Maybe Microsoft is Starting to "Get It"

So maybe, just maybe, Microsoft may get it --

Maybe Microsoft is Starting to "Get It" - Julie Larson-Green, Executive Vice President, Devices and Studios at Microsoft, November 21, 2013 - UBS_LarsonGreen.docx: "So I think there will always be for a long time, for my lifetime, there will be desktop computers where people are doing precision movements with a mouse which are highly tuned towards productivity and typing, as well as maybe something on your wrist, or something on your head, or something in your pocket that you will want to interact and see your e-mails, hear notifications, get access to corporate data that you need to do your job, as well as interact with friends and family...."

So, Julie, When is Microsoft going to make an up-to-date OS for desktop computers "where people are doing precision movements with a mouse which are highly tuned towards productivity and typing" and a non-touch screen?

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Why Microsoft should ditch Windows Phone and go Android

Microsoft's most profitable mobile operating system: Android | ZDNet: " . . . Microsoft has been making hundreds of millions a year from Android since 2011. Where do these profits come from? Patent licenses. And if vendors don't want to pay, Microsoft will threaten patent lawsuits. Sometimes, Microsoft even follows up with an actual lawsuit. . . . Today, only Motorola Mobility, a division of Google and Huawei, remains free of the Microsoft-Android intellectual-property (IP) tax. In a statement to Dow Jones Business News, Google spokesman Matt Kallman said: "This is the same tactic we've seen time and again from Microsoft. Instead of building great new products, Microsoft attacks the competition, and tries to drive up the prices of Android devices for consumers.""

Well Google can complain, but it appears Microsoft is making more off Android directly than Google ever will. In fact, at this point, Microsoft should scrap its Windows Phone OS and go "all in" with Android--heck Microsoft (and Nokia) could even make a forked version of Android like Amazon did!

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"The world in the next five years is NOT going 100 percent to touch"

Yeah, but apparently Microsoft is--so you better prepare to move to Apple or Google products--

PC Makers Hopeful on Windows 8 Changes - Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com: "“When we were talking to Microsoft, our input to them is balance,” said Acer President Jim Wong. “The world in the next five years is not going 100 percent to touch. Although touch makes a lot of possibilities for PCs, you need to take care of the rest of the world that doesn’t need touch.”"

Microsoft either forgot about their huge PC user base--or just decided to be arrogant (and inept) in trying to force everyone to a touch screen. Ever hear of gorilla arm?

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Microsoft, Windows 8, Learning Curves, Live Tiles, Charm Bar, Design Disaster

Yes, Microsoft is doing some things right--SkyDrive, Outlook.com, and IE10, just to mention three--but what a disappointment and disaster Windows 8 has been--because of it I won't be buying any Windows phone or tablet, for sure, and I have no confidence that Blue will be enough to fix the Windows 8 mess--  

Microsoft: The Windows 8 learning curve is 'real and needs to be addressed' | ZDNet: " . . . Usability experts were quick to criticize Windows 8, in particular the new user interface changes. Jakob Nielsen, who holds a PhD in human-computer interaction, called the operating system "disappointing" for "both novice and power users", and "a monster that terrorizes poor office workers and strangles their productivity". Raluca Budiu, a user experience specialist with the Nielsen Norman Group, called the new Windows 8 user interface "confusing" and said that it imposed "a cognitive burden" on the users. . . Back in June of 2012, I called Windows 8 a "design disaster", and my opinion hasn't changed since. . . the last thing I want is for my PC to force me into playing "hunt the app" every time I want to get something done. . ."

What would I (and most "office workers") like? A successor to Windows 7 for the PC (keyboard, mouse, non-touch screen) with start button and start menu.  And a way to turn off or uninstall the Metro, charms bar, live tiles, apps, etc.

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90 percent of enterprises will bypass Windows 8 Through 2015

As I've said before, Microsoft's Windows 8 is a massive Microsoft fail as an OS for desktops or notebook computers--

Handicapping 2013 technology predictions | ZDNet: ". . . .  a look at the 2013 predictions via Gartner analyst Daryl Plummer with a bit of a reality check. Through 2015, 90 percent of enterprises will bypass broad Windows 8 deployments. The gist is that enterprises will sit on the Windows 8 sidelines. . . ."

Why would anyone in his or her right mind, deploy Windows 8 in business for use as PC operating system?

