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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Microsoft's answer to the iPad is still in pieces

Technology Jan. 07, 2011 - 02:36PM JST ( 8 )

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8 Comments

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Badge213Jan. 07, 2011 - 04:49PM JST

It doesn't matter if Microsoft develops an Ipad clone. Microsoft is better in the software business and letting other companies develop the hardware. Apple pretty much lost the PC market to Microsoft this way. Microsoft doesn't make computers, it makes the software.

On a side note my netbook has 3 usb slots, and a 5-in-one card reader, something more useful for a portable office then a ipad.
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ebisenJan. 07, 2011 - 05:28PM JST

I'm not a Micro$oft fan, but it's probably a good decision not entering this messy market soon anyway. They do very good without this (just look at the kinect sales).

For having a more realistic view and understanding Micro$oft's true position on the market, I recommend googling "Microsoft by the numbers".. it's a very good read...
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JunnamaJan. 07, 2011 - 05:37PM JST

Have to laugh at that. I picked up an iPad and the first thing I said was "where's the USB port?"
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lostrune2Jan. 07, 2011 - 06:19PM JST

Badge213, the problem is tablets and phones use OS-on-the-chip, so in that case, the software and hardware have to be developed together.

Junnama, I've heard people somehow hacked the iPad to put USB ports. That was stupid on Apple's part.

consumers realized the devices [netbooks] weren’t good for such tasks as watching online video.

Wait, what?! Online video doesn't take that much resources! (It's streamlined for internet use.) We could watch online videos just fine with our netbooks right now!

Microsoft's problem is it's tied to Windows and their one-size-OS-fits-all philosophy (they want to include everything for everyone, even if one doesn't use some components). Fine for computers (whose hardware are actually outpacing software requirements) but not good when you have to downsize to run OS-on-a-chip like phones or tablets.

And Windows is now a 2-decade-old OS. They'd have to start from scratch to make it OS-on-a-chip. That's why the Windows7 on Windows phones is not like the Win7 in PCs. But that also means PC programs would have to be rewritten, and I dunno how many 3rd-party developers would want to write one for Windows PCs and another for Windows phones.

Apple already went thru that growing pain a decade ago when they rewrote from MacOS classic to OSX. But more people and more businesses use Windows, and that means all of their old programs they would have to re-buy to work with a whole new OS.
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Zenny11Jan. 07, 2011 - 06:29PM JST

and that means all of their old programs they would have to re-buy to work with a whole new OS.

Which never stopped Microsoft in the past, they love it actually as you need to buy new licences, need to get new job certifications, etc.

One reason why my last company ditched MS Office & others for Open Source replacements.
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ironchefJan. 07, 2011 - 07:19PM JST

MS' cash cows are complete garbage.

Office-junk, everything can be used on cloud or open office Windows-junk. too many bugs and slow performance. will wait for Chrome OS or use Linux instead

MS is a dead company with no future.
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BadseyJan. 07, 2011 - 09:56PM JST

Microsoft is still looking for the next killer app when the whole populace knows it is about Apps and the developers of these Apps. =The new OSX has the Apps dashboard (widgets that can be purchased >or free<)

Widgets --> Apps (widgets died out with the iPhone store Apps)
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SargeJan. 10, 2011 - 08:22PM JST

Between the two U.S. companies Microsoft and Apple, they pretty much have the computer market wrapped up, don't they?