Mobile News

James Kendrick
Home / News & Blogs / Mobile News

How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?

By | September 14, 2011, 4:15am PDT

Summary: Windows 8 running on a tablet is looking promising, but it will be so long before it hits the market that it’s impossible to tell how it will compare with devices of the future.

Microsoft unveiled the next version of Windows today at the BUILD conference in Anaheim and it looks smashing. The Windows 8 Metro interface (see the details provided by Ed Bott) is the touch-centric system that also runs on desktops and other non-touch devices. Metro operation looks heavily influenced by Windows Phone 7 because it is, and that’s a good thing for tablets. Today’s demos show a compelling OS that is a complete departure from all versions of Windows past. The problem is figuring out how it will compare with tablets of the future.

The geek in me can’t wait to play with Windows 8, and MIcrosoft realized that would be the case and has already put the developer’s preview up for grabs. I have a rare Windows 7 slate so I am certainly going to grab the Windows 8 preview and give it a spin when I have some free time.

As exciting as the new version of Windows is compared to Windows 7, it doesn’t seem real to me yet. I don’t think we’ll see real tablets running Windows 8 for well over a year, so it’s largely just good intentions at this point. The competition in the tablet space already has a lead of a few years on Microsoft, and that lead will be even bigger when Windows 8 hits the market.

The tablet space isn’t going to sit still and wait for Windows 8 to get released. The iPad will be well into version 3 (or 4) by then, and Android will be into Jelly Bean (or beyond). The race has already started and Windows 8 is being lapped as we speak.

The demos shown of Windows 8 today on the developer’s Samsung tablet leave a lot of questions unanswered about how it stacks up against current tablet competition in crucial areas, much less how it will compare at launch time against tablets of the future.

Even though Microsoft is working on a version of Windows 8 that runs on real tablet hardware (ARM), so far we’ve only seen it running on Intel hardware. That is not going to compare with either Android or the iPad as far as battery life is concerned. The instant-on nature of non-Intel hardware is also a big deal in the tablet space.

The biggest unanswered question about Windows 8 is that of apps. Legacy Windows apps may run on Windows 8 tablets, but they will not compare to other mobile platforms. An entirely new library of touch apps must be written for Windows 8, and that means getting a lot of development under way now. Unfortunately for developers it is so early in the cycle that building good apps requires hitting a moving target.

There will be no grace period after Windows 8 eventually launches to come up with apps to make it useful. There must be a decent library of good apps ready to go on launch day to make a good showing. The tablet space is not one that will let Microsoft have an iteration or two to get things right.

Don’t forget that tablet hardware is getting better and cheaper all the time. If Windows 8 requires beefier hardware than the competition things will get ugly really fast. Plus it is not clear if Intel-based hardware can be priced competitively, all other issues aside.

Many will say it’s early and Microsoft gets a mulligan because it’s so early in the development of Windows 8. That’s the problem. The tablet space evolves at a rapid pace, and typical OS development cycles don’t work. It is impossible to tell what might be required to compete a year or more in the future, but that’s what we must do to consider Microsoft’s efforts.

Some will say that Windows 8 is more than just a tablet OS, and they are correct. I am focusing on that aspect of it because it is clear the tablet functionality is driving the lion’s share of the development effort, so Microsoft has acknowledged the importance of it. I agree with that decision, and it validates why zooming in on how it will compete in this area is a legitimate thing to do.

Windows 8 looks really sharp and refreshing; it is understandable that we are enthusiastic about what we see. But don’t forget, a refreshing interface hasn’t helped Windows Phone 7 in the smartphone race. It may not be enough to help Windows 8, either.

There are so many unknowns about Windows 8 that it is impossible to tell how it will do in the race. The problem is the race is already in the latter stages, and is ongoing right now. Microsoft may think the race is a marathon, but it is in full sprint mode already. What we’ve seen today of Windows 8 looks really nice and it may be a contender, but it’s so far in the future it’s too early to call.

Related:

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily e-mail newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

More from “Mobile News”

Topics

Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, James Kendrick

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long.

Disclosure

James Kendrick

James Kendrick has no affiliations or relationships that need to be disclosed.

Biography

James Kendrick

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long. Prior to joining ZDNet, James was the Founding Editor of jkOnTheRun, a CNET Top 100 Tech Blog that was acquired by GigaOM in 2008 and is now part of that prestigious tech network. James' writing has appeared in many print publications: Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine, Information Week and Laptop Magazine to name a few. James' coverage of the mobile technology sector has regularly appeared in the New York Times, Salon.com and CNN/ Fortune online. Not just a writer, James has filmed numerous video reviews and how-tos that have garnered well over a million viewers. He has appeared on local news segments and been interviewed by the Associated Press on mobile technology topics. Additionally, James has been podcasting about mobile technology for years.

