We have been very harsh lately with Microsoft here at ConceivablyTech. Microsoft often seems to be an old dinosaur that is held back in the convenience of its own weight. However, Windows 8 appears to be one gutsy move that may not sit well with every user, but at least we see Microsoft taking risks again. Our take: Windows 8 will reshape the way we are using computers – more than Windows 95 did.
Dramatic changes never please all. Windows 8 will be no exception. We will have to get used to a user interface that takes strong cues from Windows Phone 7 and is built on top of Microsoft’s tile idea.
There is no Start button and no Start menu anymore. Instead, you will get a Start screen with tiles that represent your available applications. The entire interface is very touch-centric and we hear that Windows 8 will work with a mouse as well as opposed to the Windows 7 interface that also works with touch screens.
Microsoft released a first video (sorry, no embed feature) that only provides first cues how different the next Windows will be and how users can find and access their applications. It is not difficult to figure out, however, that Microsoft is betting big time on software services and cloud apps that are developed with HTML5 technologies as well as JavaScript and that are distributed via a new Windows App Store. Legacy apps will work with Windows 8 as well, but they seem to look rather stale when presented under the new interface.
We have little doubt that Microsoft will face lots of criticism and there is a good chance that Windows 8 may not work as intended initially and Microsoft could even run into a wall, depending on how prepared its customers will be for general touch screens and cloud apps when Windows 8 is released. However, we are seeing Microsoft innovate again and we see a Microsoft that is ready to shed legacy weight and embrace a new era in computing – a new era that is also claimed by Apple and Google. Microsoft won’t be able to do it alone: It will take a similar risk taken by hardware vendors to envision an entirely new generation of computing devices. Windows 8 running on an ultrabook as defined by Intel could turn into a huge disappointment.
Windows 8 could also save Steve Ballmer’s legacy at Microsoft. However, Steve Ballmer would have to take ownership of Windows 8 in a similar way as Bill Gates is tied to the original Windows era. Interestingly enough, it was Steven Sinofsky who presented Windows 8 for the first time at D9 earlier today. When Steve Ballmer mentioned Windows 8 in a casual talk a couple weeks ago, he was pulled back by Microsoft’s PR department like a child on a leash. This is Ballmer’s opportunity and we hope that he will use it.
published in ConceivablyTech
Dramatic changes never please all. Windows 8 will be no exception. We will have to get used to a user interface that takes strong cues from Windows Phone 7 and is built on top of Microsoft’s tile idea.
There is no Start button and no Start menu anymore. Instead, you will get a Start screen with tiles that represent your available applications. The entire interface is very touch-centric and we hear that Windows 8 will work with a mouse as well as opposed to the Windows 7 interface that also works with touch screens.
Microsoft released a first video (sorry, no embed feature) that only provides first cues how different the next Windows will be and how users can find and access their applications. It is not difficult to figure out, however, that Microsoft is betting big time on software services and cloud apps that are developed with HTML5 technologies as well as JavaScript and that are distributed via a new Windows App Store. Legacy apps will work with Windows 8 as well, but they seem to look rather stale when presented under the new interface.
We have little doubt that Microsoft will face lots of criticism and there is a good chance that Windows 8 may not work as intended initially and Microsoft could even run into a wall, depending on how prepared its customers will be for general touch screens and cloud apps when Windows 8 is released. However, we are seeing Microsoft innovate again and we see a Microsoft that is ready to shed legacy weight and embrace a new era in computing – a new era that is also claimed by Apple and Google. Microsoft won’t be able to do it alone: It will take a similar risk taken by hardware vendors to envision an entirely new generation of computing devices. Windows 8 running on an ultrabook as defined by Intel could turn into a huge disappointment.
Windows 8 could also save Steve Ballmer’s legacy at Microsoft. However, Steve Ballmer would have to take ownership of Windows 8 in a similar way as Bill Gates is tied to the original Windows era. Interestingly enough, it was Steven Sinofsky who presented Windows 8 for the first time at D9 earlier today. When Steve Ballmer mentioned Windows 8 in a casual talk a couple weeks ago, he was pulled back by Microsoft’s PR department like a child on a leash. This is Ballmer’s opportunity and we hope that he will use it.
published in ConceivablyTech
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