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Microsoft today announced they are restructuring to become a devices and services company. They are dead set on their belief that the days of the desktop PC are numbered and the future is all phones and tablets. Despite public outcry, Microsoft has done little to reverse course with Windows 8.1, primarily aimed at mobile devices. Their strategy is to unite all devices, from MP3 players to servers under a single touch screen interface. What is great however for playing Angry Birds may not be the best thing for managing a network, and reaction to Windows 8 has shown this. Is Microsoft correct in that the PC is about to go the way of the dodo, or are they simply grasping at straws in their attempt to gain mobile market share vs Apple and Google? Microsoft is making a huge gamble with this. They've tried to get into the phone market for years and have failed. Any time they try to take on Apple (several years late) such as with the Zune, its been a catastrophic flop. Why is Microsoft sacrificing its bread and butter (the PC) to try to gain inroads in a market where they will likely not succeed? Does Microsoft know something we don't or are they about to see an epic collapse?
Basically I don't see the PC disappearing as tablets and even laptop could not replace the desk top especially for n businesses etc. Personally I have no use for a tablet and even smart phone does replace a desk top with my and wife's usage. Its kind of like smart phone the hoopla is pretty much over on constant upgrade even with wife and friends. I just bought my wife her first desk top since she went to lap tops like ten years ago and she also said her Iphone 4 did everything she needed ;so didn't want a new one. Microsoft just needs to realize the got to have the newest is over and windows 8 is not liked much seeing that windows 7 is still being offered and order by most makers.
Basically I don't see the PC disappearing as tablets and even laptop could not replace the desk top especially for n businesses etc. Personally I have no use for a tablet and even smart phone does replace a desk top with my and wife's usage. Its kind of like smart phone the hoopla is pretty much over on constant upgrade even with wife and friends. I just bought my wife her first desk top since she went to lap tops like ten years ago and she also said her Iphone 4 did everything she needed ;so didn't want a new one. Microsoft just needs to realize the got to have the newest is over and windows 8 is not liked much seeing that windows 7 is still being offered and order by most makers.
What if Microsoft doesn't get this message? The rumor is that Windows 8 is simply here to bridge the gap and that Windows 9 will not even offer the traditional desktop - everything will be in the mobile interface. Everything coming out of Redmond these days seems to be geared towards phones and tablets at the expense of the traditional PC. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if Microsoft isn't trying to intentionally kill the PC (by crippling the Windows experience) as means to finally get what its wanted for over a decade; to be a major player in the mobile market. The question may be not if the PC will disappear but what direction it will go after Microsoft. If the PC does stay relevant for business and power home users, it won't be with Microsoft unless they radically reverse course.
Microsoft should keep Windows 7 for sale both OEM and retail and only offer 8 on touch screen devices. However, nobody wants a Microsoft phone or tablet it seems so without forcing it on the desktop, it simply wouldn't sell.
What message? They have not stopped making windows and they continue to sign contract to load windows 7.They certainly haven't shocked the world with their tablet sales. Look at their sells. A lot of companies would love to have domination windows has in sales regardless of the drop.
In many offices the only people who have desktops are secretaries and others that management doesn’t want working remotely. Everyone else has a laptop—and frequently a tablet plus a smartphone.
The home user is even more mobile. We’re only at the beginning of complete home integration: TV, kitchen, climate control, security, car, wearables, etc.
In ten years there will be three operating systems running all of these devices: a Chrome/Android combo, an OS X/iOS combo and Windows (which is leading the pack in integration).
There’s a lingering perception (myth) dating from the old IBM/DOS days that “Microsoft is for business” and everything else is a toy. Only Microsoft can do enterprise networks. Those days are over and not coming back.
Microsoft was taken off guard with the quick acceptance of the Bring-Your-Own-Device model taking over corporate America—and how quick management was to order their IT departments to provide support for these devices.
Microsoft sees the integration (and gains in market share for Chromebooks and Macs) is inevitable and they have to adapt.
I can see the PC market nearly completely dying in the 2020s, but the LAPTOP market will continue to thrive. Some people need full-featured devices with a keyboard, mouse, and screen. Touch screens and virtual keyboards with 7" screens don't work as a main computing device.
Tablets and ubiquitous computers are certainly going to play a large role (they basically already do). But we will still need some form of desktop/laptop computer for most content creation.
In many offices the only people who have desktops are secretaries and others that management doesn’t want working remotely. Everyone else has a laptop—and frequently a tablet plus a smartphone.
The home user is even more mobile. We’re only at the beginning of complete home integration: TV, kitchen, climate control, security, car, wearables, etc.
In ten years there will be three operating systems running all of these devices: a Chrome/Android combo, an OS X/iOS combo and Windows (which is leading the pack in integration).
There’s a lingering perception (myth) dating from the old IBM/DOS days that “Microsoft is for business” and everything else is a toy. Only Microsoft can do enterprise networks. Those days are over and not coming back.
Microsoft was taken off guard with the quick acceptance of the Bring-Your-Own-Device model taking over corporate America—and how quick management was to order their IT departments to provide support for these devices.
Microsoft sees the integration (and gains in market share for Chromebooks and Macs) is inevitable and they have to adapt.
Only problem is in 2013, tablets and smartphones are mostly used for entertainment. Offices still have desktops or at least laptops (which I consider the same thing for the purposes of this discussion). Microsoft is throwing their bread and butter under the bus in favor of a market they really don't have much penetration into yet. The integration may be inevitable, but we aren't there yet. What Microsoft is doing is incredibly irresponsible and a huge gamble. This could make them as a company when/if the post-PC era kicks into full gear, but if their prediction is wrong, it could sink them. There is no point in cramming a smartphone interface on a server or desktop PC with a 30" screen.
Back in the early 2000s, Microsoft tried to get into the mobile market, which at the time was not yet ripe, with Windows XP Tablet Edition. Back then, they made the opposite mistake by assuming people would want a full desktop with a start menu on a touch screen tablet. Each device today still serves a different purpose and the operating system should be designed with that in mind. Apple gets it, which is why you don't see them forcing iOS on MacBook Pros.
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