“In Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, the Once-ler manufactures Thneeds, a does-everything garment that ‘all people need.’ But a quick glance at the bizarre creation makes it obvious that no one actually needs such a thing,” David Goldstein writes for CNNMoney. “Could Windows 8 be Microsoft’s Thneed?”
“Windows 8 will allow users to perform all PC functions through a touch-based interface similar to the design on Windows Phone devices. Legacy Windows applications with a traditional user interface will work on Windows 8, but Microsoft is encouraging developers to write applications that will integrate its new tile-based UI,” Goldstein reports. “It sounds nice, it looks beautiful, and on the surface it appears to be a way for Microsoft to keep Windows relevant.”
“But analysts say there is a major hole in Microsoft’s Windows-on-any-device approach: Microsoft is misguided in its continued belief that consumers want every device they’re using to function like a PC,” Goldstein reports. “‘Where Microsoft fails is in its continued desire to replicate a full PC experience on everything. It’s an archaic concept. You don’t need that anymore,’ said Zeus Kerravala, analyst at Yankee Group. ‘Microsoft doesn’t understand how people work, live and play today. Whatever success Microsoft has with Windows 8 will be short-lived.'”
Advertisement: Limited Time, ends Sept. 20th: Students, Parents and Faculty save up to $200 on a new Mac.
Goldstein reports, “In other words, Microsoft has correctly recognized the trend but incorrectly identified the root cause. Yes, consumers are switching away from PCs to a tablet form factor. But it’s not just the tablet’s look-and-feel that people are after.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote back on June 1st: Taking into account that demos are, of course, designed to make products look good no matter what, our initial impression is that Microsoft, in trying to cram everything into Windows 8 in an attempt to be all things to all devices, will end up with an OS that’s a jack of all trades and a master of none (which, after all, ought to be Microsoft’s company motto).
By the time this hybrid spawn of Windows Phone ’07 + Windows 7ista actually ships, one can only dream where Apple’s iOS and Mac OS X will be! For Microsoft, it’ll be more like a nightmare. Perhaps Microsoft will someday put some scare into Google’s Android/Chrome OS, but only time – and a lot of it when measured in tech time – will tell. We simply do not see the world clamoring for the UI of an iPod also-ran now ported to an iPhone wannabe that nobody’s buying to be blown up onto a PC display.
From what we’ve seen so far, Windows 8 strikes us as an unsavory combination of Windows Weight plus Windows Wait.
Not to mention that probably no one on earth knows how much or what kinds of residual legacy spaghetti code roils underneath it all (shudder). Is Microsoft giving up on backwards compatibility? If so, people might as well get the Mac they always wanted. If not, then Microsoft’s unwilling to do what it takes to really attempt to keep up with the likes of Apple or even Apple’s followers. No matter what, if Microsoft’s going to ask Windows sufferers to “learn a whole new computer” (and that’s exactly how they’ll look at it, regardless of how Microsoft pitches it), millions will simply say, “Time to get a Mac to match my iPod, iPhone, and iPad!”
As if they needed it: More good news for Apple.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Edward Weber” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Corporate America to Microsoft: We’ll pass on Windows 8 – September 9, 2011
WSJ’s Mossberg reviews Mac OS X Lion: ‘The best computer operating system’ – July 21, 2011
Researchers: Apple’s Mac OS X Lion is the king of security – July 21, 2011
Microsoft developers horrified over Windows 8 preview – June 13, 2011
More good news for Apple: Microsoft previews Windows 8 (with video) – June 1, 2011
unlike stupid Apple I’m sure Microsoft will not leave legacy products behind. I’m anxiously waiting for Win 8 tablet with a parallel printer port.
