Just what is happening to Windows, and where exactly is it heading? With Microsoft embracing competitors, going all in on open source and supporting Linux within Win10, Windows purpose in life is sort of bluring – losing it’s focus. MS seem intent on adding every single feature they can think of to Windows. Some work, some don’t, but it’s not slowing MS down. This means Windows is becoming a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. Stability and reliability are now afterthoughts – and those were Windows core values at one point, back in the day, especially for the Enterprise. Now, it’s all about adding value, user monetization, services, telemetry, feature count and numerous other non-essential items, all at the sacrifice of what Windows use to be about.
People used to laugh at Linux fragmentation, and still joke about Android having the same problem. What about Windows though? How many ‘supported’ versions are now out in the wild, with more due. Every feature update of Win10 is, in essence, a completely new OS build, meaning fragmentation in the Windows world is a growing thing. The fact MS also can’t develop stable builds anymore mean users are either deferring updates for as long as possible, or using other methods to block them altogether, all in the name of wanting something stable and consistent.
By all accounts, inside Microsoft, Windows is now a rudderless ship – passed from team to team as they try to keep momentum going, yet ignoring feedback and pushing on with this relentless and unsustainable dev cycle. The 2018 releases were indications there are big problems, and if 2019’s releases aren’t any better, I can see customers starting to look elsewhere, and once that happens, the flood gates could open. The truth is, for many, Windows is familiar, but not essential. There are alternatives that would work just as well – if not better – but it’s like people still don’t want to look or consider them, but that may change. Maybe companies like Google, Apple, Canonical etc are just waiting for Windows to self implode. It’s not unfeasible.
Bats
<p>Still joke about Android fragmentation? Dude,….about 99.9% of the world doesn't even know what that is (lol). All they know is that when they turn on their Android smartphone, that it just works. Seriously…..I dare you to go to the mall and find someone with an Android phone and ask that person if he or she knows what fragmentation means? LOL….I DARE YOU! (That is a tired argument)</p><p><br></p><p>Windows is not "LOSING" focus. Rather, it's losing purpose. Windows can't do SH*T anymore. It's not 80's, 90's, or even 2000's. </p><p><br></p><p>A few hours ago, I just came back from Sam's Club. I ended up needing to two carts to bring the stuff that I bought back to my SUV. Do you know how long I waited in line to pay for my stuff? Take a guess…………………………………………………………zero (0) minutes. I could even be more specific than that. Zero (0) seconds. That's because Sam's Club allows the customer to put all the items he/she wants to buy in the cart and then…..THEN…..pay it through their smartphone, thus skipping the lines. LOL…..that's not going to happen with a Windows PC, …………ever! </p><p><br></p><p>The world of computing is changing. Desktop computing is a thing of the past, where it was once the only tool to do things with. Now it's not. One can do anything and everything in a smartphone, than one can do on a Windows PC. To further prove my point, I just started doing my taxes online via H&R Block Online and completed about 25% of the process. LOL…the next 60% of the process, I completed on my smartphone. The app is called H&R Block Tax Prep. </p><p><br></p><p>The point being is this……there is really nothing more Windows can do. Google, Apple, etc….are not waiting for Windows to implode. Those companies (more Google) are moving the computer industry forward with AI and the cloud. Microsoft is trying to do the same exact thing, because they know Windows has no future. Stationary desktop computing has no future, unless it has a specific professional purpose. Other than that…….Stationary Windows OS computing is done. </p>
PeterC
<blockquote><em><a href="#405488">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>Totally spot on. Great comment. We’re rapidly moving to a place where you choose your “consumer services provider” your “productivity services provider“ and your “games service provider” you utilise/access these on whatever hardware product your purse can stretch to. </p><p><br></p><p>The divisive topic of data security and privacy looks set to be the differentiator that the big players will fight over to win hearts and minds and obviously market share. </p><p><br></p><p>Once we transit to this type of market place I’m not sure how we can ever turn back. That worries me – not in a paranoid “good old days way” but in the future opportunity for creativity in business, as to succeed in business will require one of the big platform companies as a strategic partner/shareholder/financier and of course their input towards their strategic goals. That worries me.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406772">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>If you're right about dumping Win32, than blackcomb is right, it will be DOA. How many times will this Metro/Modern/UWP strategy have to fail before Microsoft gets a clue? The concern of memory usage is a topic that would have been more appropriate 10 or more years ago. These days electronic devices are awash with resources at a cheap price. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406572">In reply to christian.hvid:</a></em></blockquote><p>You're assuming, of course, that it's appropriate to mix these different categories. To be comprehensive, perhaps we should throw all computing devices into one category. Medical devices, microwave ovens, TV sets, industrial controllers, keyboards, mice, joysticks washing machines, dryers, cars, planes etc, etc. Gee, those mobile devices have kind of a small percentage of the general computing market. </p><p><br></p><p>The point is you can play games with how you draw the lines, but the fact is that while PCs and smartphones have some overlap in functionality, they still have unique characteristics where they don't compete. The sale of a smartphone doesn't necessarily imply anything about a PC sale.