Greg's Bite: Windows Strategic Plan
TweetFollow Us on Twitter

Greg's Bite: Windows Strategic Plan

Posted by Greg Mills

The press, especially MSNBC, is loaded these days with glowing stories about Microsoft's Windows 8. I do not claim to be an expert on anything Microsoft, as I avoid their software like the plague. In my experience, OS X almost never crashes, but when it does go down, it is normally a Microsoft app that did it.

I have noticed interesting differences between Apple and Microsoft in their strategic approach to mobile platforms. That is the focus of this article.

Apple launched the iOS to support the iPhone. Modern mobile computers and smartphones require a robust operating system that can do the cell phone functions as well as run iPod, camera, GPS, web and apps. Built upon the fresh and clean iOS foundation they expanded the iPhone iOS to run on iPad as well. In the Apple world we have the Mac OS X which runs Apple personal computers and the Mac iOS to run mobile devices. Apple is betting that mobile computers will eventually kill the PC and have even announced the end of the PC age. We are seeing a convergence of sorts where features of the iOS are showing up on our Mac computers.

Microsoft launched its original smartphone OS years ago and it sucked, but didn't have much competition. In those days not much was expected of smartphones. Then after iPhone was a wildly successful product, Microsoft launched the Kin phone with its own mobile OS and was so awful the product was killed within a few weeks. Apple's iPhone market share began to surge and very late in the mobile revolution, Microsoft launched its Mobile Windows OS.

Tablets, actually iPad, began to be the computer market growth area while conventional PCs, other than Macs, began to tank. The decline is so severe and the prospects so bad HP, the largest PC maker is pulling out of the market. Serious competition forcing the margin out of PCs and the mobile revolution have combined to rock the PC industry. Fearful of a declining market, never seen in the PC industry before, Microsoft finally realized they needed to move into the tablet OS market to provide its hardware "partners" with an operating system and stay in business for the long term.

This is where it gets interesting. Instead of the Microsoft vision of tablets being an offshoot of the mobile revolution, they opted instead for something like a mobile mutation of the stock Windows PC OS they knew and loved. Instead of Microsoft ramping up its smartphone OS as Apple did it, Microsoft plans to dumb down its new Windows 8 PC OS to serve the tablet computer format.

The problems Microsoft has had in the past, making Windows into a mobile OS that will scale and run well on touch screen tablets are pretty well known. The truth of the matter is that at its heart, Microsoft completely rejects the notion that the PC is the walking dead. Ballmer has stated that "tablets are only a PC in a different form factor". Steve Jobs shot a round over the bow of the great ship Microsoft, warning of the giant mobile revolution that is taking place and the Redmond gang, that can't shoot straight, still doesn't get it.

I submit that simply having a flawed strategic plan, that fundamentally sets the stage for bulky tablets running on a modified conventional PC opertaing system is backwards and doomed for failure. In addition to the basic foundational planning error, from what I hear, Microsoft plans to launch its tablet OS as a third platform without compatibility for either the Windows PC OS or its new Windows smartphone operating system. Apple has two platforms, Microsoft will have three platforms that don't interact so well.

Even Ballmer has recently admitted publicly that the new Windows smartphone OS has not done well in the market. Handset makers who built Windows smartphones are very disappointed in the lousy sales. Microsoft hopes the most recent "Mango" mobile phone update will improve the roughly 3% market penetration for Windows Mobile.

Nokia is working on launching smartphones that run Microsoft's mobile OS. Nokia has bet the farm on Microsoft's mobile OS and if the pending Nokia launch is anything like recent RIM offerings, Nokia is going down for good. The dumb phone market is not doing well these days and Nokia must enter the smartphone era or perish. Rumors of a pre-paid incarnation of iPhone must be causing serious panic at Nokia's headquarters. Nokia stock is plunging as is RIM's.

RIM may soon put its PlayBook on sale at half off to the general public, just to move the sluggish inventory of unsold tablets. Recently it came out that RIM only shipped 200,000 PlayBooks, but the sell through to consumers isn't publically known. How many PlayBooks are just gathering dust on the shelves of electronics stores? Rodgers cellular network in Canada is selling PlayBooks at half price to employees. Even sprint refuses to support PlayBook. If Rim finally pulls the plug on PlayBook, as HP did on its Palm based tablets, RIMs poorly selling BlackBerry handsets will not save the day. Look for RIM to be bought out for its patents. Keep in mind, RIM was one of the partners with Apple when they bought that giant raft of patents a while back. Could Google buy RIM as well as Motorola without bringing in the monopoly cops? The RIM story is just about over folks.

Samsung continues to struggle with Apple patent suits around the world. Palm and RIM are down for the count, Nokia is facing a make it or break it launch soon, Android is on the ropes in many respects and we are just a few weeks from Apple's newest iPhones and perhaps iPad, both running iOS 5. That is Greg's Bite on the grim situation in the iPad killer camps around the world.