If not I’ve got another solution to connect my trusty printer: I’ve built my last 6 PCs myself and I bet with a few extra special tools I could build a kick azz tablet. From pouring through parts suppliers the last several months I figure I’ll save at least $50 before shipping costs from Taiwan if I use the lowest quality screens (I’ll need to spend some dough for the tools though but that’s capital investment).
unlike Apple msft has announced it’s built in a virus checker for Win 8. Awesome! Apple will never think of giving freebies like that.
can’t wait to spend hours and hours learning Win 8 in my special PC room in mom’s basement (in the last 37 years I’ve made it into a kick azz gaming and computing wonderland – I’ve got three backup computers in case of crashes or virus attacks etc — imagine the cost if I had to buy three overpiced macs for that purpose! I’ll buy or build a couple more for Win 8, don’t want to erase XP just in case).
take that Apple fanboys!
Unbelievably accurate characterization- says it all!
classic windows nerd, ahhhh… anyway I’m hoping that they integrate xbox into the OS which would make my day (forever). Also thats one of the things I’ve always liked about PC’s you can build your own and edit the software to your liking and really do whatever you want with the thing that you buy (a miracle, at least to mac owner) already downloading pre-beta hope it doesn’t disappoint, I’ve heard it’s faster then 7 already.
Word is the xBox software in Windows 8. Which means on software error you get of bluescreen of death and hardware failure (overheat showing 3d animation) red ring of death.
This is what MS means about cross platform experience.
Excellent. If anybody takes you seriously, they simply do not have the intelligence to sense the sarcasm.
what a surprise that the mac website would be one of the few to say bad things about this amazing operating system, check out some real tech websites and learn something about computers and programming other then what looks “pretty and magical” and maybe you can find some appreciation for a device that will centralize your social in one hub (people; with facebook, twitter, email, and more all tied in to one place) and be able to multi task with business applications like office, visual basic, oh yeah, everything you can do on a full desktop computer. (which is considerably more then a mac) plus you get windows gaming tied in and the operating system is faster and more slimmed down then before. check out what engadget is saying, and zdnet, and pcmag, and yahoo, and techgeek. get over yourselves and get an open mind about something that may actually be useful in the advance of technology, this could push apple and google to make their tablets more versatile and bring everyone better and more competitively priced hardware and software. plus this could turn a toy market into so much more, even if it fails you can bet google and apple wil be taking from this left and right and that is where everyone benefits.
“plus this could turn a toy market into so much more”
Been 11 years, and Windows tablets haven’t done anything. What makes you think this is going to change anything? This is more of the same from Microsoft; they absolutely refuse to let go of legacy Windows, it will remain to be the anchor that keeps them grounded while the rest of the industry sails towards better lands.
you must be making satire like the guy “windowsforever” above…
I can’t agree more with MDN take. The issue at hand is that for things to run smoothly with any kind of code, optimizations and changes must be made. These changes at times bring hardship to the user base. We all had to transition from processor to processor using the Mac through out the years. We have seen three major OS code base architectures along with these processor swaps. Now OSX has finally settled down. Apple’s approach is the correct one. Keep the code base lean and in target for each market. Microsoft will not be able to pull any of these with out sacrificing something along the way.
Windows 8 Tablet Debuts Tuesday
MY stunning take?
Why does this thing have to have a FAN?
Yes picture a iPad with a fan because it gets HOT.
A noisy FAN..
A LOUD NOSIY FAN!
If that is the best Korean Engineers can produce if they are not told exactly by Apple how to design hardware for a tablet every lawsuit in the world is going to be a slam dunk for Apple against Samsung and Android.
This is a Post PC World, an era of global warming so bad some unhappy sweaty Iranian women want to ditch the black dress, and intel, Microsoft, and Samsung want us carry a tablet complete with a PC fan to keep it cool?
What planet is Ballmer really from?
i know this was going to be another douchebag post as soon as i read “analyst” and than clicked on the article to find out that this was hosted on a mac website.
two things– 1)alpha code for developers. 2) test hardware for testing. if u cant understand these concepts, you shouldn’t be posting an article.