Microsoft is DOOOooooooommmed.....#

[PracticalMac]

Of course it makes sense for Microsoft to align with Apple (against Google). Apple is not a direct threat to Microsoft. Even before Windows 8 (and Surface), Microsoft made sure they did a cross-licensing agreement with Apple, so that the new MS products would not be targeted for Apple lawsuits. The two companies have already been "playing nice with each other" for the past few years.

And even Microsoft knows that with their new products and OS, they are generally competing against the huge base of Android OEMs and manufacturers (e.g. Samsung, Google-Motorola, etc). Even Microsoft realizes that all those loyal Macintosh and iOS fans are rarely going to defect away from Apple products just to get into the Win8 bandwagon.

Microsoft could care less about the legions of Apple loyalists. MS knows that their best and readily-captured audience are all those fanboys that currently use Google Androids, Samsung phablets, Nexus tablets, users of aging Nokia and Blackberry phones, and an occasional Amazon Kindle user, etc.


I'm not sure I agree with anything else you said, however. Microsoft is doomed? Bah. Microsoft has released disastrous operating systems before (e.g. Vista), and those failures did not kill Microsoft. They are too big and too wide to simply die any time soon.

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And what if in the next couple years Google began seriously getting into Enterprise/Business software? Google has the billions to invest and release enterprise software that could seriously compete with the likes of Microsoft or even Oracle software.

Fortunately for Microsoft, Google is way too stupid to realize that Enterprise/Business software is where Microsoft makes its "easy money". And today, Google is simply stuck in making cheap/free/adware software "for the masses", for the proles (which is what Android is, since it leads to cheaply licensed Android hardware).

Once Google has enough engineers, focus and talent to create enterprise solutions and industrial-strength business software.... then Google can finally put a nail on Microsoft's coffin.

Excellent commentary!

Honestly MS is not in any danger near term of going away (but sensationalized topics to bring out energetic comments).
Still, MS cannot afford missteps like it has in past, the selection of viable alternates is growing in every sector.

It is unmistakable the majority want smaller computers. Laptops replaced desktops as the most popular hardware. Now tablets and smartphone are replacing laptops. Perhaps in future we will have the Smart Glasses and other wearable computers? With hundreds of millions of devices in use, it takes time to adapt, adopt, and switch.


I have a older friend who steadfastly holds on to the dumbphone. Afters it was expense he could not justify. Now he simply does not see the need. My company too is stuck in past. We are upgrading from XP to Win7 when a machine dies (5+ years old).

 

[roadbloc]

Excellent commentary!

Honestly MS is not in any danger near term of going away (but sensationalized topics to bring out energetic comments)

Nonsense. Upon being proved wrong you changed your mind and edited your original post.

 

[VenusianSky]

Excellent commentary!

Honestly MS is not in any danger near term of going away (but sensationalized topics to bring out energetic comments).
Still, MS cannot afford missteps like it has in past, the selection of viable alternates is growing in every sector.

The only big missteps that Microsoft made in the past were MS Java Virtual Machine (for failing to comply with Java standard) and the IE4 free web browser monopoly. They seem to have learned from those mistakes years ago and that is why they are still around today.

 

[eric/]

Nonsense. Upon being proved wrong you changed your mind and edited your original post.

Isn't that a good thing?

 

[Renzatic]

The only big missteps that Microsoft made in the past were MS Java Virtual Machine (for failing to comply with Java standard) and the IE4 free web browser monopoly. They seem to have learned from those mistakes years ago and that is why they are still around today.

*cough* *cough* Windows ME *cough* *cough*

...though that was less ineptitude on their part, and more a "screw it, why not? We can do whatever we want" moment.

 

[VenusianSky]

*cough* *cough* Windows ME *cough* *cough*

...though that was less ineptitude on their part, and more a "screw it, why not? We can do whatever we want" moment.

I actually had less problems on my computer when I installed Windows ME than I did when it was running Windows 98 SE. However, I heard so many people talking about problems with ME that I never recommended anyone to upgrade to it.

 

[Renzatic]

ME was released back in the heyday of my dealing with everyone else's computer problems years. I never installed it myself. Didn't want to after seeing all the problems people were experiencing with their then brand new machines. Driver issues. Printers suddenly going out. Registry issues. Tons and tons and tons of weird little things that almost always required you to reformat the computer and start fresh again and again. It was horrible.