68
Comments
Add Your Opinion

Join the conversation!

Just In

win8
jmeinhart 1st May
" The problem is the race is already in the latter stages"
O? is the End of the World coming?
Poorly written article, poorly reasoned article, as well.
View in thread
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
bobiroc 14th Sep
I hope it does well. I know several that love their iPads and other tablets but frequently wish it could do more like a regular computer. I believe this will provide the best of both worlds if the price is right.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
kris_stapley@... 14th Sep
@bobiroc
I would agree. My girlfriend likes to stream shows off the internet, and gets miffed when she sees a flash error instead of her video. I'm sure there are work arounds, but this is my girlfriend we're talking about here.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
Eggry 14th Sep
I think that's why they unveiled so early - make apps!
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
john@... 14th Sep
@Eggry That worked for Apple... Oh wait, no preview, tons of apps.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
bobiroc 14th Sep
@john@...

Tons of apps an yet so very few useful or relevant ones. Unless you are into having ever fart or joke app or many of the fake apps that trick your friends into thinking that your iPhone can locate them or have some extra security feature. Maybe if Apple gave better previews of their software there could be better apps. I like my iPhone but browsing through the App store I see tons of pointless apps.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
browser. 14th Sep
@bobiroc - The same old fart apps argument. There could be 20-30% of apps which are useless, but there are some pure gems out there... 'nouf said
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
kenosha77a 14th Sep
@bobiroc

I agree with browser's iPad app comments. Respectfully, Bob, but please revise your Apple app opinions otherwise your credibility might suffer.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
Rama.NET 14th Sep
@bobiroc
At least the apps on iOS are legitimate and are not trojans unlike the Android counterparts, where you always have to have suspicion about the app's backdoors. even though 20 to 30% of apps there are junk on iOS, we can safely consider at least they don't have backdoors or haven't found one yet.

@browser
The quality of marketplace positioning of apps by Microsoft is identical to Apple, and advantage of Microsoft development ecosystem, is more number of tools and that too matured ones. Microsoft doesn't have to start from ground zero to build the developer ecosystem there.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
bobiroc 14th Sep
@browser, Kenosha

Well when you search the word fart in iTunes app store and it returns hundreds of results of fart apps, fart soundboxes, toilet sound machine, type apps then you have to wonder. I understand that this is small in the 350,000+ apps total but my point is if the apps available are useful to you. I just used fart apps as an example but there are plenty of other apps that are duplicates of each other when it comes to the games and functionality. Some are better than others and everyone's tastes differ. You only need 1 good app to do the job.

Also Rama.net got my point above when he pointed out developers for Windows will not have to start from scratch when developing for Windows 8.
0 Votes
+ -
Let's do the "numbers" game, Bob
kenosha77a 14th Sep
@bobiroc

From a Bing search, I came up with a TechCrunch article that breaks down the iPad app numbers from this past April. TechCrunch quotes Distro's data that indicates there are 75,755 iPad specific apps. (Again, this number is derived from Distro's April, 2011 search results.)

See link: http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/27/there-are-now-more-free-apps-for-android-than-for-the-ios-platform-distimo/

Let's assume your opinion that fart related apps number in the hundreds is accurate. (I'm not saying it is but for this demonstration, I'll give you that.) Heck, let's say there are 755 fart related iPad specific apps in the iOS App Store. (I'll let you calculate the percentage of fart apps to the total number of specific iPad apps as a math exercise. Hint. even at 755, the percentage will be small.)

That leaves 75,000 iPad specific apps left to choose from.

Now .. let's assume that your opinion that for ever iPad specific app that exists, there are other apps that duplicate its function.

Heck, let's assume your right and say that every app has nine other apps "just like it". That means, of course, for every Angry Birds app sold, a customer could choose nine other apps that duplicate the Angry Bird experience. Also, for every Apple Numbers App sold, there are nine other spreadsheet apps that duplicate those functions.

So, if you agree with that 10 percent duplication rule for each app sold in the iTunes Store, this leaves the prospective iPad app customer JUST 7,000 app choices to choose from if that customer wishes to populate his iPad with applications.

