Good morning, Larry and Chris
We'll be starting this debate promptly at 11am ET (albeit 24 hours late)...
Lawrence Dignan
Upgrade now
Not so fast
Christopher Dawson
The moderator has delivered a final verdict.
We'll be starting this debate promptly at 11am ET (albeit 24 hours late)...
I am for Upgrade now
I am for Not so fast
According to a new ZDNet/TechRepublic global survey, 73.7% of organizations have no plans to deploy Windows 8. Does that surprise you?
Traditionally, early on during a new Windows operating system release, it is not uncommon for organizations to have a "wait and see" approach to determine whether or not they are going to deploy the latest generation. This is consistent with what we saw for Windows 7, for Windows Vista, for Windows XP, and for Windows 2000.
I am for Upgrade now
More than a few organizations have only recently made the leap from Windows XP to Windows 7. Plenty of businesses are still running XP. Windows 8 is a great OS, but it's very different, very new, and, no matter how compelling it might be, the cost of an enterprise-wide upgrade is simply untenable for many businesses in this economic climate. These costs go far beyond licensing; the resource costs for IT, training costs, and potential downtime make for a huge impact on a company's bottom line. Just as importantly, Windows 7 is a rock-solid business operating system. It's not as if businesses are trying to erase the mistake of a Windows Vista deployment. When the economy stinks and the current system works well, the old "if it ain't broke" adage unequivocally applies.
I am for Not so fast
In that same survey, half of the respondents who said that they won't be using Windows 8 also said they may reconsider deployment in the future. How likely do you think it is that they will change their minds?
...considering that Windows Server 2012 is probably in most organizations' headlights and both the server and Windows 8 client are designed to work best together, in order to make the best use of both feature sets.
I am for Upgrade now
As I noted (and many other technology watchers have pointed out), there is a lot to like about Windows 8, especially if you have the hardware, software, and use cases to leverage its native touch capabilities. It's very early in the game, though, with a variety of touch-enabled, enterprise-class hardware just beginning to come on the scene and few businesses have really thought through how touch might be used to enhance productivity.
Within a year, though, the same consumerization that has brought iPads into the enterprise will be driving touch-optimized business applications and employees will be looking for modern user experiences. Normal upgrade cycles will also provide opportunities for Windows 8 to make its way into the enterprise, as will a wider variety of hardware that can take advantage of the OS.
I am for Not so fast
How much does this business caution about Windows 8 have to do with the fact that most companies have just come around to standardizing on Windows 7 (after a long haul with Windows XP) and how much does it have to do with the radical changes in Windows 8 itself?
While many organizations have made huge strides implementing Windows 7 in pilots or expanded implementations across the enterprise, the fact of the matter is that XP is still in huge numbers in many companies, and moving to Windows 8 from Windows XP would be a very radical change.
If anything, these organizations have waited too long to move to Windows 7 and are now faced with the very real possibility of refreshing their end of life PC systems running on XP with Windows 8 systems.
I am for Upgrade now
Given that consumers (and therefore business end users) are increasingly comfortable with touch and non-Windows operating systems on tablets and smartphones, the UI changes in Windows 8 are hardly insurmountable. However, enterprise-wide upgrades, regardless of the operating system, are expensive, resource-intensive projects that are difficult to justify under any circumstances. When the OS being upgraded is highly functional and well-tested, it's an even harder sell.
I am for Not so fast
The new UI in Windows 8 is cited as one of the biggest reasons to avoid it. Is the interface that radical and confusing, or do you think most professionals will quickly adapt to it and eventually prefer it?
Aside from the ability to run a new generation of applications, the UI is really just a program launcher with a new way of representing a menu structure, and there have been many kinds of main menus on operating systems for decades. Users have adapted to main menus before, and they will do it again.