 

[roadbloc]

Isn't that a good thing?

You're right. It is.

*cough* *cough* Windows ME *cough* *cough*

...though that was less ineptitude on their part, and more a "screw it, why not? We can do whatever we want" moment.

ME, XP and Vista were all rubbish for me. Even though everyone seemed to love XP with its tellitubbies look and the way it ground to a halt after 4 months use.

Every company releases a terrible product from time to time. Microsoft had a habit of doing it a lot at one point in time. I'll never forget the money I wasted on ME. Just like I'll never forget the money I wasted on that disaster from Apple they called MobileMe.

 

[Huntn]

Windows 8 is so damned ugly! Although you can get rid of the horrendously ugly Metro interface, I've read developers are worried that the ability to switch back to a traditional Windows desktop might go away in the next iteration of Windows.

 

[Renzatic]

That's an old version of Metro. It was a little more goofy looking than it is now.

...but what's cool is that there are already programs that let you customize the start screen even more than what MS initially allows you to. I've already seen some fairly decent designs out there for it that look much better than the default.

 

[Huntn]

That's an old version of Metro. It was a little more goofy looking than it is now.

...but what's cool is that there are already programs that let you customize the start screen even more than what MS initially allows you to. I've already seen some fairly decent designs out there for it that look much better than the default.

Really? I've seen recently aired Windows 8 advertisements and Metro looks like my graphic. I'm not saying it can't be altered, but having giant colored blocks is not what I'd want and I wonder if I am in the minority? PS, you graphic is not much better. It reminds me of one of those exceedingly cluttered desktops that I've always tried to avoid and definitely not with giant icons. Ugg!

Windows 8 promises to become a replay of Microsoft Bob, Windows ME, and Windows Vista all rolled into one. It's ugly and hard to use, so I believe that a lot of consumers and especially enterprise users will reject it.

link.

 

[Renzatic]

Really? I've seen recently aired Windows 8 advertisements and Metro looks like my graphic. I'm not saying it can't be altered, but having giant colored blocks is not what I'd want and I wonder if I am in the minority?

PS, you graphic is not much better. It reminds me of one of those exceedingly cluttered desktops that I've always tried to avoid and definitely not with giant icons. Ugg!

Ehhh. It's all a matter of taste. Even I don't think it's the prettiest thing around, but it does it's job, and does it well once you get used to it.

For reference (and for like literally the 50 billionth time), this is what it looks like on my machine.

It's an app launcher and search menu. It's not even where I spend a majority of my time. It's only there for when I need it, otherwise it stays hidden away, not bothering me at all.

link.

You know, I'm beginning to think that people aren't ragging on Windows 8 because it doesn't work, rather because it's become the go-to whipping boy of the tech scene.

There's no way it's like ME and Vista mixed together. Why? Cuz it works and doesn't crash at all! I don't expect everyone to like it, but comeon. That article is straight up link baiting over exaggeration.

And no, I don't think enterprise will ever take to it because,

A. They're all just now rolling out 7, and
B. It's not that substantial of an upgrade to 7 to warrant all the extra trouble.

 

[Black Magic]

I actually had less problems on my computer when I installed Windows ME than I did when it was running Windows 98 SE. However, I heard so many people talking about problems with ME that I never recommended anyone to upgrade to it.

I gotta agree with you here. Windows ME was flawless for me on a clean install. I liked how you could import pictures from your camera right on the computer. I skipped over Windows 2000 because of Windows ME and went to XP. So many people complained about Windows ME and I never saw an issue. Heck, Windows Vista was flawless as well especially after turning off UAC.

 

[VenusianSky]

I'm not saying it can't be altered, but having giant colored blocks is not what I'd want and I wonder if I am in the minority? PS, you graphic is not much better. It reminds me of one of those exceedingly cluttered desktops that I've always tried to avoid and definitely not with giant icons. Ugg!

I assume by "colored blocks" you mean the live tiles? You can unpin them from Metro (Start), or uninstall them completely. The standard application shortcut tiles all have the same background color, which you can set to whatever color your like.

