iPad IMO.
I’m surprised that nobody’s commented on “Of course, none of this says anything about who came up with the mission. Was it Ballmer’s idea or Sinofsky’s? Microsoft isn’t talking.”
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It’s not clear to me whether trying to graft a tablet interface onto a desktop OS was (a) an idea whose time was not ripe, or (b) by being rushed, the implementation was bastardized. My guess is (c) both of the above.
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As you note, both Android and Windows8 offer easy paradigms that could be grafted onto iOS, which would work fine for full-size, and maybe even mini iPads. Or rather, the computer, and expert users would have no trouble with.
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But I was at the 5th Avenue Apple store yesterday, where I contrasted the customers whom I saw at the Mall of America Microsoft store. The throngs of Apple customers appeared — if I got it right — include MANY people for whom the extra feature would mostly steepen the learning curve.
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My guess is that Apple will be happy to allow Microsoft to position itself as offering the OS and devices for people who want to tie themselves to their work ecosystem, and Apple will continue to offer both professional (Mac OS) and mobile/ultra-personal (iOS) product lines that interact easily but are clearly distinct.
Is there an app that will let you link your iPad Mini and full-size iPad together so you can use your Mini as a wireless keyboard and magic trackpad for the regular iPad, enabling typing and full screen apps together without a bluetooth keyboard?
@Jean Louis: Fair point. I’d be lying if I didn’t say there’s a bit of emotion involved for me on this topic. My point was that Paul Thurrot’s article did give outlets concerned with furthering Apple’s interests ammunition to weigh in on this topic at a time when it is way too early to tell how this will play out.
While I do have a vested interest in seeing Microsoft be successful with their OS, at a personal level, I am glad to see them taking risks in a landscape that has been playing it safe overall.
This isn’t fair. I would like to ask one thing, If Microsoft made a new tablet OS instead of optimizing touch for Windows 8, would anyone buy it, no. Besides, Microsoft is new to this, it is only a matter of time before Microsoft can fully leave behind the great legacy they created with Win95 and move onto a new one with Win8. It will get better as we go along the new path. If there is one thing I know, it is that Rome was not built in a day.
@Lionel Menchaca: Thanks. You’re right, it’s good for MS (and for the industry as a result) to take risk. There will be a Service Pack 1 and more mature Office apps on RT.
@Kudakwashe Nyangoni: Ahem… Calling Microsoft “new to this” omits the years of Tablet PC, the canceled Courier tablet.
I think Microsoft’s Windows 8 goose is cooked…and just in time for Thanksgiving!
@Jean-Louis Gassée I say new to this because Microsoft is trying to recreate Windows into what they think is better, new, fresh and intuitive.
This has to be one of my favorite posts! And on top of thats its also very helpful topic for newbies. Thanks a lot for informative information!
24 day challenge
As others have commented there’s a wee bit of a learning curve with Windows 8, but once you get a few things figured out it’s actually a very good OS. It’s fast and well organized.
For desktop PCs, the quickest way to get up to speed is to simply consider the metro UI as the old start menu. But, rather than having to root around a bunch of pop-up menus, all your programs are arranged in tiles on the UI. And you can organize them however you wish. Switching b/w the UI and desktop is extremely simple. Either use the windows key, move your mouse to the lower left-hand corner, use the charm menu, or click on the dekstop tile. Once you find the method you like best, navigating is quick and easy. I like the UI screen for quickly checking if I have new email, calendar appointments, news items, or market updates all on one screen and updated live. And the tile updateing can be turned off very easily for apps I don’t want distracting me.
Windows 8 is a good move into the touch screen space for microsoft, but it’s also a prefectly good OS for desktops provided the user makes a subtle shift in mindset away from the old MS approach.
I have to agree with Lionel above, and applaud him for being one of the few willing to see the longer term. Of course Windows 8 is a UX shock for many. And there are flaws. But I for one think the industry is a better place for bold competition – and actually I can see Windows 8 gradually building a really solid place in the market. I really enjoyed reading your blog Jean-Louis, but Windows 8 is a bit of an easy target right now…
As a follow up on this article, people should consider reading Jeff Atwood’s initial take on the Surface RT:
“Reviewers think Surface is intended to be a tablet killer, but it isn’t. It’s a laptop killer. After living with the Surface RT for a few days now, I’m convinced that this form factor is the replacement and way forward for the stagnant laptop.” From: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2012/11/do-you-wanna-touch.html
@Marcus Barnes: Interesting piece. Jeff enjoys a string following in the real tech community. I’m also a fan of his colleague Joe Spolsky and recommend his book Smart And Gets Things Done.
Allow me to return the favor with two TechCrunch pieces, one from MG Siegler http://j.mp/ReyMVb and the other by Sarah Perez http://j.mp/U8tOGf
Just a range of opinions.