I am for Upgrade now
Most users are already comfortable with iconified, touch-optimized operating systems on their phones and tablets so Windows 8, in theory, should be fairly natural for the smartphone set. That said, most workers are still going to be sitting in cubicles, pointing and clicking through Windows with a mouse. Windows 8 begs to be touched and, when it can't be, there's a disconnect that will be troublesome for a lot of users. How many people would feel comfortable using a mouse with their iPads? Not many.
When hardware that allows Windows 8 to be used as it was intended (i.e., on tablets, slates, convertibles, all-in-ones, and other touch-enabled screens) becomes mainstream, then users will gravitate towards the new UI and stop missing their cluttered desktops.
I am for Not so fast
...why enterprises are digging their heels in and avoiding Windows 8?
Had we not been in a recession with shrinking IT budgets and diminishing IT jobs, we would all be talking about Windows 8 deployments. IT has a lot of issues on their plate, including a wealth of infrastructure consolidation issues that need to be addressed in order to keep costs down. PC and OS refreshes just aren't on the top of the priority list at the moment.
I am for Upgrade now
Windows 7 was the first version of Windows for which analysts didn't recommend waiting for the first Service Pack. This was driven in part by the overall stability of the OS out of the gate but far more by the need to abandon Vista (because it was terrible) and XP (because it was well past its end of life). Most people, in fact, considered Windows 7 to simply be the ultimate Service Pack for Vista.
In the case of an OS that brings radical UI changes to the table, lots of new capabilities, and replaces a very good, relatively modern OS, then it makes far more sense to wait for that first Service Pack before even beginning to plan an upgrade.
I am for Not so fast
Since business is about productivity, most companies continue to do most of their work on traditional desktop and laptop computers. Meanwhile, Windows 8 is primarily about helping Windows catch up to the iPad in tablets (which have a few use cases in business). Did Microsoft over-compensate by forcing the tablet UI onto the desktop and is it going to hurt the productivity of average workers?
Again, most people who buy Windows 8 will do so on a new computer that was designed to run on it. This includes systems with touch screens and multitouch trackpads and mice.
It was essential for Microsoft to implement these changes in Windows 8 because we cannot dwell on the past, we have to look at the future of human/computer interfaces. While business organizations change their line of business applications and systems slower than consumers change devices, eventually, they will want the very same things that consumers want out of their computers. The alternative was to let Apple and others steal significant market share from Microsoft in the future on enterprise systems, and that was not a scenario Microsoft was willing to risk happening.
I am for Upgrade now
They didn't overcompensate - tablets and touch are clearly the future of personal computing. However, they're definitely up against a chicken/egg problem. It's hard to develop applications that make full use of Windows 8's touch capabilities when people aren't adopting Windows 8. On the other hand, it's tough to get people to adopt Windows 8 when there aren't compelling applications that make use of its capabilities.
The same problem applies to hardware. Until touch-enabled hardware is more commonplace, users won't be inclined to adopt Windows 8.
Finally, worker productivity actually stands to improve with these new capabilities and applications that use them.
In the meantime, though, Windows 8 doesn't add much value over Windows 7. For once, Microsoft is actually ahead of the curve here and it will mean slower adoption.
I am for Not so fast
What do you think about Microsoft's argument for unifying the computing experience across desktop, tablet, and phone? Are there enough benefits to justify it, or should these remain separate tools for separate jobs?
The difference is that Microsoft is leveraging its experience on the desktop against its mobile and tablet strategy, whereas Apple (and Google) are doing the reverse, and I would argue it is going to take Apple (and Google) much longer to unify their desktop operating system and mobile platforms than Microsoft will.
When the next-generation Macs end up running on a new systems architecture with a unified experience with iOS, will users and the media cry foul? I doubt it. But this is exactly what Microsoft is trying to do, right now.
I am for Upgrade now
This goes back to the idea of "the screen" -- a sort of Lord of the Rings-style, one screen to rule them all. Ultimately, we will be using lots of screens across professional and personal pursuits.
