Why I think Windows 8 will flopOctober 1st, 2011 by brianl
It feels like Window 7 just came out, but Microsoft is already generating buzz with a preview of Windows 8 to be released next year. After previewing the latest OS, I’m predicting a flop. Here’s why.
UNIFIED EXPERIENCE
Windows 8 promises to run equally between desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone, with the goal of a unified experience between all devices. In a bid to catch-up big time in the mobile market, Microsoft is making a radical departure from the previous versions which I think will confuse and annoy many traditional Windows users.
METRO INTERFACE
Firstly, Microsoft is replacing the familiar Desktop with the Metro Interface. What’s the Metro Interface? Check out the video below.
While Metro interface lends well to mobile devices, it brings nothing new to the table for desktop productivity. I think it’s a mistake to treat desktop devices like a mobile device. They serve inherently different purposes: tablets are optimized for consumption (e.g. web browsing, movie watching) while desktops are optimized for content generation (e.g. word processing, photo editing).
If you look at what Apple is doing to the desktop, they have introduced stunning enhancements to multitasking with Mission Control and Full-Screen switching on their latest version of OS X Lion. Other enhancements include Air Drop, which make it stupidly simple to share files with co-workers, along with Auto Save and Versions, which saves your butt when you forget to “save-as”.
It seems that Apple is making enhancements to the way you generate and share content while Microsoft seems intent on turning your desktop into a giant A.D.D. machine that streams nuggets of information.
ARM CHIP COMPATIBILITY
The second radical departure for Windows is ARM chip compatibility. Traditionally Windows has run on Intel chips while mobile devices such as iPhone and Android have run on ARM chips. By allowing Windows to run on both Intel and ARM chips, Microsoft is making an ambitious move to create one OS to rule them all.
However, if transition from 32-bit Windows XP to 64-bit Windows 7 is any indication, there is bound to be a lot of confusion regarding program and driver compatibility. You may find that a new program works on your tablet but not your desktop, or that an old printer works with your desktop, but not your tablet.
Microsoft has announced that a new App Store will be introduced with Windows 8, so they can potentially address program compatibility by automatically downloading the correct version to your respective device. However, whether Microsoft will be able to generate enough interest from the developer community to match the selection on Apple or Android App Store remains to be seen. Just look at Windows Phone 7. Wait, what’s Windows Phone 7?
Plus don’t get me started on 64-bit drivers. ARM drivers? Fuhgetaboutit.
IN SUMMARY
As much as I appreciate that Microsoft is trying to unify your experience across all platforms, I can’t help but feel that they are going to fall flat on their face. Given their track record (Windows Vista anybody?) Microsoft just seems too big and clumsy to pull off such an ambitious plan. If anything, I think they will produce an exact opposite result with a plague of incompatibility issues.
Couple that with the latest rumor about Microsoft employees walking out on their CEO Steve Ballmer as he tried to get everyone excited about Windows 8 during an all-hands-on-deck meeting, I don’t appear to be alone in feeling this way. (Source : http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393715,00.asp#fbid=H8tIiueWY0-)
This entry was posted on Saturday, October 1st, 2011 at 7:03 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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