BTW, this absurd exercise just deals with iPad specific apps and not from the total iOS app ecosystem. (I myself use several non universal apps on my iPad. Dragon Search, for example is just one iPhone iOS app I find extremely useful.)

So, again I caution you, Bob, to revise your estimate of useful apps available to a prospective iPad owner.

If you continue to publish your opinion that only a "very few useful or relevant" iPad apps are available, than your credibility will indeed suffer.

Of course, if your definition of "few" means something like 7,000 or so apps, than, OK, I'll agree with that interpretation.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Few Useful Apps
bobiroc 14th Sep
@Kenosha

I was thinking more along the lines of 20,000 - 30,000 apps but still that is small compared to the grand total. I didn't mean to cause big fight. I was just trying to illustrate that quality of the apps is much more important than quantity. What some might find useful will differ from what others find useful.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
cool8man 14th Sep
@john@...

Are we really going to debate the quality of software on iOS vs. Windows?

Microsoft knows how to treat developers and it shows. As far as devs are concerned Apple has absolutely nothing going for it other than a first mover advantage. The Windows footprint across PC, tablet, and phone can wipe out that first mover advantage in short order. A developer not making Windows their primary dev platform right now is insane.
0 Votes
+ -
Where does this happen?
Robert Hahn 14th Sep
@cool8man
On what planet is there a "Windows footprint" across PCs, tablets, and phones? PCs we know about. But there is no such thing as a "Windows footprint" on tablets, and in phones Windows is a 2%-share also-ran.

It's obvious that Microsoft would like us to think that there is some reason why the dominance of Windows on phones and tablets is inevitable, but I don't see IBM paving the way for them this time, the way IBM did on PCs in 1981.

Apple is no longer a 98-pound weakling. It's bigger than Microsoft and has more money. Google isn't exactly Netscape, either. Microsoft will get some share of all this business, but they are going to get scuffed up like never before.
0 Votes
+ -
Robert Hahn: That "windows footprint" is the 800 pound gorrila, waiting
adornoe@... Updated - 14th Sep
outside the room, and when it enters the room, it becomes the 800 pound gorilla in the room, which will become a major force to be reckoned with.

And, Apple may not be a weakling anymore, but it's still not bigger than Microsoft. A bigger market cap is not the same as a bigger corporation. Microsoft is still much bigger and with a bigger penetration into more markets with much bigger diversification than Apple with products and services.
0 Votes
+ -
The Softies are living in the past
Robert Hahn 14th Sep
@adornoe@...
I hate to bust your bubble, but Apple is the larger corporation. Microsoft's annual revenue was $70 billion. Apple's was $100 billion. Microsoft has $52 billion in cash; Apple has $79 billion. The image of Microsoft as "the 800 pound gorilla" is one near and dear to the hearts of Munchkins and monkey boys, but it's last century's news.

What Microsoft owns, indisputably, is last century's computing model. The new one is up for grabs. So far its new phone OS has jumped up to 7% market share, and then declined back to 5%. That's not exactly mowing down the competition. As for tablets, right now they have nada, and won't for year. Sorry, but all the huffing and puffing isn't blowing down any houses.
0 Votes
+ -
Robert Hahn: So, why do you have to label me a "Softie"?
adornoe@... 14th Sep
I call them as I see them, and what Microsoft is doing is a lot more powerful than anything Apple has in the wings.

Apple may have more money in the kitty, but, when they keep the dividends and haven't paid any for many years, then of course, their cash-on-hand will build up nicely. If Microsoft were to do the same, their cash-on-hand would be a lot higher than Apple's. And, like I said, being the largest in market cap, does not equal being the largest.

When it comes to products and services, Microsoft has a much bigger lineup, for both, the consumer and business markets. Apple is basically a consumer electronics player, with a PC (Mac) tossed into the mix. As far as diversification is concerned, again, Apple is a very distant second and is not even a significant player in the corporate world as far as computing is concerned.

I call Microsoft the "gorilla about to enter the room" because of the high expectations about Windows 8, which threatens to "redo" the whole computer and tablets marketplaces. When it comes to the gorilla already in the room, that of course would still be Microsoft, because, they are still the much bigger player and the most significant to the tech world, in the consumer and the business markets.

If all the products and services from both companies were considered, and then put up at auctions, there is no doubt that, the total for all of Microsoft's products and services would dwarf the total from Apple's offerings.

Market cap has a lot to do with investors' perceptions. Apple has done quite well with its "i" products, but, it's not going to be enough to carry it forward in the coming years. They're going to have to branch out to something that is really unique, because, the "i" products have a lot of competition already, with a lot more to come, so, that market cap may be in danger.

