Posted on 07/06/2010 12:30:05 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Here’s the short story: Leaked NDA Microsoft slides that landed on an Italian blog site have spread like wildfire. The content of the slides shows that Microsoft is pushing some innovative technology for Windows 8, but also very much looking to Apple’s business model for inspiration. Here’s some analysis.
First, a tip of the hat to Mary Jo Foley over at ZDNet for condensing the story. She sourced the Microsoft Kitchen blog that covered the leak, and that blog, in turn sourced the Italian blog ‘Windowsette’ that scooped the leak, which in turn was picked up by most of the Apple rumors sites that I read. Bottom line? This stuff is everywhere.
But other than the plethora of new features, technology, and 2012 timeline Microsoft has laid out for the release of Windows 8, there’s one very interesting slide in particular.
No, you’re not seeing things. That’s an — allegedly — internal slide from the Microsoft Windows team, asking themselves how Apple does so damn well, and how they can mimic the results. The best part is? They’ve even focused on Apple’s mantra “It Just Works.” What’s more interesting than that is the focus on value and user experience. Windows Vista was a focus on flashier graphics, but didn’t do so hot in the UX field. Windows 7 finally started to nail that down, and my assumption is that Windows 8 will be much more fluid, futuristic and minimalistic-ly modern a-la Mac OS X.
Worth repeating: value is the focus here. Microsoft wants to create something people want to pay for, other than something people simply buy because it’s cheaper or preloaded on a PC. Apple has shown that a price tag isn’t as big of a deal when the product has a high level of worth and desirability and functionality.
Lastly, the above picture of the computer is — dare I say it — an iMac prototype clone for a “Windows” computer running Windows 8. In case you were curious, other leaked slides detail that there may be a Windows App store, plus faster start-up and shutdown time, a refocus on functionality and snappier user experience, easier recovery, restore and reset and a facial recognition system for logging in for enhanced security.
Officially, Microsoft hasn’t made a comment, but we didn’t think they would.
Here’s to Windows 8.
Cargo-cult design, doomed to failure just like the Zune.
Makes sense. Apple is the standard by which the industry is judged.
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery you know...
The faster we go, the rounder we get - sounds like Windows 1.0 taking GUI from the Micintosh.
Meh, I wouldn’t read too much into it. Computer companies, and especially software companies, “steal” ideas from each other all of the time.
Microsoft would be negligent if they didn’t consider what Apple is doing well that Microsoft isn’t, and frankly, the opposite is true as well.
” Microsoft immitating Apple)”
So what’s new? They always have.
Microsoft owns a portion of Apple. So why wouldn’t they use Apple Technology?
Microsoft owns a portion of Apple. So why wouldn’t they use Apple Technology?
ping
I use both Windows and Macs. But I use Macs 90 percent of the time, because they always work, and work well. And I was a Senior Windows Systems Administrator over hundreds of servers and PCs for many years.
“Microsoft would be negligent if they didn’t consider what Apple is doing well that Microsoft isn’t, and frankly, the opposite is true as well.”
Very true. Most people don’t know, or choose to forget, that Jobs and Woz (the Apple founders) originally stole the GUI idea from Xerox Park. The fact that they make better machines than PC’s running Windows isn’t because they’re more original, they just have a better quality control system in place.
Because they don’t? They sold off all their shares years ago.
Are PCs (laptops and desktops) even that big of a part of Apple’s revenue or profit base anymore? Seems to me like they really make a lot of their money from iPods, iPhones and, now, iPads. Those things sell in vast numbers and generate lucrative spin-off purchases of software and media from Apple’s e-stores.
I've seen accolades about Apples reliability from doing this, and asked if anyone thought the industry would be better off today if Microsoft had adopted that same model early on, instead of writing the OS to be as hardware agnostic as possible and letting the hardware industry develop around it.
So far no one will say they think it would.
Of course, now I am sick and tired of the Apple fanboys, but I am glad Apple has made it.
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