Doom and Gloom
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| Fettoosh Mar 09, 2012 11:31 AM EDT |
Quoting:Windows 8 may help Microsoft bridge the gap to the post-PC world, but the "doom and gloom" scenario for the company is people switching to portable, non-Windows devices, said Ozzie. That is exactly what is happening more and more every day now. MS is late in the game and not sure if it is able to catch up. I haven't seen Windows 8 yet. But technically, it could offer many of the things Linux does simply by copying ideas and features. but if it doesn't offer the freedom and flexibility, which are against its monopolistic strategy, to users and manufacturers of hand held and portable devices, then Windows 8 is doomed and so is MS. |
| DrGeoffrey Mar 09, 2012 12:17 PM EDT |
<Sn. . . . Hmmm, wait a sec. Lemme try again... <Sn. . . . Nope. 'Sorry', sympathy not found. Perhaps a quote will do instead: "The day they lay you away, what I do on your grave won't pass for flowers." It misses somewhat on the sympathy scale, but it does capture my thoughts. |
| tuxchick Mar 09, 2012 12:39 PM EDT |
Blah blah blah. Translation: "It's a post-Microsoft world, and we don't have a clue what to do." |
| Khamul Mar 09, 2012 1:14 PM EDT |
I have some problems with this doom-and-gloom stuff. As much as I've been wanting to see MS collapse and die for the last 20 years, the problem is: who or what is going to replace them? This idea that everyone is going to use mobile devices for all their work is silly and stupid. Office workers, engineers, and programmers are always going to need large screens and keyboards to get their work done. You can't do 3D CAD or C++ programming on a touchscreen. Right now, Windows is used for the vast majority of that stuff, and honestly, if Windows went away and everyone moved to Macs, that'd be even worse because they're expensive and even more closed than Windows. Linux would be a nice replacement, if it were ready, but it simply isn't. Maybe 5 years ago it had real potential to be a replacement for Windows, but not any more, not since all the UI designers and distros decided to shoot themselves in both feet with these crappy new UIs. Anyone evaluating Linux as a replacement for their office machines running Windows is going to automatically pick the one or two most-popular distros, which are Ubuntu and Fedora, install them with their default UIs, which are Unity and Gnome3, the office worker testers are going to scream and complain about how horrible they are, and that'll be the end of that little experiment. Unless things change in Linux land for the better, I don't see Windows going away any time soon. Sure, people will complain about Windows 8's crappy new UI, but if they try out Linux (meaning Unity or Gnome3) looking for an alternative, then they'll decide they'll stick with Windows, warts and all, since they're already familiar with it and Linux is even worse as far as radical UI changes. |
| Bob_Robertson Mar 09, 2012 1:19 PM EDT |
All empires fall. Especially merchantile empires that depend upon subterfuge to make money. In 1997, when "Office" was released for Windows and Mac, I said, "If Microsoft would release Office for Linux, Office for Unix, Office for Solaris, etc, they would get a lock on the office productivity (sic) suite for a century." Oh well. Good riddance. Now we have LibreOffice for Win, Mac, Linux, etc, etc, etc. |
| Fettoosh Mar 09, 2012 3:16 PM EDT |
Quoting:This idea that everyone is going to use mobile devices for all their work is silly and stupid.... I don't see any one who is defending tablet touch screen interface saying that. So I have no idea why you keep assuming that. All what we are saying is that tablets with touch screens do have many suitable areas where many users find them to be very appropriate, beneficial, and convenient. There will always be areas like & similar to the ones you mentioned where tablets will not be practical to use. In other words, there is a place, time, and application for each type of interface that some people prefer one over the other. So why don't you try to understand that! |
| lxerguest Mar 09, 2012 3:19 PM EDT |
The other problem with these doom and gloom scenarios,is:look at the numbers.MS Windows 7 one of the most profitable releases ever.MS OWNS the PC space,has massive amounts of cash,OEM and political influence,and software compatibility inertia in the business world.People have been predicting their downfall for decades.Show me the numbers please! |
| Khamul Mar 09, 2012 3:25 PM EDT |
@Fettoosh: Everyone that defends Unity and Gnome3 is saying that, because they're saying that we need to have the same UI on both touchscreens and desktop PCs, with the obvious extension being that we're all going to move to touchscreen interfaces eventually, abandoning keyboards and mice altogether. |
| Bob_Robertson Mar 09, 2012 3:43 PM EDT |
When direct neural linking is possible, maybe. |
| ComputerBob Mar 10, 2012 1:43 PM EDT |
Neural linking + blue screen of death (or kernel panic) = the rest of your life in a mental hospital. |
| Fettoosh Mar 10, 2012 2:18 PM EDT |
Quoting:he other problem with these doom and gloom scenarios,is:look at ... First off these are not my words, they are the words from BG's succesor who was at the helm as MS the top technology guru. 2nd, where are your numbers? Here are some numbers for you to consider most proftable doesn't mean most popular. Besides, how can any one get real numbers of the future? Ozzie was taking about the future and forecasting a MS doom IF the tablet trend from other companies catches on, I happen to agree with him especially when MS is way behind in this area. |
| jacog Mar 12, 2012 4:33 AM EDT |
When they talk about the end of the PC, they really mean that their desktop operating system can't dominate the market anymore. There will always be desktop "PC" users, and always a need for those. Handheld mobile devices are not about to replace them entirely. The market for computers just got bigger and more varied - the entry of a new type of device is not a threat but an opportunity. For Microsoft this might well mean doom and gloom since they have pretty much lost the race to claim this new market - all they are left with are patent lawsuits. |
| jdixon Mar 12, 2012 6:48 AM EDT |
> ...all they are left with are patent lawsuits. While true, it's not like they haven't been able to generate a significant revenue stream from those. |
| JaseP Mar 12, 2012 8:44 AM EDT |
M$ spends more money in R&D than they get from their Android indemnity license extortion racket. |
| gus3 Mar 12, 2012 8:45 AM EDT |
"Significant" in this case is a relative term. As in, they get significantly more revenue from the Android makers than they get from their own developed, marketed products. |
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