Now, I don't shill for anybody, and I don't really care one way or the other who ends up on top in any particular market. What I do and what I plan to do, if I ever get it off the ground, won't be dependent on any one manufacturer or any one software maker, and "it" would use all platforms and all products from all software and hardware makers. In fact, the iPhones and the iPads would be very good fits for what I want to do. But, my idea will work just as well on the larger systems and the larger OSes, including laptops, desktops, netbooks.

So, basically, I call them as I see them, and I'm a realist.
0 Votes
+ -
The realist isn't real
Robert Hahn 14th Sep
@adornoe@...
If all the products and services from both companies were considered, and then put up at auctions, there is no doubt that, the total for all of Microsoft's products and services would dwarf the total from Apple's offerings.
Actually there's a lot of doubt about that because the only objective measurements of those things tell us that you're wrong.

If we consider the total of products and services sold by Microsoft, we know from their annual report that those brought in $70 billion. The products and services sold by Apple brought in $100 billion. Totally objective measurements. You're just plain wrong.

Oh, you meant the value of their various businesses? That's what market cap is. It's the collective wisdom of millions of investors as to what a company's products and services are worth, and it really is an auction. The world is telling you that you're wrong. It's saying that Apple is worth more than Microsoft.

Should we take your opinion over that of millions of other people? We can be sure you will, but there's no reason for the rest of us to pay it much mind.
0 Votes
+ -
It's not early enough...
cosuna 14th Sep
@Eggry : the problem I see few enterprises interested on doing apps, mostly because the UI looks so "consumerish".
0 Votes
+ -
The question is, how will the iPad and Android tablets .....
P. Douglas Updated - 14th Sep
... compete with Windows 8 PCs? Why would you get an Android tablet when Windows 8 tablets are better functionally and aesthetically, support a ton of legacy apps, and will likely have thousands of new metro styled apps at launch? iPads sales may continue to chug along, but if Windows 8 PCs can deliver more than iPads with PC caliber performance and superior aesthetics - along with a robust app ecosystem - iPad sales will take a hit. There is no way Apple and Google will be able to upgrade their respective OSs to match Windows 8 by the time it is released. (In fact it would probably take them several years if MS stood still.) Window 8 is ginormous, and brims with features not present in iOS and Android. There is also going to be an Xbox games / entertainment app / hub, which will dramatically expand the Xbox service to hundreds of millions of PCs. I also expect MS will eventually make the case for Windows 8 touch computing on All-in-ones and desktop PCs. This will revolutionize large screen computing. If people thought touch computing was better and more immersive on tablets than on smartphones, they will find it to be much more so large screens. Users will really be sucked in!

I therefore think MS is much better positioned than Apple and Google, and I expect Windows 8 to be an enormous success when it is released. (Microsoft, please don't screw things up!)
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
regsrini 14th Sep
@P. Douglas
Totally agree. Moreover, Win 8 has the level of integration with the internet that the other OSes don't have. Maybe they will be up there in a year, but that puts the others on equal footing with Win 8.
Look, the tablet space is not settled yet and people will need at least a year or 2 more to really understand what they can and cannot do with a tablet.
The argument here seems to be whether MS has enough time to catch up. I'd argue, that they do have the time, while the author seems argue the opposite. Only time will tell what is true.
0 Votes
+ -
I totally disagree with you
ShazAmerica 14th Sep
@P. Douglas
Apple has been working on the iPhone/iPad for years, getting iOS and OS X ready for touch years before MS and every other manufacturer got whacked upside the head when the iPhone came out and made them all quickly change direction.

You probably don't use a mac, but touch is highly integrated into the mouse, trackpad, etc, where it should be, not on the screen itself (especially on a desktop). It is so much easier to swipe your fingers on something they are already resting on (mouse, touchpad) than reaching up and touching a screen using 'gorilla arms'

Also you don't think that if Apple wanted to they couldn't put OS X on an iPad? A full fledged mean and lean, rock solid, unix based OS, not a bloated rehash of an OS that's been cobbled together to atoll run legacy apps?

I run windows on my iPad using remote desktops, windows apps are unusable, they need major rewrites to be finger friendly. Apple is way ahead in the game here.

When MS was (and is) getting their butt kicked in the mp3 player space, they (and the readers here) thought Play For Sure would kill Apple. Then they thought Zune would kill Apple. Then when the iPhone came out, Balmer,God bless that idiot, actually laughed at one of the most successful products to ever exist.

