Apple vs Microsoft: Strategy of the OS!

[Mad Mac Maniac]

As we move into the post PC world the 2 biggest software companies have contrasting opinions on how to move forward. I think there are positives and negatives to each. Let's try to keep a civil discussion on each of the strategies and which you think is the winning style.

Microsoft: One OS to rule them all. Will be more difficult to design the OS with both touch and mouse in mind. Will one size fits all, fit none?

Apple: One OS for touch, One OS for laptops/desktops
Needs to constantly be co-developing two separate OS's which could be a bit taxing on Apple's resources. Additionally 3rd party app devs would need to create an app for each OS. Things may not work as seamlessly between the tablet and laptop. But ideally each OS will be optimized for their respective functions so they will be lighter, simpler, and work better.

 

[stisdal]

I have not tried W-8, but in most things if you try to do it all in one package, you may do many things, but few will be perfect.

I like the separate approach. As you said, one for touch and another for mouse just seems to be more likely to be at least better suited for each user experience.

I also think you could do the separate approach, but keep it similar enough that it feels natural going from one to the other.

My 2 cents anyway....

 

[Reach9]

Sorry but i dislike Windows 8's metro UI. I'll keep my Windows 7 bootcamp, thanks.

Apple's strategy = win.
Microsoft's strategy = monkey man = fail.

 

[nostylluan]

what makes you guys think apple won't have a single OS in the future?

 

[MisterMe]

...

Microsoft: One OS to rule them all. Will be more difficult to design the OS with both touch and mouse in mind. Will one size fits all, fit none?

Apple: One OS for touch, One OS for laptops/desktops
Needs to constantly be co-developing two separate OS's which could be a bit taxing on Apple's resources. ...

False premise. iOS and OS X are the same just beneath the skin. They run completely different sets of applications. However, both OS X and iOS applications are developed using Xcode.

Microsoft OTOH tries to make the UI of two very different platforms look the same.

The notion that somehow developing both iOS and OS X is taxing Apple's resources is completely belied by the facts. The iPhone was introduced in 2007. Apple was doing well in 2007, but it was not doing nearly as well as it is doing now. With the iPad, iPod touch, iPad, and TV on its plate, Apple is now the highest capitalized on Earth. IIRC, Apple is now worth as much as Google and Microsoft combined.

If Apple has made the decision to return to the TV set business with line of iOS-based smart TVs, then I am confident that it has figured-out how to do it within its meager resources. iOS and OS X overtaxing Apple? We should all be so overtaxed.

 

[r0k]

Microsoft stock shot up today after the Mountain Lion announcement. It seems the analysts are assuming Apple is running away from business users with their iOS-like approach to the desktop.

So iThings are toys, eh? The US Air Force just replaced flight bags with iPads. At least one airline replaced flight bags with iPads some time ago. Of course iPads are a standard part of store displays in Apple stores but they are also used for store displays in Macy's.

When I think of trying to use an iPad to "do real work", I cringe because I want a file system. But to assume like it's game over and Microsoft has won simply because Apple seems to be trying to "dumb down" the desktop is a dangerous assumption. It's far more likely people will put up with the limitations because they like the way Apple stuff works.

 

[scottsjack]

As we move into the post PC world the 2 biggest software companies have contrasting opinions on how to move forward. I think there are positives and negatives to each. Let's try to keep a civil discussion on each of the strategies and which you think is the winning style.

Microsoft: One OS to rule them all. Will be more difficult to design the OS with both touch and mouse in mind. Will one size fits all, fit none?

Apple: One OS for touch, One OS for laptops/desktops
Needs to constantly be co-developing two separate OS's which could be a bit taxing on Apple's resources. Additionally 3rd party app devs would need to create an app for each OS. Things may not work as seamlessly between the tablet and laptop. But ideally each OS will be optimized for their respective functions so they will be lighter, simpler, and work better.

Disagree;

First, we're not in a post PC world, that's typical Apple BS. Apple thinks PCs are undesirable because they want to sell iToys. Apple thinks Blu-ray is bad because they want to sell inferior-quality movie downloads. It's just self-serving marketing, though those whose religion is of the Apple persuasion love to eat that dribble up.

It looks to me like Windows 8 will behave very differently on tablets and other small screens than it will on larger desktop displays. Most of us will still use the traditional desktop though Metro may have some use. We'll be able to find out more when the beta is released.

The biggest difference between the two company's approach is as follows. Apple has an OK OS and they're making it more useful by adding a lot of great functions that would traditionally be supplied by applications.

Microsoft has a superior, more flexible but harder to use OS and they making it even more powerful. Where they may fail here is that regular, non-business users don't really care about the OS. They want to know what the computer can do for them, right now.

Right out of the box a Mac is way more useful. Within a couple of cups of Starbucks the new user can start collecting photos, receiving emails and be making his Twitter and Facebook buddies aware of his new computer. Apples array of apps like iPhoto, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Contacts, etc just blows away anything Microsoft has to offer.