</p><p><br></p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406771">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>There's no technological advance possible that can eliminate the form-factor issues that small devices have with respect to productivity tasks. It's absurd to claim that the current generation of kids will grow up "pretty much only knowing mobile". Have you looked in a classroom? You're more likely to find that schools provide Chromebooks, PCs, or Macs than iPads or smartphones. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406860">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>Sounds like a lot of speculation on your part. Do you have a 7 year old child? I think it's safe to assume that few 7 year olds are engaged in productivity tasks. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406998">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, some young kids play with mobile devices, but how does that prove that they won't be using a non-mobile device in the future when they wish to perform more sophisticated tasks? </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#407185">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>Processing power really isn't holding mobile devices back even today. That's not where the problem is. The primary problem is the form factor. Yes, you can use schemes that turn a smartphone into a 2nd class desktop machine when tethered to a desk (or tethered to a local wireless link) for only a multiple of what you would pay for a laptop you can use anywhere. A viable laptop replacement has to be fully usable everywhere you can take a laptop. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406748">In reply to christian.hvid:</a></em></blockquote><p>My teenagers don't do any productivity tasks on their phones, they use their laptops for that. I don't know which anecdote represents reality among young people more closely, but clearly a PC would be more efficient for video editing in the general case.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406828">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>As I said, we can draw the boundaries any way we want. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406538">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>Mainstream users have no idea that wine exists. Wine is more of a proof of concept than a reliable way to run Windows programs. After more than 20 years of missing the mark I'm surprised it's still an active project.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406829">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>If one is serious about running Windows on another OS, virtual machines are the most reliable way to do it. If it's not that important, one can use hit-or-miss approaches. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406929">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>I didn't realize a lack of reliability was an attribute of convenience. For that matter I don't see why installing a VM is inconvenient relative to installing cygwin, or WSL. Of course running Linux command line tools on Windows is trivial compared to running full Windows programs on Linux or MacOS, so the two scenarios aren't that similar.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406978">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>Although I've used VMs many times, I've never timed how long a guest OS takes to load in a VM, but it always seemed to be negligible relative to the time spent using it. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#407009">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>With all the Linux-based Paint programs available, it's unfortunate that none of them meet your requirements. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406526">In reply to NoFlames:</a></em></blockquote><p>There's been no significant deflections to the Mac in general. It's not as if developer's money is more green than anybody else's. Historically, helping Windows developers to create Windows applications obviously promoted Windows beyond the developer community. How does WSL promote Microsoft products and services in general? I suspect that the preferences of young internal MS developers, having come of age in the anti-Microsoft, Pro-Linux era are the driving force behind WSL rather than any significant business case. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406815">In reply to hrlngrv:</a></em></blockquote><p>Although MS has added Powershell Core to it's list of .NET Core applications that nobody really cares about, Powershell was designed around Windows. POSIX tools remain a niche in the Windows world. As always "universal" tools are less effective that tools that were designed specifically for the environment they are going to be used in. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#407459">In reply to NoFlames:</a></em></blockquote><p>If the companies you work with are 90% Macs, they're definitely not aligned with market share statistics. Since open source is just a licensing option, it doesn't really matter what platform you target. </p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#406982">In reply to StoneJack:</a></em></blockquote><p>What I read is that Apple was asked a direct question whether they were going to merge iOS and MacOS and they answered "No". Isn't Marzipan just a porting tool?</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#407142">In reply to StoneJack:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm not sure if high-end ARM processors are all that cheaper than high-end Intel processors. And, of course, Intel could always lower the price if the competition gets tough. Macs have always been expensive, you can't pin that on Intel. </p><p><br></p><p>We can <em>imagine </em>all kinds of scenarios, but the only thing that counts is what is actually delivered. Historically the price/performance of platforms haven't varied all that much regardless of which processor family or OS is used. Low-end Chromebooks, for example, haven't been able to offer significantly better pricing than low-end Windows laptops whether they use Intel chips or ARM chips.</p>
skane2600
<blockquote><em><a href="#407868">In reply to ghostrider:</a></em></blockquote><p>IMO Windows actually <em>is</em> still Microsoft's #1 poster boy. Ask the average person what Azure is? Most people would have no idea.</p>