 

Community Search:
MacTech Search:

Software Updates via MacUpdate

Latest Forum Discussions

See All

Six fantastic ways to spend National Vid...
As if anyone needed an excuse to play games today, I am about to give you one: it is National Video Games Day. A day for us to play games, like we no doubt do every day. Let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, feast your eyes on this... | Read more »
Old School RuneScape players turn out in...
The sheer leap in technological advancements in our lifetime has been mind-blowing. We went from Commodore 64s to VR glasses in what feels like a heartbeat, but more importantly, the internet. It can be a dark mess, but it also brought hundreds of... | Read more »
Today's Best Mobile Game Discounts...
Every day, we pick out a curated list of the best mobile discounts on the App Store and post them here. This list won't be comprehensive, but it every game on it is recommended. Feel free to check out the coverage we did on them in the links below... | Read more »
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's...
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Nintendo has been locked in an epic battle with Pocketpair, creator of the obvious Pokémon rip-off Palworld. Nintendo often resorts to legal retaliation at the drop of a hat, but it seems this... | Read more »
Apple exclusive mobile games don’t make...
If you are a gamer on phones, no doubt you have been as distressed as I am on one huge sticking point: exclusivity. For years, Xbox and PlayStation have done battle, and before this was the Sega Genesis and the Nintendo NES. On console, it makes... | Read more »
Regionally exclusive events make no sens...
Last week, over on our sister site AppSpy, I babbled excitedly about the Pokémon GO Safari Days event. You can get nine Eevees with an explorer hat per day. Or, can you? Specifically, you, reader. Do you have the time or funds to possibly fly for... | Read more »
As Jon Bellamy defends his choice to can...
Back in March, Jagex announced the appointment of a new CEO, Jon Bellamy. Mr Bellamy then decided to almost immediately paint a huge target on his back by cancelling the Runescapes Pride event. This led to widespread condemnation about his perceived... | Read more »
Marvel Contest of Champions adds two mor...
When I saw the latest two Marvel Contest of Champions characters, I scoffed. Mr Knight and Silver Samurai, thought I, they are running out of good choices. Then I realised no, I was being far too cynical. This is one of the things that games do best... | Read more »
Grass is green, and water is wet: Pokémo...
It must be a day that ends in Y, because Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has kicked off its Zoroark Drop Event. Here you can get a promo version of another card, and look forward to the next Wonder Pick Event and the next Mass Outbreak that will be... | Read more »
Enter the Gungeon review
It took me a minute to get around to reviewing this game for a couple of very good reasons. The first is that Enter the Gungeon's style of roguelike bullet-hell action is teetering on the edge of being straight-up malicious, which made getting... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Take $150 off every Apple 11-inch M3 iPad Air
Amazon is offering a $150 discount on 11-inch M3 WiFi iPad Airs right now. Shipping is free: – 11″ 128GB M3 WiFi iPad Air: $449, $150 off – 11″ 256GB M3 WiFi iPad Air: $549, $150 off – 11″ 512GB M3... Read more
Apple iPad minis back on sale for $100 off MS...
Amazon is offering $100 discounts (up to 20% off) on Apple’s newest 2024 WiFi iPad minis, each with free shipping. These are the lowest prices available for new minis among the Apple retailers we... Read more
Apple’s 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pros are on sa...
Amazon has 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pros (Silver and Black colors) on sale for up to $410 off Apple’s MSRP right now. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather than a third-party... Read more
Red Pocket Mobile is offering a $150 rebate o...
Red Pocket Mobile has new Apple iPhone 17’s on sale for $150 off MSRP when you switch and open up a new line of service. Red Pocket Mobile is a nationwide MVNO using all the major wireless carrier... Read more
Switch to Verizon, and get any iPhone 16 for...
With yesterday’s introduction of the new iPhone 17 models, Verizon responded by running “on us” promos across much of the iPhone 16 lineup: iPhone 16 and 16 Plus show as $0/mo for 36 months with bill... Read more
Here is a summary of the new features in Appl...
Apple’s September 2025 event introduced major updates across its most popular product lines, focusing on health, performance, and design breakthroughs. The AirPods Pro 3 now feature best-in-class... Read more
Apple’s Smartphone Lineup Could Use A Touch o...
COMMENTARY – Whatever happened to the old adage, “less is more”? Apple’s smartphone lineup. — which is due for its annual refresh either this month or next (possibly at an Apple Event on September 9... Read more
Take $50 off every 11th-generation A16 WiFi i...
Amazon has Apple’s 11th-generation A16 WiFi iPads in stock on sale for $50 off MSRP right now. Shipping is free: – 11″ 11th-generation 128GB WiFi iPads: $299 $50 off MSRP – 11″ 11th-generation 256GB... Read more
Sunday Sale: 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros for up t...
Don’t pay full price! Amazon has Apple’s 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros (Silver and Black colors) on sale for up to $220 off MSRP right now. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather... Read more
Mac mini with M4 Pro CPU back on sale for $12...
B&H Photo has Apple’s Mac mini with the M4 Pro CPU back on sale for $1259, $140 off MSRP. B&H offers free 1-2 day shipping to most US addresses: – Mac mini M4 Pro CPU (24GB/512GB): $1259, $... Read more

Jobs Board

All contents are Copyright 1984-2011 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.