It’s tough. The challenge of a long-standing provider of technology of everyday use to innovate and not alienate. I am starting to think, having used Windows 8 on my desktop for months now, that Win8 is a sort of swan song to the desktop paradigm that Microsoft practically invented. The OS clumsily straddles the ‘classic’ while newly stepping into the ‘tablet’ by incorporating its ‘smartphone’ design language. It’s truly an OS in transition that in a way is a metaphor for the company that created it. You’re correct, this bold move presents an opportunity to Apple (and others) to capture disenfranchised residents of the Windows community presented with the substantial switching cost. However, what else could Microsoft do? They have a long-standing commitment to an ecosystem of hardware and software that generates billions; desktop or ‘classic’ backward compatibility needed to be balanced with a reach into the post-PC paradigm of embedded computing. Not to mention the Enterprise and SMB customers (which I cannot think of a single one that would embrace Metro as a launcher in place of the Start button). They had no choice but to move in this direction and in a Sinofsky way, they burned their ships (e.g. going through painstaking efforts to turn away from the Start button). The hope is to get a breakthrough with their design paradigm to a critical mass that can earn them loyalty into their next release and thereafter; which is why I think they were willing to venture into their own hardware. Again Win8 is a bridge release, a stop-gap if you will; getting their vast ecosystem to transition to their new design paradigm is the X factor.
@Abe-don’t sell that mac just yet. You don’t have to use bootcamp to load windows or linux on your mac hardware. You should be able to just load a windows disk or usb key in at boot time and install it in addition to or over the OSX installation. In fact, download a Ubuntu or other linux distribution disk and install that in addition to the mac os and then install windows in another partition and you can have all three going at once!
The hardware is just hardware anymore-Apple wrote off the Power PC hardware years ago and what used to be derogated as Wintel is now simply Intel-no more SCSI drives, hidden or proprietary drivers, weird cable termination parts.
@Guest (known elsewhere as “an Anonymous Coward”) wrote, “…as if he is doing some sort of favor and to look like he has written an objective article. Read the article on reddit on why some of the bloggers are talking negatively about Windows 8. Hint, it has nothing to do about the product.”
.
I thought it a bit funny to see reddit cited as an authority, but dutifully went there, searched the ugly, unfocused list of articles for “Windows 8” and the first hit was,
.
Heh, that was funny enough that I didn’t actually get to the authoritative article that @AC thought we should read. So I don’t actually know the nefarious reasons why some bloggers are negative on Windows 8, and have only the well-substantiated reasons @JLG cited, plus the occasional descriptions from an advocate or two with whom I swap ideas.
.
But back to you claim that @JLG is somehow dishonest for a reason (really, why do people drop unsupported ad hominem attacks on a personal webpage?): perhaps you note that @JLG has no ads here, nor is he apparently aiming for a position as a paid blogger or likely to be cadging free goodies from Cupertino.
.
And that the few who come here are hardly enough to constitute enough of an audience that he could poison the well and become a kingmaker. Without knowing exactly why he offers us his thoughts, it seems he wants to be judged by the insights he brings to the Tech Industry, perhaps for future business deals or more broadly to maintain visibility of his reputation for being a smart dealmaker.
.
None of which would encourage him to write easily-refuted trash. A word to the wise (you qualify?): take it as his limited, imperfect, but very-well-seasoned judgement. A gift, as it were, even if it embeds some opinions you’d rather not hear expressed.
IMHO the greatest opp for Apple is the iCloud as Steve pointed so eloquently in one of his last presentation, the post PC devices and Apples strategy to demote the desktop is awesome. As more and more enterprise users convert to macbooks, iPhones, iPads, and yes iPods!, the IT at the back end will be using MacPros with seamless integration and tether these millions of users.
Steve: With all due respect… no question that Steve Jobs deserves credit for showing consumers a different way beyond the traditional PC. But I still think the largest majority of folks use tablets for web browsing, social networks and some email. There’s still a place in the world for PCs–especially on the work front.
I still think armies of customers underestimate what it takes for computing devices inside the firewall. Security and manageability are critical to CIOs of large companies for good reason, and Apple has ignored that almost entirely. Microsoft hasn’t, and it is a big deal for corporate adoption.
Thanks,
LionelatDell
@Walt French: Thanks. I don’t like the personl attacks but also recognize they’re unavoidable. As you explain, I write essays, in the original French meaning of the word, attempts. I try and figure out, decode. And, of course, I’m behind the Opinions window, not the Truth one…
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after browsing through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me.
Regardless, I’m certainly pleased I found it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back
often!
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my site so i came to
“return the favor”.I’m attempting to find things to improve my website!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!
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