Nothing in the foreseeable future, say next 3 years, is going to beat apple at their own game.

Windows tablets might get , say 10% of the market tops within 3 years. Some companies would be happy to have that much and MS will be too. After all, they're used to 3% smartphone share.
0 Votes
+ -
Right back at you ...
P. Douglas Updated - 14th Sep
@ShazAmerica,

You probably don't use a mac, but touch is highly integrated into the mouse, trackpad, etc, where it should be, not on the screen itself (especially on a desktop). It is so much easier to swipe your fingers on something they are already resting on (mouse, touchpad) than reaching up and touching a screen using 'gorilla arms'

The gorilla arm problem goes away when you incline your monitor. So large screen touch computing is very much practical. Also, what makes touch computing so intuitive and immersive, is that it removes a layer of interaction between the user and his work - making interaction more direct. Most people e.g. would rather pat a dog on the head directly with their hands, than use a mechanical, extensible arm contraption, to do the same. Touching an object directly (even a virtual one) is much more engaging emotionally and intellectually to users - making users more enthusiastic and productive in their work.

As for MS' previous attempts in the MP3 market, the company wasn't very earnest, as it didn't see that much economic opportunity in the market. As for Windows Phone 7, the company had to overcome a track record of paying little attention to user experience in product design, and had to devise a response to poor product presentation of windows phones in retail stores - due to sales people turning customers away from the devices.

Windows is very different though. Windows PCs have an overall good track record, and has momentum tremendous enough to get Windows 8 PCs to take off fairly easily - at least Intel based Win 8 PCs. ARM PCs may need a lot of apps though for them to take off.
0 Votes
+ -
"Touch Screen" won't drive adoption on large screens
LiquidLearner 14th Sep
@P. Douglas

Reaching onto your desk to touch your screen is not very efficient. Especially since the monitor is typically pushed back. Same for the TV. However if you use the Kinect sensor, which Windows 8 should support natively, then you've got touch and voice interface which can be used at a distance. Suddenly that all makes sense and it shows the investment in Kinect technology was only partially for gaming. It was a good place to get their feet wet, nothing more. The true potential of Kinect will start to be revealed as it is paired with PCs.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
timotim 14th Sep
@LiquidLearner

It amazes me how many Apple nuts continue to try this angle. MS is saying that Windows 8 is versital enough to work with whatever senario you have. Clearly, if one is stationary at a desk and needs to get work done then the K&M is best suited, but keep in mind that Windows 8 isnt just for the desk. Also understand that convertibles and all in ones that tilt will become increasingly popular as time goes by.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
KBabcock75 14th Sep
@P. Douglas
Wow someone is not just drinking the Kool-aid but chugging it.

When MS was developing the next great OS I heard the same talk about the loads of features, faster processing and how could anybody compete...we end up getting Vista.

For W8 to support legacy programs you are talking a power hungry device that will be big and heavy by comparison to present day tablets. Kinda sounds like the tablet MS has been failing with for the last 10 years. Apple didn't come to dominating the mobile market by making the pad a desktop replacement, they did it by changing the way people used computers. MS is trying to merge the two and honestly I don't think they have the talent to do it, I maybe wrong but past performance would support my pessimism. I do think a dock-able pad is inevitable to enhance the creative aspect but with Apples hardware/software synergy they are more likely then MS to achieve it first.

It will be interesting to see what happens but based on MS's past releases you can expect an over promised under performing buggy product that will take a few service packs to make truly usable. While at the same time Apple and Google refine and innovate an already wildly popular mature product. It will be an uphill battle for them.
0 Votes
+ -
Don't agree...
cosuna 14th Sep
@P. Douglas : why would people buy an XBox if a Gamer PCs has more features? Simple (and circular) answer. Because it's simpler. To use. To maintain. And it costs less.

Toddlers are using iPads. Senior citizens are using iPads.

Also they are being used as "Remote Controls" (see Adobe tools) and on field trips. Try that with an Intel PC.

If Microsoft allows the ARM based systems to work exclusively on Metro, and limit the "desktop" experience to a Hyper-V session on an x86, maybe they have a winner.

