Jeff Atwood: "In the post PC era, Microsoft is betting the company on Windows 8, desperately trying to serve two masters with one operating system. The traditional mouse and keyboard desktop is no longer the default; it is still there, but slightly hidden from view, as the realm of computer nuts, power users, and geeks. For everyone else, the Metro UI puts an all new, highly visual touch and tablet friendly face on the old beige Wintel box. Will Microsoft succeed? I'm not sure yet. But based on what I've seen so far of Windows 8, its pricing, and the new Surface hardware - I'm cautiously optimistic." So am I. However, a lot - and I mean a lot as in 'everything' - will depend on the quality of the Metro applications. So far, the quality has been utterly abysmal, both for first and third party ones. Microsoft is promising Metro application goodness for RTM, but I'll believe it when I see it.
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Member since:2009-05-19
I think this is spot on.
It seems that Microsoft is frothing at the mouth to get a piece of the iPhone/Android action, probably because they see the control that Apple has over their whole computer ecosphere. This is of course completely opposite to the PC philosophy most people know and love.
I've mentioned it before, but it seems to be worth repeating: Microsoft, it appears, does not understand it's own real assets. As the above post demonstrates, the PC is not going anywhere.
We have a lot of mobile devices in my office, but I can assure you that when the B.S. stops, and people want to get work done, they all return to their Dell workstations, fire-up Solid Works, Unigraphics, Altium, In-Design and a plethora of other "serious" PC applications that could never hope to be ported to the mobile style platforms.
Why not focus on continuing making *this* experience the best?
With that said, I still think the idea of a "mobile component" to Windows 8 is smart (for those notebook/tablet hybrids) but instead of pushing Metro to the front, it should have simply been another part of the OS that can "fire-up" when needed.
In the rush to appear hip and relevant, they are once again (IMHO) making a mess of things. I guess only time will tell if I'm right...
Member since:2005-11-29
Member since:2005-07-06
Why not focus on continuing making *this* experience the best?
Especially various ~CAD stuff could be great on large touchscreen (going "back" to the concept of drawing boards - we lost some good things when they were largely abandoned - and building upon them in ways which ~desktop OS cannot), making the experience *much better*. You really don't see that?
Member since:2012-06-22
Yea but those are numbers. Post-pc isn't about numbers, it's more about headlines.
Sinfosky doesn't work on numbers and Ballmer lets him do was he pleases.
Numbers are overrated. Man got on the moon by reading headlines and feeling the space age.
Now I'm off to the casino to make 10 million dollars.
Member since:2005-11-29
You really have an odd obsession with Sinofsky. Your comment history is pretty telling.
Its very impressive how you've managed to make me discover a new way to scratch my head with your nonsensical comments.
You've gone off the deep end, I'm afraid. Microsoft never embraced the post PC philosophy, in fact, their approach has been decidedly more inclusive than others.
People conflate the reality that mobile form factors are becoming the norm, with an acceptance of an Apple talking point.
This fall will be just as satisfying as it was watching the Vista haters squirm when Windows sells hundreds of millions of copies.
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
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Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Member since:
2008-10-28
I don't know about you, but for me it's very hard to take seriously anyone using this cliche, so could we please drop this whole "post PC era" nonsense and put things into perspective instead?
Here's a quick recap:
PC units sold in 2007: 271 million (http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=584210)
PC units sold in 2008: 302 million (http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=856712)
PC units sold in 2009: 306 million (http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1279215)
PC units sold in 2010: 351 million (http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1519417)
PC units sold in 2011: 353 million (http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1893523)
Forecast for 2012: 368 million (http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1944914)
Forecast for 2013: 400 million (http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1944914)
In other words: repeat a lie often enough and it quickly becomes the truth. Sure, the PC market's growth rate doesn't lend itself to hyperbole but, let's face it, this is typical for any mature technology. And yes, margins in the PC industry are razor thin, Apple is worth a gazillion trillion, yadda yadda yadda.
Still, assuming the forecast is right, PC shipments worldwide are going from 271 million in 2007 to 400 million in 2013, so: what is this post PC era everybody seems to be raving about? ;-)
RT.
Edited 2012-07-10 11:37 UTC