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Windows 8 Is a Massive Microsoft Fail

Why Windows 8 will fail as a desktop OS--gorilla arm, finger grease, and the dumbed-down OS--

Why Touch Screens Will Not Take Over: Scientific American: ". . . the tingling ache that came from extending my right arm to manipulate that screen for hours, an affliction that has earned the nickname of gorilla arm. Some experts say gorilla arm is what killed touch computing during its first wave in the early 1980s. (Another problem is finger grease. You can clean a phone's screen by wiping it on your jeans, but that's not as convenient with a 32-inch monitor.) . . . Windows 8 is actually two operating systems in one. . . the underlying Windows desktop has the too-small-targets problem. The angle and distance of PC screens are tougher nuts to crack. Microsoft is betting that Windows 8 will be so attractive that we won't mind touching our PC screens, at least until the PC concept fades away entirely. Yet although PC sales have slowed, they won't be zero any time soon. My belief is that touch screens make sense on mobile computers but not on stationary ones. Microsoft is making a gigantic bet that I'm wrong."

Microsoft is losing that bet, big time.

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How Low Will Microsoft Go?

Are there any limits to how low Microsoft will go?--

Behind Google's Antitrust Escape - WSJ.com: " . . . In a sign no Google effort was too small to go unnoticed by Microsoft, John Sampson, a director of Microsoft's federal politics operations, last year urged at least one member of Congress from Washington state not to support a Google event in Seattle last year called "Get Your Business Online" that catered to small businesses. Google spent millions of dollars on Get Your Business Online, a nationwide campaign that included multiday workshops in states such as Iowa and Texas in which Google helped local businesses set up websites and an online business listing tied to its search engine, free of charge. In an email to a congressional office in March 2012, Mr. Sampson said such events were partly aimed at soliciting small businesses to support Google. "Although these programs have an air of goodness," he wrote in the email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, "Google is in fact using this program to develop a grass-tops network" of small businesses they can "activate to their defense" if the FTC tries to bring a case. Some Washington lobbyists, including those who have done work for Google, said that the Get Your Business Online effort has perhaps had more impact on federal lawmakers than any lobbying done on Capitol Hill. A Google spokesman declined to comment. A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment on Mr. Sampson's outreach efforts."

Really Microsoft, have you no shame?

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Microsoft sweating the assets?

Recent article (excerpt below) caught my eye--

Is Microsoft Now A Value Trap? So Says Barry Ritholtz - Forbes: "“sweating the assets” - " . . . The Windows, Office near monopolies are hugely cash and profit generative. So are the various back office products for large corporates. Bing loses a shedload, as do most to all of the various things Microsoft has tried to build by spending those Windows/Office profits. I wouldn’t want to have to prove this with a spread sheet but it is at least arguable that the shareholders would have made more money if instead of spending the profits on things that may or may not work (and usually don’t), those profits were just returned to the shareholders.And it’s a stronger argument from here into the future. Yes, Windows Phone might be a success, so might Surface. But there’s still many tens of billions of profits to be wrung from those two desktop near monopolies. Microsoft could sell all of the peripheral businesses and commit to simply upgrading those two pieces of software (and perhaps the enterprise stuff) into the future until they are entirely finished in the marketplace. It’s known as “sweating the assets” and as I say, it is at least arguable that this would produce the maximal return to investors. Which is the point of the whole game anyway. Just stop looking for new things to do and just gouge as much profit as possible out of the decline over the decades of those two hit products."

I'm, not sure it's a strategy that would work. My best guess--Windows and Office will be gone as "cash cows" a lot quicker that the author of the above article thinks--that's why Redmond is in such a panic and gushing cash on so many failures--including its latest--Windows 8.

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The FTC, Microsoft and Google

The comment excerpt to the Microsoft response to Google's victory before the FTC (an investigation which should never have been opened and was a monumental waste of taxpayer funds)--

The FTC and Google: A Missed Opportunity - Microsoft on the Issues - Site Home - TechNet Blogs: "Microsoft, please stop complaining. Start innovating. The Internet is the most level, ultimate playing field. And just because you're losing doesn't mean you should try to paint the winner as evil."

and the following article says it all about how lame Microsoft is when it comes to competing with Google--

Google's FTC Settlement Is An Epic Fail For Microsoft: "Microsoft had a pretty lousy year in 2012, putting out a string of big products – Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and the Surface tablet – that all turned out to be be disappointing. But those pale in comparison to what may be the biggest disappointment in Microsoft’s history — its failure to convince antitrust regulators to take action against Google. After a 19-month investigation and despite much prodding from Microsoft, the Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with Google that basically amounts to a slap on the wrist. This is a crushing blow to Microsoft, which has spent millions of dollars on lobbyists and phony grassroots groups over the past several years hoping to land Google in hot water. Indeed, Microsoft’s obsession with Google doesn’t just border on crazy. It is crazy, and not just a little tiny bit crazy but full-blown, bunny-boiling, Ahab-versus-the-whale nutso. . . . "

Microsoft's idea of innovation and competing is to run to government agencies and get them to open investigations on competitors based on meritless claims. At some point, you would think the government would have enough sense to quit asking "how high" when Microsoft says "jump."