Else it's way too complicate to compete with the 'just-works' iPad.
0 Votes
+ -
Totally Agree
MrElectrifyer Updated - 15th Sep
@P. Douglas REALLY WELL SAID, +1 happy

Not sure if the nut headed Apple fanboys will accept your reasoning though silly
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
non-biased 19th Sep
@P. Douglas If everything goes perfectly for MS as they are presented through your rose colored glasses then yes, Win 8 will be a huge success. Of course we heard much of the same about WP7 before it was finally released and no of that has turned out yet. I hope Win 8 does well as the competition will be good for everyone but I am not going to just assume because it's MS that everything is going to be perfect and their competitors might as well stop now.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
timiteh 14th Sep
The lack of success of WP7 has nothing to do with its innovative U.I or the devices.
It has to do with the pathetic and far not enough agressive marketing strategy of Microsoft.
If Microsoft use the right personn and do the right efforts, i can assure that WP7 will take off.
Regarding Windows 8, i am not worried at all about Windows 8 tablets as this O.S is agressively optimized toward tablets.
Though i am a bit worried about the use of WIndows 8 on regular laptops and desktops. Though if Microsoft manages to make this O.S great for both Tablet and regular laptops/desktops, as well as enforce a no compromise strategy for everything (hardware quality, marketing,etc...), it will be a tsunami that neither Apple or Google would be able to stop or even slow down.
0 Votes
+ -
Meh
facebook@... 14th Sep
@timiteh

I partially disagree with your assessment of WP7. Personally, I am waiting for Mango because of a Lync client and other functionality that was missing on WP7. Then again, I am not a typical consumer-oriented user, but an enterprise customer.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
non-biased 19th Sep
@timiteh Oh yes, the old marketing excuse. This is always the fall back for a fail product and in most cases isn't the full answer. Sure, marketing gets you sales but that is really just the initial sales. It's the product that gets either gets you the continued sales or not. If the product is good enough then people will buy it due to the word of mouth marketing. Apple is great at marketing which is what gets their products off the ground but it's the word of mouth that continues to grow sales, not traditional marketing.
0 Votes
+ -
Learning curve effects
Robert Hahn 14th Sep
By the time Windows 8 is ready to ship on hardware that is actually in production, Apple will be closing in on 100 million tablets sold. The next-largest hardware competitor will be at 10 million, if they're lucky.

Those with a manufacturing background know that this means Apple could set the retail price of the next iPad below The Other Guys' manufacturing cost. In the past Apple would probably not have done this, preferring to keep the money. But with tablets we are seeing a new aggressiveness from Apple that is making it very difficult for their tablet competitors to make a profit.

The longer this goes on, the bigger the "number manufactured" difference gets, and the harder it becomes for any one hardware OEM to touch Apple's price.

Microsoft can do nothing about this except stand by and watch for the next year. At that point it may not matter how wonderful Windows 8 is because none of the hardware OEMs will be able to compete with Apple on price.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
Synthmeister 15th Sep
@Robert Hahn
This is very true. Apple will continue to be able to out-price the competition with higher quality components while still maintaining 30 - 40 % margins.
In this situation, the multiple licensee scenario backfires, because they are all beating each others' brains out for components, marketing, shelf space and mind-share, yet they can only hope to sell a couple million tablets in a fantastic rollout, while Apple is selling 10s of millions of tablets per quarter.

The fact that 18 months after the introduction of the iPad, all Microsoft has to show is a steam powered, 2 lb, personal space heater, complete with fans, 2.5 hour battery life and pre-beta software is pretty grim news for their mobile aspirations. I thought they would at least be handing out beta ARM devices by now, complete with a Metrofied Office.
0 Votes
+ -
James - Do you know if a Win 8 ARM tablet will run legacy Window's apps?
kenosha77a 14th Sep
If a ARM based Win 8 tablet is able to run legacy Windows apps using a virtual machine emulator, will the app execution speed be acceptable or will those apps run very slowly?
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
Rama.NET 14th Sep
@kenosha7777
That is still an unanswered question, but having integration with HyperV Client, I think we could host a Windows 7 on a server and run it through virtualization and run the apps, I think the performance is debatable question that purely depends on the hardware and other factors, but it is possible.
0 Votes
+ -
How does Windows 8 stack up to other Tablets?
timotim 14th Sep
Easy:

Multiscreen multitasking

much faster boot up times than iPad Android

Instantly having the highest app count in the app store

Running WP7's apps

Much broader range of user input methods

Gaming powered by Xbox Live

Windows Live cloud apps

Supporting all app platform languages in a very easy way

Having an all purpose OS that adapts to the users current needs

Having the full capability of Windows behind it for printing, USB 3.0, File types and formats etc

