Windows 10 is a better tablet OS than Chrome OS, huge opportunity for Microsoft
The iPad is clearly the tablet leader, but there is still a huge opportunity here for Microsoft. The Pixel Slate running Chrome OS makes it official: Google isn’t using Android on tablets anymore. So the battle for 2nd place in the world of tablets is between Windows 10 and Chrome OS, and Windows 10 is definitely the better tablet OS of the two. And then there’s brand reputation that has to be considered. When people think of the Pixel line, they don’t think of rock solid reliability and QA, and most people still are more comfortable with Windows than they are Chrome OS.
With Qualcomms fast Windows-optimized chips coming out next year, we could even see Microsoft solidify their 2nd place in the tablet world, I just don’t see how Chrome OS could compete with upcoming Qualcomm powered Windows 10 tablets (I’m guessing the Surface Go 2 will be Qualcomm-powered and fantastic all around). Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this, I really didn’t think that in 2018/2019/2020 there would still be an opportunity like this in the tablet space, I would have guessed it would be an iPad/Android duopoly just like smartphones. I hope Microsoft puts up a real fight here, it would be a shame if they don’t
Conversation 58 comments
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shameermulji
<blockquote><em><a href="#373305">In reply to VancouverNinja:</a></em></blockquote><p>This is the equivalent of "Year of Linux on the desktop". I'll believe it when I see it. It it happens to work out for MS, good for them.</p>
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shameermulji
<blockquote><em><a href="#373499">In reply to FalseAgent:</a></em></blockquote><p>ChromeOS is growing a lot in the K-Grade 12 education and even that only the USA. </p>
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PeterC
<p>Ive been chewing over replying to your comment for hours. So to be clear these are just my opinions which people will disagree with etc, but whatever, lets go. </p><p><br></p><p>Ive owned and used "Surface" in one incarnation or another since they were released. Tablets have proved themselves to be highly portable and excellent content consumption devices, the only tablet ish device that has claimed any real content creation potential is the Surface Pro, but in all reality only when in desktop mode, and often when connected to monitor etc. We now have the pixel slate and ipad pro in the mix too, but in my opinion its still really early days for anyone to claim any kind of victory when it comes to tablets and content creation. I can easily throw a variety of day to day tasks at all 3 options and they would fail miserably at them, each in their own unique way.</p><p><br></p><p>With regards windows, the only variant of windows that had "the potential" to be a content creation interface was win 8.1. Now it didn't have what was actually needed to do the tasks, but the 8.1 navigation method was very touch friendly and could have been a ground base to develop a successful and different windows interface for tablets to be more productive and creation tools. I always thought MS made the mistake of combining the desktop and tablet OS. Surface Pro needed to be a tablet, Surface Laptop for example is a desktop etc.</p><p><br></p><p>After all these years of using the surface(s) I come back to questioning really whether full Windows should be used on tablets, when a tablet is viewed as a primary touch based device that is both portable and powerful. <u>I'm of the opinion full windows IS NOT SUITED to this type of hardware device</u>. Im totally convinced of that sentence too.</p><p><br></p><p>Looking back, Surface RT was office apps and some content consumption in a locked up variant of windows. Back then I was adamant that I wanted all my "windows software" on my tablet and it was travesty that it was neutered and couldn't be done etc etc blah blah blah. So all those years later, I have….. an ipad that does my content consumption and a docked surface pro that does my desktop computing, and on occasion become my portable laptop ish tablet thing. Its looney. I have all my windows software on the tablet, that has to be docked and connected to a large monitor so I can use it !!!!! </p><p><br></p><p>Would a modern re-incarnation of surface RT that ran MS apps and android apps be enough for me. Totally. Sat next to decent desktop/laptop and syncing would be fine. Are there any consumers in numbers out there to buy big time into MS again – NO.</p><p><br></p><p>However if MS were to have developed a more touch/inking UI for windows that hasn't seen the light of day yet which could be installed say alongside full windows then the real Surface Pro potential that is still sitting there would be unleashed. But im not seeing any signs MS are doing that. To do it would indicate MS will again one day take a tilt at volume hardware as a business strategy, and I don't see that under Nadella at all.</p><p><br></p><p>I look at the ipad Pro and go, if MS release Full Office for it, that can run my scripts code macros etc, would I switch. Its possible, very possible. (But i'd still have to dock it to a larger monitor for much of my productivity use).</p><p><br></p>
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shameermulji
<blockquote><em><a href="#373923">In reply to PeterC:</a></em></blockquote><p>"the only tablet ish device that has claimed any real content creation potential is the Surface Pro"</p><p><br></p><p>Disagree. There are many apps on available for the iPad Pro that will help you create content, whether it's documents, video, illustration, audio, not to mention that Photoshop for iPad Pro is releasing next year.</p>
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PeterC
<blockquote><em><a href="#374085">In reply to shameermulji:</a></em></blockquote><p>I don’t disagree, but my points are from a 5 year surface user, the iPad Pro is more recent and for me is now becoming a viable option, if full MS office is released for it. Ok I could use the online portal, but I don’t on my surface pro so that’s my guide in this.</p>
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PeterC
<blockquote><em><a href="#374136">In reply to waclark57:</a></em></blockquote><p>>> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">And when it comes to content creation what does that really mean? People use this argument all the time to say tablets can't be used for "real" work. But when you consider what the majority of people do at work, it's emails, reading and editing documents and spreadsheets, using the Web to search for information, filing expense reports, booking travel and so on. All of which can be done on a tablet.</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> </span></p><p><br></p><p>Absolutely – content creation and real work, as you put it, is whatever work anyone is tasked with at any given time. The list you mention though would be better achieved on a Surface Laptop, with its screen size, more than a Surface Pro, in my opinion. I dock my Surface Pro to use larger screen sizes and use an i7 8Gb variant. Its tablet sizing makes it supremely portable and baggable. BUT Windows 10 aint no tablet and touch first OS. I hold my ipad and Surface next to each other and repeatedly go "now if only they were combined"……….</p>
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shameermulji
<blockquote><em><a href="#374188">In reply to PeterC:</a></em></blockquote><p>"I hold my ipad and Surface next to each other and repeatedly go "now if only they were combined"………"</p><p><br></p><p>MS had that, or at least the idea of that, with Surface RT. </p>
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PeterC
<blockquote><em><a href="#374253">In reply to shameermulji:</a></em></blockquote><p>yes I agree. Sadly I/we didn't necessarily appreciate that at the time. Shame we all got so wrapped up in the Windows 8 start/desktop drama and the problems installing it on our existing PC's. </p>
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shameermulji
<blockquote><em><a href="#374124">In reply to waclark57:</a></em></blockquote><p>"They have done that largely due to price. "</p><p><br></p><p>Price is only half of the equation. The other half is the real ease of deployment and management.</p>
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Bats
<p>For tablets there is no gloing future for Windows, unless a more overhaul to OS is done. As for Chrome OS, it's a glorified browser. Chrome OS is basically in every Windows PC in the world thru…..and Mac. Everyone who has PC wants to use Chrome. Plus who thinks Chrome OS is rejected. They are using it in schools, because it's easy to use and maintain.</p>
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PeterC
<blockquote><em><a href="#375059">In reply to Bats:</a></em></blockquote><p>Chrome OS in schools has traction in the US – BUT not Europe, not at all. Its windows and ios ipads in schools.</p>
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