It's easier for users if those screens look and feel the same and have the potential to really improve productivity and promote the anytime/anywhere work ideal. Again, though, the hardware and software ecosystems aren't there yet to make this happen. Apple and Google haven't been able to truly unify our screens and computing experiences. It will take Microsoft some time as the newcomer to this space to make this happen effectively.
I am for Not so fast
... for the average desktop and laptop user?
... but it adds increased performance and improved security. It's much better optimized for handling more power-efficient laptops and also SSDs, has a much lower memory footprint than its predecessor, has better networking performance and also significant performance improvements in graphics and video rendering.
I am for Upgrade now
One could argue for some moderate security improvements, but Windows 7 has proven to be fairly secure and highly manageable in the enterprise. Windows 8 also has some performance enhancements, but any relatively modern hardware runs Windows 7 well.
Aside from the cost and effort of upgrading, this is perhaps the best argument for holding off on Windows 8 roll-outs in the enterprise. Until we leave traditional hardware behind and embrace tablets, convertibles, and all-in-ones, there is very little to be gained by moving to Windows 8. In fact, the OS is really not optimized for a standard desktop computing experience.
When Office is redesigned for touch, when organizations begin to work more graphically and collaboratively, when meetings become less about PowerPoint and more about interactive, digitally captured sessions, then the benefits of Windows 8 will become apparent and organizations should make the leap.
Until then, it's just introducing a learning curve and across-the-board expense will little added value.
I am for Not so fast
Are Windows 8 tablets, hybrids, and convertibles good enough to draw a significant number of business users away from traditional laptops and PCs?
I think that as we see more and more Ultrabook and convertible/tablet hardware come out of the OEMs, it will be much more apparent that these are the logical successors to the existing crop of Windows 7 laptops and PCs. Some business users may already find immediate use cases for the products that are available now.
I am for Upgrade now
The first generation of these devices may not have the performance for which many users are looking. However, in progressive organizations that embrace collaboration, brainstorming, micromobility, and ad hoc productive interaction, tablets can be great tools for getting things done. Higher performance hybrids also allow even power users to manage a single device instead of a laptop/desktop and a tablet.
This dual-device paradigm has become quite common and is expensive and cumbersome. If prices can moderate a bit, performance can improve a bit, and corporate culture can relax a bit (Death by Powerpoint has to die), then Windows 8 tablets and hybrids will be powerful tools for business.
Most organizations and users simply aren't there yet, though, and the hardware needs 8-12 months to reach maturity.
I am for Not so fast
What needs to happen for Windows 8 to win enterprise adoption on the desktop?
I think the longer that organizations hold on to the Windows XP systems and realize that there's no way out other than to replace their hardware with Windows 8 PCs, laptops and tablets, the more significant adoptions we'll see. But as I said earlier, this is no different than any other Windows upgrade cycle than we have seen before.
I am for Upgrade now
Cubicles need to be abandoned in favor of collaborative meetings and comfortable creative spaces. In essence, a cultural shift is more important than a hardware/software shift.
I am for Not so fast
And thank you readers -- for joining us, for contributing your comments, and for casting your votes. Check back later today when Larry and Chris present their closing arguments. And make a final swing through on Thursday when I deliver my final verdict.
I am for Upgrade now
I am for Not so fast
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Lawrence Dignan
Christopher Dawson
Jason Hiner
This debate offered two legitimately different perspectives on how the enterprise should approach Windows 8 deployments on the desktop. As Larry pointed out, if you're still on Windows XP, there's an argument to be made for just moving your latest upgrades to Windows 8 and not Windows 7. It could save you some effort later, and Windows 8 does offer security and performance improvements that aren't insignificant. However, because of Windows 8 being so tied to the touchscreen experience, I have to agree with Chris that Windows 8 "is really not optimized for a standard desktop computing experience." And, for that reason, he gets the nod and businesses should be very wary about using Windows 8 on their standard PCs. There's just not enough value to match all of the pain and inconvenience of learning a radical new user interface.
Posted by Jason Hiner