Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Yes
No
Christopher Dawson
Best Argument: No
Audience Favored: No (54%)
Closing Statements
Android IS the new Windows
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
As we transition from the era of the PC into the post-PC era, Google's Android platform has, through a combination of luck and hard work, found itself the dominant operating system on mobile devices, and as such is in a great position to control the direction that smartphones and tablets take over the coming years.
This is not to say that there aren't challenges, the largest of which is getting upgrades to existing users, but I have no doubt that Google is working hard behind the scenes with handset makers and carriers to solve this.
In terms of sales and a grip on the future direction of the mobile market, Android IS the new Windows.
Android is NOT the new Windows
Christopher Dawson
Still, it isn't a stretch to see Android dominating in the enterprise as tablets and other mobile devices, along with greater acceptance of BYOD, become more commonplace. However, to become a truly ubiquitous computing platform, Android needs to have the cache of Apple, the enterprise tools of Windows, and outstanding brand and market differentiation.
Windows became THE platform of the PC era because of good timing, a solid ecosystem, good marketing, and a lack of competition. Android can become THE platform of the post-PC era only through high-value, incredibly innovative products. It's started down that road, but the outcome is anything but a done deal.
Android is not there yet
Jason Hiner
The growth and spread of Android is truly impressive, and we have to expect that the current sales of all these Android devices will attract more users, businesses, and third-party partners to the platform. However, Android still has some important obstacles to overcome. First and foremost, it's not the mobile platform of choice for developers. It has to win them over to be the top platform, though as Chris notes, the fact that Android allows deeper access to the system than iOS could eventually help its cause. Second, business aren't very keen on Android. They still prefer iOS and even BlackBerry to Android, for security and manageability reasons. Android must win them over as well. Android will also need to make a stronger play in tablets and computers. It's making some baby steps in tablets with the Nexus 7 and a merger with ChromeOS looks inevitable on the computer side. However, Android needs to make more progress on these platforms where people spend more time doing work. So, Android could become the next Windows, but it's certainly not there yet. It's also possible that there will not be a single dominant platform in the post-PC era and that there will inevitably be several healthy, thriving ecosystems.
Talkback
Of course NOT!
Now compare the number Chromebooks (or any Android notebook for that matter) to Windows Notebook PCs and we can talk.
Compare the number of Android tablets to iPads and we can talk.
It is way to early to judge the success of Windows Phone 8 against Android smartphones, but if you want to compare iPhone sales to Android, be my quest.
It is also way too early to compare Windows RT to Android or iOS but it looks promising for Microsoft.
The other point is that, granted, consumer sales of Windows notebooks, among consumers has flattened out but that is because, by definition, consumers "consume". They are not content creators so a lame task-switching operating system is sufficient. Tablet sales not only represents former Windows notebook owners, it represents current Windows notebook owners and it also represents an entirely new group of consumers - lots of pent-up and previously untapped demand.
The Android tablet is also attractive for its price-point, but can these extremely inexpensive devices stand-up over the long-haul against more expensive devices from Apple and Mictosoft?
In the enterprise, the picture is quite different. The enterprise uses Windows personal computers (desktop and notebook) extensively. In economics cycles such as this, the enterprise looks for ways to extend the life-cycle of its devices but it does not stop buying them. Further, enterprise interest in tablets is focused on road-warriors and BYOD devices - not in mainstream mission-critical functions.
you're arguing the wrong point
Microsoft built an empire by creating an operating system and installing it on various devices provided by various OEMs (HP, Gateway, etc) and dominating sales because their software has its hooks in all the hardware vendors. This is exactly what Android is doing right now (except with HTC, Samsung, LG, etc). In no way is the author saying Android is replacing Windows as a desktop operating system. Just the business practices.
I'm for Yes
Adrian makes no such connection to previous articles ...
Yep
Powers MacOS? That is a certified Unix system.
the funniest part of all of this is that the government paid for the development of Unix during DARPA and other projects in Universites and private research centers around the country in Nixon's quest to have superior computer technology in the U.S.
In doing so, SUN was started by taxpayer dollars and McNeally was handed the company with ANTI TRUST Exemption . Hmm..
so bottom line, no matter who is best or on top or whatever, this Linux you talke about it is 100% based on a system that was paid for by U.S. taxpayers into the Billions upon Billions of dollars. It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears from American workers so you coudl have your "Free" OS.
And the same people have the nerve to be angry about Microsoft who did it all on their own from a tiny company to over a billion PCs worldwide, not once getting AT exemption from the Feds nor Funding from taxpayers into the Billions.
It's pathetic. Linux is THE most expensive OS in the world. I've alive long enough to know that my tax dollars have gone toward paying off that massive bill to have a decent *X.
the other thing that is very ironic and comical is the system from which Linux was born was created by the largest Monopoly (except maybe standard Oil?) in our country's history, dwarfing any status Microsoft was wrongly tagged with by a Judge who showed he's not even worthy of night court.
EOS.
Ok, then the Blog Title is an Epic Fail.
Not is Android the new Windows.
And Google is not the new Microsoft, they are far more evil. I don't touch Google because I don't want them owning my data. They get some of it anyway simply because you can't use the internet without passing through their monopoly territory and they feel happy and free to take any of that data they see fit and do whatever they like with it.
Much like the Bush era Feds.
That's it, the blog should be: Is Google the New Dubya?
Vote : YES!!!!
RE: Of course NOT!
The real Question
While Android is still in it's infancy, it is evolving faster than any OS on the planet.
There is not a lot separating the potential of Android and Windows.
It is just the maturity of software development that separates them.
Windows has been all things to lots of people for a very long time and Android is becoming that and more.
They are both very scalable from embedded systems to client/servers.
They both come in many form factors and Android even more so with the lighter OS.
While many argue that Android cannot do the heavy lifting, that is only because the application software is not there yet. The hardware is scalable and can do whatever you want.
Android is fast becoming the new Windows.
MS has abandoned the PC.
Out of curiosity I recently installed Android on one of my spare PCs & found it easier to navigate & ran faster than when I first installed & fumbled around trying to find once familiar settings in Windows 8.
Of the two I prefer Android & will never use Windows 8!