Having hardware versitility

The list goes on and on.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
non-biased 19th Sep
@timotim Your speculation list could go on and on but we won't know if any of it is true until it actually hits the market.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
timotim 14th Sep
You can also add being the onlt tablet on the market that is able to run the FULL web.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
non-biased 19th Sep
@timotim Oh, won't that be impressive. People can surf the "FULL" web with Flash disabled just like they currently due with the desktop systems.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
dave95. Updated - 14th Sep
If this is Microsoft big bet, that consumers want to pick up a tablet and dive into the complex cobweb that is full blown Windows (using fingers), then they're betting on the wrong horse imo. Even with a metro-style covering above there's no escaping Windows. Tablets are becoming known as consumption and light computing devices. Light processing, long battery, less complexity. And cheap. Microsoft seem to be walking us backwards.

The majority buying iPads today are not doing so for the purpose of fully replacing their PCs, they're using it the way the form factor dictates for it to be used. Pick up, instant on, get to your content without any of the unnecessary OS fuss. Sort of like an electronic appliance (well duh). The thought of having to maintain a full blown OS on such a form factor seems like a strategic nightmare imo. One only Ballmer could make.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
timotim 14th Sep
@dave95.

You just said a bunch of nothing. The Windows desktop doesnt even load unless the end user clicks on the tile to open it. Fot consumers that are only interested in having a tablet...it would be no different than an iPad at that point. That user would never see the desktop or what is known as classic Windows and that classic Windows will never disrupt his tablet experience because he/she will never need to load it.

You are misunderstanding what is MS's big bet. Their big bet is that consumers will want the most DIVERSITY for whatever device they buy and not be FORCED to buy multiple devices to get a complete experience like others (Apple) makes you do. Its a no brainer that we as consumers want smaller form factors...that doesnt mean we want increasing limitations with our smaller form factors. The beauty about Windows 8 is that you can have the form factor AND input method you want, but keep the capability that Windows provides (files and formats, printing, multiscreen multitasking, USB 3.0, External HDDs and periphials etc.

Whats funny about your post is that when it comes to fundamentals (boot up times, battery life, lightweight etc), Windows 8 looks to be equal, if not better at them than the iPad.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
dave95. 14th Sep
@timotim

Whats funny about your post is that when it comes to fundamentals (boot up times, battery life, lightweight etc), Windows 8 looks to be equal, if not better at them than the iPad.

Sure from a clean install, with no start up programs or anti malware client or OEM crapware ...talk to me about startup time after the devices begin shipping from OEMs. And besides why is startup time even relevant on electronic devices like the iPad (iPhone, iPod). Who shuts these down?
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
MrElectrifyer 15th Sep
@dave95. I barely ever shut down my steve jobs freed iPhone, but there are times that it crashes and reboots (no tweaks running in the background), takes atleast a minute to boot up. When apps like "NinJump"/"TomTom" consume lots of memory on it, it slows down/freezes and attempts giving me back control over it by either force quitting the application or crashes and reboots.

@timotim LOL, really wish ZDNet had a like button, I so will like this one.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
DerekWJ 14th Sep
I disagree with the statement the "race is already in the latter stages" and the comparison to WP7. I already had a smartphone for 4 years before WP7 came out. It is true that it was late to the game, but Windows on a tablet is not that late. I am typing this on what was called a tablet at the time, but is now a convertable. I consider my self an early adopter, but we haven't been compelled to purchase an iPad or Android tablet. Right now I might consider a Kindle or Nook, but I would be interested in Windows Tablet. My point is that the market for a fully functional OS on a tablet began yesterday and Microsoft is actually in front not behind; however, they are behind on e-readers and internet consumption tablets. The unanswered question is "do consumers want a full OS on a tablet?" They didn't want Vista convertables a few years ago.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
dave95. 14th Sep
@DerekWJ

Unfortunately for Microsoft, the iPad, iOS and the apps that comes with it are not static, they're constantly being improved upon at a rapid pace. And will become more and more capable of becoming viable "PC" replacements to many. iOS 5 with the whole movement to the cloud with background data syncing and storage will greatly improve upon last gen iOS. More apps will be introduced catering to every users needs. By the time Windows 8 tablets gets released, they will be competing with a solid iPad offering (think iPod - Zune late entry) and other cheap Android tablets. Consumers will also be heavily invested into either iOS or Android ecosystem (Apps, games, content, cloud).

So the question in 2012 may be, do I want a more expensive full blown Windows OS on a tablet or continue using my "internet consumtion" device that comes very close to replacing my full blown OS? If ever I need it to.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
timotim 14th Sep
@dave95.