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Way to Go Microsoft! -- Windows 8 Adoption Rate Trailing Vista

Remember the Microsoft disaster known as "Vista"? Well it looks like the geniuses in Redmond have done it again--

Is Windows 8 Adoption Rate Really Trailing Vista's? | News & Opinion | PCMag.com: "Data compiled by Web analytics firm Net Applications put Windows 8's online usage share at just under 1.6 percent through Dec. 22 as measured in relation to all desktop and laptop PC operating systems. Microsoft made its next-gen PC and tablet platform available on Oct. 26. Computerworld's Gregg Keizer tabbed back through the data to find that Vista, after the same period of time following its 2007 release, had shown up on 2.2 percent of all Windows systems (you can access the same data by clicking back through the Net Application report.)"

Well I guess that is what happens when you decide to "dumb down" your OS to be mobile-ready (meaning built for smartphones and tablets)--and completely abandon your installed base of PC and notebook (non-touchscreen) users! Note to Redmond: I (and a lot of other PC users) do not need a touchscreen PC or notebook device--in fact, a touchscreen slows me down.

Many PC users are migrating to Apple, and a growing minority to Google Chromebooks. Here's my migration path history (1995 to present): Windows 95 - Windows 98 - Windows 2000 - Windows XP - Windows 7. Where from here (once my last Windows 7 notebook wears out)? I guess Google Chrome/Android since Microsoft has reportedly decided to change their future business model to primarily "subscriptions" for touchscreen devices. I need a keyboard and mouse for speedy, accurate content creation. Chromebooks and Android tablets support mouse devices (iPads do not). I use Word almost daily, but I can change (Google Docs anyone?). How about you?

Prediction for 2013: Apple and Google continue their global OS dominance in both smartphone and tablet devices, and increase their encroachment into the desktop/notebook sector previously dominated by Microsoft. It appears Microsoft is destined to be a distant third-place in the global OS competition for computing devices (smartphones, tablets, desktops, notebooks).

Long story short: Microsoft abandons its users, and its users in turn, abandon Microsoft.

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Windows 8 fails on desktop

Sorry, I couldn't pass this up--one more time--

10 MORE technologies that are just plain broken | TechRepublic: "9: Windows 8 Modern UI - This interface is lame on the Windows phone and it’s even worse on the desktop. Not only does the Windows 8 UI (formerly Metro) look like a child’s toy, it’s hardly an efficient use of space and movement. It’s clear that Microsoft is shooting for the multi-touch moon, but on a standard desktop, Windows 8 fails. This version will go down as the new Windows Me. Back to the drawing board with you Microsoft!"

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Sticking With Windows 7

Good news for PC users like me who are sticking with Windows 7:

Sticking With Windows 7 - NYTimes.com: "Microsoft’s latest edition of the Windows operating system has just landed, but Windows 7 is not going anywhere soon. As explained on Microsoft’s site, copies of Windows 7 will be available for retail purchase for another year, and PC manufacturers then have an additional year to keep selling Windows 7 installed on new computers. The company has long-term technical support plans for Windows 7 too. According to the Microsoft Support Lifecycle page for Windows 7, mainstream support lasts through Jan. 13, 2015, and provides paid and free support, warranty claims, security patches and feature updates. Extended support, which includes feature updates and warranty claims, continues through Jan. 14, 2020. Microsoft does allow plenty of transition time to new systems. Extended support for Windows XP, which arrived in 2001, is scheduled to finally end in April 2014."

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Final Caveat on Windows 8

Caveat Emptor--

Wolverton: Windows 8's awkward interface makes it one for PC users to avoid - SiliconValley.com: "As a PC user, I hate -- a word I use sparingly -- the new interface that is the centerpiece of Windows 8. With the new version of its flagship operating system, due out Friday, Microsoft has replaced its tried-and-true desktop interface with what it called until recently the Metro interface. Instead of a start button, taskbar and windows filled with applications and folders, Metro features a screen full of program "tiles" and applications that run full-screen. While I think this interface has a lot of promise for tablets, on a traditional desktop or laptop computer, or even on a newer notebook sporting a touch screen, it's clunky and unintuitive. Metro often feels like a work in progress, because seemingly obvious features are unavailable. And worst of all, Metro makes it much harder than before to do everyday tasks and real work on your computer. Take the idea of viewing multiple applications on your screen, a core feature of Windows since even before Windows 95. You can't do it in the Metro interface."

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Early sales of Windows 8 are far below Microsoft’s expectations

Whispers are out that early sales of Windows 8 are far below Microsoft’s expectations - The Next Web: "The extent of the miss is the only remaining question. . . . Is there any need to fret, therefore, about Windows 8, given that it will sell truckloads of copies, simply due to the dynamics of the PC market? Yes, as consumers could reject the new Metro Start Screen, increasingly turn to Macs, or drop out of the PC market entirely if Windows 8 is found to be too unpalatable."