So the gal sitting with her new Windows 8 laptop has a better OS, a machine that probably has USB3 and eSATA but that's about it. Once the suite of miserable 2002-quality Windows Live apps gets discovered and downloaded the fun definitely does NOT begin.

Apple clearly wins by making hardware/software that actually does something for real people out of the box.

 

[pancakedrawer]

A great thread idea.

Personally I think that Windows 8 is not really losing any functionality or moving too much towards touch because the original desktop space is still there and very much mouse based.
I anticipate many people flipping straight to that and never leaving. In this sense they are pretty separate operating systems, they just have the convenience of being in the same package.

I find that the real difference is how Apple are trying to merge the two together rather than keeping keeping them separate but switchable.

 

[McGiord]

While the Macs are still able to run Windows OS, they will always be a better choice to any other PC out there.
If Apple really shutdown any 3rd party software in the Mac App Store, it will be an inflection point for the whole Mac community.
Probably the things we will see are high resolution 'retina' display Macs and touch capable and removable to act like an iPad when needed.
The whole air play support seems to indicate that once the rumored iTVs are out there they will be the TV sets of choice if they can act like monitors or our macs, atey will be 'retina' also?

 

[mrblack927]

Well I'll say this; Microsoft seems to be continually adding better support for multiple monitors (Windows 8 includes a taskbar even for extended screens) while Apple is just making multiple monitor support worse (no sticky spaces like in SL, full screen apps completely black out other monitors !?).

In that sense, I think MS is headed in the better direction.

 

[BreakGuy]

We won't even need mice soon as everything will be touch screen.

 

[DeckMan]

We won't even need mice soon as everything will be touch screen.

I'm not sure. Have you ever used a touchscreen on your desk for an extended period of time? Go on, pretend yours is a touchscreen. After a few seconds of doing that, I'm pretty sure touchscreens won't replace mice anytime soon.

 

[hafr]

We won't even need mice soon as everything will be touch screen.

Have you ever held your hand out during an extended period of time? Try following the mouse on the screen with the hand you're not using to control the mouse or touchpad for a day. Then let me know how your shoulder feels...

 

[ajvizzgamer101]

As we move into the post PC world the 2 biggest software companies have contrasting opinions on how to move forward. I think there are positives and negatives to each. Let's try to keep a civil discussion on each of the strategies and which you think is the winning style.

Microsoft: One OS to rule them all. Will be more difficult to design the OS with both touch and mouse in mind. Will one size fits all, fit none?

Apple: One OS for touch, One OS for laptops/desktops
Needs to constantly be co-developing two separate OS's which could be a bit taxing on Apple's resources. Additionally 3rd party app devs would need to create an app for each OS. Things may not work as seamlessly between the tablet and laptop. But ideally each OS will be optimized for their respective functions so they will be lighter, simpler, and work better.

Actually Windows has one for Touch and one of PC. They are bundled together. Apple's approach instead of bundling two OS is to make the OSes similar.

 

[Nielsenius]

Actually Windows has one for Touch and one of PC. They are bundled together. Apple's approach instead of bundling two OS is to make the OSes similar.

Yes, for now Apple has two separate operating systems, one mobile and one desktop. But, as many people have said, iOS and OS X are very similar under the skin. Apple could be moving to combine the two, just as Microsoft is making Windows 8 a combined desktop-mobile OS.

I'm just going to say that I don't think there's anything wrong to this combined approach (for both Apple and Microsoft) as long as the end user doesn't lose power along the way. I don't want my Mac to have the functionality of an iPad; I want to be in control (I know, just jailbreak).

 

[yeah]

Sorry but i dislike Windows 8's metro UI. I'll keep my Windows 7 bootcamp, thanks.

Apple's strategy = win.
Microsoft's strategy = monkey man = fail.

The only win for Windows 8 is tablets and possibly laptops. Desktops + Windows 8 = disaster (unless you are using a magic trackpad).

 

[kdarling]

Have you ever held your hand out during an extended period of time? Try following the mouse on the screen with the hand you're not using to control the mouse or touchpad for a day. Then let me know how your shoulder feels...

Indeed.

As a developer, I've had many touchscreen devices around my homes for decades now.

For anything beyond the most simple button presses, everyone grabs the mouse (if available) instead, simply because it beats holding your arm up.

When they were filiming Minority Report, supposedly Tom Cruise had to rest every few minutes between takes.

Those of us who've been through boot camp know that one of the more popular "trainee killers" used by Drill Sergeants, is making someone hold their arms up!

 

[*LTD*]

MS' entire strategy is built around two things:

1) A knee-jerk reaction to Apple taken way too far

2) An effort to skirt around Apple's patents (since they're so late to the game), with results being far less impressive than what they would have been able to do *with* Apple's patents.

MS is in need of serious, transformational change. Badly. You wont get it with the sales guy who's been there for 30 years.