Has Microsoft stumbled?

[Tommy Vercetti]

Microsoft won't fail ... just that they need to adjust to a post-PC environment. IBM had to pretty much do that when post-main-frame era came as well, and look how well they are coping now.

Microsoft have a lot of strengths still in the corporate sector, where Windows/Office/Server, etc will still be required.

As to Tablets/Phone, that battle is already lost to Apple and Android, who are continuing to grow. As to the XBOX, it is just a toy and a very small part of microsoft revenue stream.

I don't think the PC is going anywhere. Tablets are for consumption not production. Metro UI should be scrapped. It is horrible.

 

[Zelig]

I don't think the PC is going anywhere. Tablets are for consumption not production. Metro UI should be scrapped. It is horrible.

Have you realized yet that it's completely optional?

 

[Tommy Vercetti]

Have you realized yet that it's completely optional?

Its still junk. I view it as a potentially worrying sign of things to come. Metro and the start screen are both made more for tablets. Both are very unfriendly to multitaskers like myself.

 

[Zelig]

Its still junk. I view it as a potentially worrying sign of things to come. Metro and the start screen are both made more for tablets. Both are very unfriendly to multitaskers like myself.

You haven't been able to point out any problems with the start screen.

I bet you don't use the command prompt much either, it's also unfriendly to multitasking, and completely optional.

 

[Iranon]

Are we arguing whether Windows 8 is junk or whether it's a failure?
Thanks to the wonders of modern marketing, those are almost completely unrelated things.

 

[kiwitt]

I don't think the PC is going anywhere.

It is going to reduce.

1) Look at the time we used to have Work-stations powered by Itanium and DEC Alpha chips.
2) PC will always fill the needs of Power-Users and Serious Gamers, but these are small segments in comparison to mainstream consumers and users.
3) In the corporate environment, thin-clients and browser apps are forming the new user devices.
4) Consumers have already started the move to tablets, and this is accelerating.
5) If your task involves a lot of portable typing then you'll still need a laptop/notebook.
6) Even consoles can browse the web now too, as well as play games, movies and interact with others.

However, the end result is that where once your only option was a PC, it has now got many other alternatives, so the end-result a reduced market for the PC.

In the end, a PC will fill the same space as the workstation I mentioned in point 1 above.

 

[Maniacal]

1) Look at the time we used to have Work-stations powered by Itanium and DEC Alpha chips.

How many decades ago was this?

2) PC will always fill the needs of Power-Users and Serious Gamers, but these are small segments in comparison to mainstream consumers and users.

Smaller, maybe, but PC gaming isn't going away or shrinking. Digital sales are growing extremely quickly. There are lots of people who only have a few games for their PCs too and don't have a lot of time to play, but still do

3) In the corporate environment, thin-clients and browser apps are forming the new user devices.

Who cares? The corporate world isn't the home PC or gaming world.

4) Consumers have already started the move to tablets, and this is accelerating.

True, but people are also buying them in addition to their desktops and others are people who simply don't need a desktop (and are probably old).

5) If your task involves a lot of portable typing then you'll still need a laptop/notebook.

Laptops can play games too, and netbooks cost less than smartphones and you can easily buy one in addition to a home desktop. Regardless, a laptop is still a PC.

6) Even consoles can browse the web now too,

They still aren't as good at it as a desktop or laptop and a gamepad is very clumsy and slow when it comes to typing. I don't think I've ever seen or heard of anyone seriously using their console to regularly browse the internet.

as well as play games, movies and interact with others.

A video game console can play... games!?!?!? If anything, watching movies and TV has been increasing on PCs due to Netflix and, well, pirating what isn't on Netflix.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

That's what your Average Joe is using Windows 7 for too.

True, but Win8 is forcing services on noob users who don't know better than to ignore or uninstall it.

It's like ppl paying MS $100 to have OEM bloatware removed form their system. As long as there are chumps who will support MS's little con game, it isn't going anywhere.

Intelligent users still have the freedom to do what they want with 8 but the average user is having MS content pushed on them at an alarming rate with 8 and even more disturbing is these ppl are actually in favor of this.

 

[kiwitt]

How many decades ago was this?

You make me seem old

I have watched the IT industry change during my 3 decade career. It will continue to change.

 

[Zelig]

True, but Win8 is forcing services on noob users who don't know better than to ignore or uninstall it.

It's like ppl paying MS $100 to have OEM bloatware removed form their system. As long as there are chumps who will support MS's little con game, it isn't going anywhere.

Intelligent users still have the freedom to do what they want with 8 but the average user is having MS content pushed on them at an alarming rate with 8 and even more disturbing is these ppl are actually in favor of this.

Metro is a huge improvement in terms of OEM bloatware, you can uninstall anything in 2 clicks from the start screen.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

Metro is a huge improvement in terms of OEM bloatware, you can uninstall anything in 2 clicks from the start screen.

My point is they don't. Either from lack of knowledge or support of the service.

 

[Tommy Vercetti]

It is going to reduce.

1) Look at the time we used to have Work-stations powered by Itanium and DEC Alpha chips.
2) PC will always fill the needs of Power-Users and Serious Gamers, but these are small segments in comparison to mainstream consumers and users.
3) In the corporate environment, thin-clients and browser apps are forming the new user devices.
4) Consumers have already started the move to tablets, and this is accelerating.
5) If your task involves a lot of portable typing then you'll still need a laptop/notebook.
6) Even consoles can browse the web now too, as well as play games, movies and interact with others.

However, the end result is that where once your only option was a PC, it has now got many other alternatives, so the end-result a reduced market for the PC.

In the end, a PC will fill the same space as the workstation I mentioned in point 1 above.

At the most the PC will become more of a niche item. I just hope they don't replace the desktop interface with Metro completely.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

At the most the PC will become more of a niche item. I just hope they don't replace the desktop interface with Metro completely.

I really don't see that happening atm, MS will need to re-imagine Metro to allow multiple windows before they can get kill off the desktop.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

At the most the PC will become more of a niche item. I just hope they don't replace the desktop interface with Metro completely.

Truth is, I'd like to see some interface other than the desktop/WIMP thing, but Metro doesn't seem to be the answer. I mean not permanently replacement of the desktop. Just something new, that's not Metro.

 

[Zelig]

At the most the PC will become more of a niche item. I just hope they don't replace the desktop interface with Metro completely.

It's going to be hard for developers working at Microsoft to get any work done without Visual Studio.

 

[Zelig]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2033...-blame-windows-8-for-plummeting-pc-sales.html

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I got under the impresssion that people werent buying new PCs because theyre actually fine with the ones they have already, likely with Windows 7 or whatever. (I'm not a big fan of 7, I think it's a little overrated, but I'll admit its a pretty decent OS.)

 

[Zelig]

Yes, that's generally the case.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

In my case, I'm just fine with Windows Vista (along with a few UI tweaks) and see no reason to switch to 7 or 8; a lot of people I imagine are the same way. Its not active avoidance of Windows 8, just not upgrading 'cos they don't need to. (In my case, also because I don't have the resources to; though I'm pretty sure I'll upgrade before 2038 )

 

[NBAfan]

In my case, I'm just fine with Windows Vista (along with a few UI tweaks) and see no reason to switch to 7 or 8; a lot of people I imagine are the same way. Its not active avoidance of Windows 8, just not upgrading 'cos they don't need to. (In my case, also because I don't have the resources to; though I'm pretty sure I'll upgrade before 2038 )

There's not much reason to upgrade from Vista to 7 at this point, they are very very similar.