That can go both ways...unfortunately for Apple, MS doesnt need to convice people to "replace PCs" as Windows 8 is already one. Apple has no advantage because Windows 8 will have the biggest set of apps to use for a PC, not Apple, and MS already has the file and format compatiblity that iOS lacks.

The question in 2012 will be why should I get a device thats trying hard to be a more PC replacement device when I can just get Windows 8 thats already a PC and provides that same touch experience as an said device?
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
dave95. Updated - 15th Sep
@dave95.

"The question in 2012 will be why should I get a device thats trying hard to be a more PC replacement device when I can just get Windows 8 thats already a PC "

The problem for MS is the iPad is not even trying hard to replace a "PC", yet that's not stopping users from buying them up and performing "PC" tasks now. Facebook, Twitter, emails, photos, Skype, Facetime, IM, web browsing, casual games, 500k apps, YouTube, music and other media content (iTunes), streaming music, streaming videos, updating contacts, calenders, Google maps, reading eBooks, reading magazines, the morning paper, checking your stock with E*Trade app, editing a small movie clip in iMovie before posting online, doing a presentation with Keynote, typing a paper using Pages, taking a free course/lesson with iTunes U, using GPS on the device....So what part of the "PC" the average user are missing? Oh yes Microsoft Office. Right.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
MrElectrifyer Updated - 15th Sep
@dave95. Not only are they missing amazing productivity applications like Microsoft Office 2010 (especially OneNote 2010), they're missing:

gaming like Star Craft 2/Crysis

P2P sharing like Utorrent

Fast streaming of on-line Videos with flash

the ability to upload files to ANY server through ANY application (including their browsers)

the ability to watch/listen to ANY media file format with applications like VLC

the ability to compress ANY files into archives and share

the ability to decompress archived files they get from the internet (if they're even able to download them in the first place)

the ability to store ANY file type on their device from ANY other computer without installing additional crapware (like iTunes) on the other computer

the ability to play a vast amount of on-line games availbe (thus saving storage)

the ability to plug in and use ANY printer they find ANYWHERE without bringing out a separate computer
.
.
On and on
.
.
and last but not least the ability to upgrade/expand their storage
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
non-biased 19th Sep
@timotim The question in 2012 will be why should I get a device thats trying hard to be a more PC replacement device when I can just get Windows 8 thats already a PC and provides that same touch experience as an said device?
Here is a very possible answer to that question that you and other's don't seem to grasp as a possibility, because they don't like Win 8. Not trying to say that will be the case as nobody here can see what will happen. I just find it funny how yourself and some others basing the inevitable success of Win 8 tablets on pure assumptions. They might dominate the tablet market within 6 months of their release or they might hold 5% for the next decade, none of us knows and being a fanboy (of either side) isn't going to change that.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: How will Windows 8 tablets stack up to the competition of the future?
non-biased 19th Sep
@DerekWJ So you already had a smartphone for 4 years before WP7, what's your point. I have had smart phones for about a decade now and until '07 they were MS based. Sure WP7 came late but MS was in the smartphone OS business from the beginning so you can't pretend they are a new player. Same can be said for the tablet/convertible market. You are also wrong about the market for a fully functional OS on a tablet began yesterday and Microsoft is actually in front not behind.... This market starting a decade ago and while MS might be in the lead in that market it's not one that has brought any success to anybody. Win 8 might change that but the tablet market that has been so successful at this point will be around 3 years old by the time Win 8 tablets hit it and there is no guarantee that a full fledged OS tablet is going to be any more successful than those offered overt the past decade.
0 Votes
+ -
win8
jmeinhart 1st May
" The problem is the race is already in the latter stages"
O? is the End of the World coming?
Poorly written article, poorly reasoned article, as well.

Join the conversation!

Formatting +
BB Codes - Note: HTML is not supported in forums
  • [b] Bold [/b]
  • [i] Italic [/i]
  • [u] Underline [/u]
  • [s] Strikethrough [/s]
  • [q] "Quote" [/q]
  • [ol][*] 1. Ordered List [/ol]
  • [ul][*] · Unordered List [/ul]
  • [pre] Preformat [/pre]
  • [quote] "Blockquote" [/quote]
ie8 fix

The best of ZDNet, delivered

ZDNet Newsletters

Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox

Facebook Activity

Blog Roll

Blog Archive

White Papers, Webcasts, & Resources
ie8 fix