“Microsoft will announce a full version of the Windows computer operating system that runs on ARM Holdings Plc technology at the Consumer Electronics Show, which begins in Las Vegas on Jan. 6, two people familiar with Microsoft’s plans said last week,” King and Satariano report. “The new Windows version would be tailored for battery-powered devices, such as tablets and wireless handsets, the people said… Microsoft is taking software designed for use with a mouse and keyboard and adapting it to a touch-screen, according to the people familiar with the matter. That will require developers to rework PC programs to make them useful on a tablet.”
King and Satariano report, “Apple has redefined consumer expectations for what a tablet computer should do, says Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Gartner Inc. Instead of requiring the use of a stylus pen to serve as a computer mouse, the iPad allows people to navigate using their fingers. ‘Apple did this year what no one had done in the previous 10 – crack that space between the PC and the phone,’ said Gartenberg, who’s based in New York. ‘Microsoft has been working very hard at putting a square peg in a round hole.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If people were clamoring for “Windows on a ‘tablet,'” after 10 years of trying, Microsoft would own the market. They don’t. Apple took it and made it look easy.
May Steve Ballmer remain Microsoft CEO for as long as it takes!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “GetMeOnTop” for the heads up.]
bath of blood part IV
You have to be a masochist or complete moron to even consider that Microsoft could make a tablet that works after all these years of not being able to get windows right.
I think this CES will be the last show that Balmer attends as M$ CEO.
MDN dixit: “May Steve Ballmer remain Microsoft CEO for as long as it takes!”
Oh yes!
And M$ is already dooooooooooooooooomed! 😀
This will be Young Ballmerstien’s last CES stage show, take photos.
Amazing how the article could STILL get so many things wrong.
In several places, they imply that Microsoft will release a FULL Windows OS for ARM-based tablets. They also say Microsoft is allying with ARM, as if ARM is on Microsoft’s side.
The story says the iPad was “introduced” in April, while also saying Microsoft’s version will get an “introduction at CES”. They are mixing iPad’s launch with Microsoft’s rumored intro.
But the worst, is when they state that Microsoft’s rumored approach is different than Apple’s because Microsoft is adapting its computer OS, while Apple used a mobile-phone OS!
Lastly, they state Android passed Apple in the “number of devices” running the software, which of course means they are comparing Android to iPhone, and ignoring the iPod and iPad.
I can’t believe how bad a tech story can be so near Silicon Valley.
Wal-Mart in small OK town sold out of 32G and 64G Wi-Fi iPads over Christmas. It they are selling here, they’re selling everywhere.
Jeez, I hope people aren’t trying to copy Beck and Limbaugh. Hadn’t thought of that.
@MDN Take – True; the x86 tablet market would’ve picked-up if that’s what people wanted. This is exactly what the article says, “Microsoft has been working very hard at putting a square peg in a round hole.”
“You have to be a masochist or complete moron to even consider that Microsoft could make a tablet that works…”
Considering that they can just copy the iPad now, they can get a lot closer than they ever had before. You know Redmond dissected the thing a million times over, the photocopiers were running since Steve unveiled it a year ago. Now they can show off some vaporware copycat software that won’t be ready for another year or two and get people thinking that they’re prepared to take on the iPad.
Two fixes-
“Microsoft’s would-be iPad competitor faces long odds”
“Microsoft’s would-be iPad competitor face is butt ugly”
“Microsoft has been working very hard at putting a square peg in a round hole.”
“Microsoft has been working very hard at putting a square head in a round hole.”
There, all better….
To be great Microsoft has to offer an integrated consumer experience, and they do only software.
Thus, they are toast in the pad market, which will likely outsell PCs in the not to distant future.
They better have some TRULY remarkable stuff for Windows & Office or their bread and butter is going to get thinner & thinner.
Just think of the Virus’ and Infections and Spyware and Trojan ware and Adware… V.I.S.T.A. that these M$ powered tablets will get…
Now you know why they hanged the name.
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Being Devil’s advocate for a microsecond…
Microsoft might have a chance at capturing the business tablet market if they leveraged their market dominance in Office/Outlook and created a truly tablet friendly(fully Office compatable and designed explicitly for touch). This could work if done with a Steve Jobs vision…Oh, wait, I forgot, they have Monkey Boy.
Nevermind.
I concur with the Macdailynews assessment 100%… As long as Balmer is associated with Microshaft – NOTHING from them will be worth a crap in the portable/mobile market – NOTHING.
So if I were in any position to look back at Balmer, put my feet up and light up a big cigar, I’ve probably got FOUR GENERATIONS to wait until he even gets close…
@KenC
+10 on your response. I get so tired of the media just comparing the iPhone to Android. Since Android is an mobile operating system, it should be iOS vs Android. The conveniently leave out the iPad and iPod touch.
Using ARM to get more battery life?
Didn’t someone publish the results a few years ago of the battery life of a MacBook running OS X vs. the same MacBook running Windows using Boot Camp? As I recall, running Windows lead to significantly shorter battery life – on the same hardware!!!!
I would expect the same for Windows on ARM.
its crap, I just had to install some apps for a relative on a acer laptop.
Right next to it, I have my 17″ macbook pro, and its almost 4 years old, totally destroys a brand new laptop with Windows 7 hands down. I am not a big customerizer, because I am all about design down right the first time. With the standard windows 7 layout, its awful, I wanted to instantly change it to something that was not stabbing my eyes with terrible UI Design.
I have never felt the need to ever change the colors or design elements of my any of my apple OS interfaces.
If that is the best microsoft can do with windows 7, I mean they must have changed the look to resemble more an xp UI…
I thought windows 7 was supposed to take most of look (as per usual Windows release after an Mac OS release) from OSX..
I was so glad to put that craptop away.
I am sorry even a new shiny laptop with the latest windows OS would want me be put my nearly 4 y/o aluminum macbook pro down.
Next year’s Windows slate and mobile failure will be the end of Balmer.
I don’t think they have a ghost of a chance of succeeding.
All they have to do to make it work and unique is add a clit button like the ThunkPads. That’ll guarantee Windows/IBM/PC fanboy sales.
It makes absolutely no sense for Microsoft to switch to ARM. The whole point of putting full-blown Windows on these devices is to run all your current Windows software on them! DUH!
Microsoft’s only interest is pushing out more copies of Windows and Office into more markets. DUH!
damn, yawned so hard reading this my jaw aches…
Even if they duplicated the iPad hardware, they still have to get Windows running on it.
No way in hell.
Well, if they do, it will kill the battery in 4 hours.
“‘By the time Microsoft gets it figured out, everybody will already own an iPad,’ said Keith Goddard, CEO of Capital Advisors Inc., an investing firm in Tulsa, Okla., that holds Apple shares. ‘That train has left the station.'”
Priceless!