You say that it reminds you of a cluttered desktop, and it isn't the desktop. The desktop is the same old desktop that always existed, minus the start menu in the task bar. You don't have to look at the Metro screen. I am hardly ever in it, just like how I was hardly ever in the old Start Menu. With some people's reaction to the new start menu, you would think that people must of spent hours playing "Start Menu" in previous versions of Windows.

 

[Huntn]

I am the first to acknowledge that Windows appeal is based on personal preference, either something you love, can tolerate and works, or hate. Renzatic, I don't care for your Metro setup either. All renditions of Metro I've seen are ugly. No personal jab intended. Look, it's new, it's supposed to be so cool and pretty, we'll all be dying to use it. Not me.

Like:

 

[smoledman]

And what if in the next couple years Google began seriously getting into Enterprise/Business software? Google has the billions to invest and release enterprise software that could seriously compete with the likes of Microsoft or even Oracle software.

In 2 years Google Cloud Service 1.0 will have to compete with Azure 3.0. First mover advantage baby!

 

[rrl]

The only big missteps that Microsoft made in the past were MS Java Virtual Machine (for failing to comply with Java standard) and the IE4 free web browser monopoly. They seem to have learned from those mistakes years ago and that is why they are still around today.

This is so much fail. You're kidding, right?

 

[VenusianSky]

This is so much fail. You're kidding, right?

Yes, you are right. Microsoft has failed. The company doesn't really exist and they are just an illusion.

The "missteps" mentioned were the only poor decisions by Microsoft that posed any real threat to the company because it brought Microsoft to Federal court in an anti-trust case. One could try to argue the Xbox issues, but Microsoft addressed those issues as best as they could and the Xbox still remains a high selling product.

 

[Renzatic]

Have you ever noticed how anyone who uses "fail" in a post without a sense of irony or sarcasm rarely ever seems to have anything good to say?

OLOL FAIL POST U SUK

 

[VenusianSky]

Have you ever noticed how anyone who uses "fail" in a post without a sense of irony or sarcasm rarely ever seems to have anything good to say?

OLOL FAIL POST U SUK

I don't know what is worse, that, or when it is acknowledged as a valid point. By some random person posting Microsoft is doomed must mean that they are doomed right?

 

[roadbloc]

I've read developers are worried that the ability to switch back to a traditional Windows desktop might go away in the next iteration of Windows.

I highly doubt this will ever happen. Windows 8 brings a lot of great new features to the desktop/explorer interface and I hope Windows 9 will continue that trend.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Really? I've seen recently aired Windows 8 advertisements and Metro looks like my graphic. I'm not saying it can't be altered, but having giant colored blocks is not what I'd want and I wonder if I am in the minority? PS, you graphic is not much better. It reminds me of one of those exceedingly cluttered desktops that I've always tried to avoid and definitely not with giant icons. Ugg!

link.

You mean like the iPhone home screen? I'm sorry, but a lot of the metro hate/apple good talk on this forum is just people bashing Microsoft because why not? It's not like what Microsoft did was unique (A bunch of icons on a screen, OMG!), but because it's different it's OK to hate?

 

[Huntn]

You mean like the iPhone home screen? I'm sorry, but a lot of the metro hate/apple good talk on this forum is just people bashing Microsoft because why not? It's not like what Microsoft did was unique (A bunch of icons on a screen, OMG!), but because it's different it's OK to hate?

What is good for my iphone, due to lack of real estate is terrible for my desktop Mac. Actually I keep most of my iOS icons arranged in folders starting on the second page of my iPhone. And I would not be able to keep as many tightly spaced if they were giant green and blue boxes. And no, I'd never want my Mac desktop to look like my iOS interface. And no, I'd never want iOS sitting on my desktop. I know what I like and I like the W7 interface, but don't like W8. As I said, it's personal preference.

 

[VenusianSky]

(A bunch of icons on a screen, OMG!)

LOL. You must not get how fun it is to play the game, "Stare at the metro/iOS screen". It is the only reason I own an iPad.

 

[rrl]

Yes, you are right. Microsoft has failed. The company doesn't really exist and they are just an illusion.

Sorry if I confused you. Your comment was the fail, not Microsoft. Microsoft is more flailing than failing.