Personally, I was scheduled to update and buy a new PC at the end of this year. Due to the problems with Windows 8 on a non-touch screen PC (I need a keyboard and mouse to do my work, and Word is a critical "must-have" program)--I updated early to a Windows 7 HP Ultrabook prior to the launch of Windows 8.  I know of others who are migrating from Windows 7 (and XP) to a new Mac--Microsoft's loss, Apple's gain--and even some moving entirely to the Cloud via Chromebooks. How significant the overall loss and erosion from Microsoft to Apple and Google's Chrome will be, only time will tell.

I can foresee moving entirely to a Chromebook within 3 years. How about you?

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From Windows 8 to Windows 7: why downgrade

From Windows 8 to Windows 7: why I downgraded | ZDNet: "So, what, specifically, was it that I disliked so much about Windows 8? Primarily, I can't stand the new UI (User Interface). I didn't like it from day 1, I don't like it now, and I don't have the interest or patience to force myself to like it (which, despite the number of optimistic ways I've seen other people spin it, is what you have to do if you hope to enjoy it -- especially with a mouse and keyboard)."

As I've said before--stay away from Windows 8 if you are a content creator and need to use a keyboard and mouse. Instead, go Windows 7 on your non-touchscreen Notebook or Desktop PC.

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Windows 8 does not make sense on business desktops

Windows 8 redux--

Does Windows 8 make sense on business desktops? TechRepublic: "“The new UI would inhibit users who are used to the traditional UI. I believe businesses will turn their backs on Windows 8 unless major changes are made. Users do not want a tablet experience when working on a desktop or laptop computer.”"

What is it about the above that Microsoft doesn't get?

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Early look at Windows 8 baffles consumers

I've been warning my readers all week, so here's my final note:

Early look at Windows 8 baffles consumers: "Microsoft is making a radical break with the past to stay relevant in a world where smartphones and tablets have eroded the three-decade dominance of the personal computer. Windows 8 is supposed to tie together Microsoft's PC, tablet and phone software with one look. But judging by the reactions of some people who have tried the PC version, it's a move that risks confusing and alienating customers. Tony Roos, an American missionary in Paris, installed a free preview version of Windows 8 on his aging laptop to see if Microsoft's new operating system would make the PC faster and more responsive. It didn't, he said, and he quickly learned that working with the new software requires tossing out a lot of what he knows about Windows. "It was very difficult to get used to," he said. "I have an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old, and they never got used to it. They were like, 'We're just going to use Mom's computer.'""

Windows 8? Caveat Emptor!

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Windows 8 interface confusing on the desktop

If you use a PC (desktop or notebook), think twice before you move to Windows 8--

Daily Report: Windows Makeover May Cause Head-Scratching - NYTimes.com: "Little about the new Windows will look familiar to those who have used older versions. The Start screen, a kind of main menu, is dominated by a colorful grid of rectangles and squares that users can tap with a finger or click with a mouse to start applications. Many of these so-called live tiles constantly flicker with new information piped in from the Internet, like news headlines and Facebook photos. What is harder to find are many of the conventions that have been a part of PCs since most people began using them, like the strip of icons at the bottom of the screen for jumping between applications."

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Windows 8? Watch this video before you decide

The New York Times invited five computer users to try their hands at navigating Microsoft's new tablet-friendly redesign. You decide. I already did--I'm sticking with Windows 7.

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SkyDrive account suspensions

Came across the following stories which won't stop me from using SkyDrive (which is a great Microsoft cloud service) but I do wonder what exactly caused the SkyDrive account suspensions?

SkyDrive account suspensions prove you can't trust cloud storage | Geek.com: "The issue here is that your personal cloud storage service of choice probably isn’t personal at all. The company providing the storage may monitor content and will likely block access to it without warning if it finds something it doesn’t like. And in the case of Microsoft, that also means you lose other services, too. Such rules cannot apply to an area of personal online storage without some kind of process being in place for the user to review the content deemend unacceptable. Access to other files must also be allowed to continue during a dispute. If a service can’t promise that, then there is no point storing any important files in the cloud because one day you might lose access to them, possibly forever, and never know why. . . . "

SkyDrive brings 1950s censorship to 2012 technology | The Compass Project: "It’s always just a little bit creepy to hear news like this, but WMPoweruser has a story about multiple users who have had their Windows Live accounts suspended over content that was uploaded to their SkyDrive. The recent example that inspired the post was of a user who lost access to his entire Windows Live account, not just SkyDrive. His email, apps, Xbox Live achievements, everything. He had to create a new account and start over. The content that got the user suspended was in a private folder and could not have been accessed by other users. Given just how strict the Windows Live code of conduct is and how much storage space they’ve given away for free, it isn’t hard to imagine that many users will start to run into this problem. Read the first three rules and you might find yourself wanting to double-check the contents of your SkyDrive folder. "

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