Microsoft needs a whole new touch OS on tablets, not Windows 7

Consumer Electronics
#1

Microsoft needs a whole new touch OS on tablets, not Windows 7.

[newsimage]http://static.rankone.nl/images_posts/2010/08/XY13p0.jpg[/newsimage]As of the writing of this post, Apple has sold approximately four million iPads. This number estimated to be higher than the combined sales of Windows tablets over the last eight years. That's right, Microsoft has been making tablet computers for years, so what are they doing wrong that Apple got right and what do they need to do if they want to compete?


Read the full article here: [http://www.myce.com/news/microsoft-needs-a-whole-new-touch-os-on-tablets-not-windows-7-33339/](http://www.myce.com/news/microsoft-needs-a-whole-new-touch-os-on-tablets-not-windows-7-33339/)


Please note that the reactions from the complete site will be synched below.
#2

You are right, and i believe that is why they are making Windows Compact Embedded 7 (the worst name of any OS yet?!)

I have had a tablet for a long time, and a Wacom Cintiq. As an animator, i love them, and I think that when people experience pressure sensetive computing on a device like the iPad (for drawing and writing), they may re-think Jobs’ opinion that the stylus is unnecessary.

But, in the meantime the iPad will continue to dominate, Microsoft needs to move quick or be in an iPhone vs Win 7-like hole.

#3

What’s wrong with Windows CE7?

Don’t forget that everyone hates microsofft …, and fanboi’s love apple.
That counts as 50% of total sales immediately … because Apple fanboi’s would all run out & buy the iCrapper if apple released it.

#4

I think Windows 7 might have a chance if the entire interface/design/input was reworked to accommodate touch (tablets). It’s possible to create an awesome experience for the user while having many of the same internal guts, in theory. We’ll just have to wait for the first Windows 7 tablets to be released before we can see if Microsoft dropped the ball or not.

#5

All the pictures I’ve seen for Windows 7 Tablets (like the MSI WindPad) show the standard Windows 7 desktop on it, so if they are coming up with a new UI it wasn’t in time for that tablet…

#6

I used the iPad in an Apple iStore, (See what I did there? :wink: ) and I wasn’t very impressed with it. Sure, it’s looks decent on first sight, but in my experience, it’s an overpriced novelty Apple are releasing to maybe try and gain more market?

For example, for the $400 maybe it costs, I could get a decent, functional laptop for that. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the iPad but when it comes to functionality, a laptop is clearly a winner and an iPad becomes yet another Apple novetly.

For example, the biggest turnoff/failure for me is the lack of headphone jack. Surely Apple want to be one step of it’s market appeal, which is likely to be teenagers, and what do teenagers do? Listen to music. I would have thought .

Seems like Apple have crippled iPad by the lack of extras it can come with. Sure, it may come with hundreds of apps and a smooth screen (My first, and hopefully last experience with a touch screen is with a godawful LG Cookie… But thats another story) but still lacks that freedom of a laptop.

The acceleorator feature to flip the screen round sounds convient, but how many of these people are going to benefit from this? I know I certainly wont. Infact, to me its an annoyance as soon as I tilt it slightly (Very clutsy) it flips the screen, so youve got to tilt it the other way to right it.

Argh.

#7

Huh? The iPad has a headphone jack… Also, if the screen is rotating when you don’t want it do, there is a screen lock slider that will keep it from rotating once you have it in the position you want.

A touch tablet isn’t a laptop, comparing them doesn’t make sense. If you want a tablet the iPad is currently the best product offering. If you want a laptop, don’t buy an iPad.

#8

I guess there are a couple of obvious points about this. First, Microsoft has Windows Phone 7, which is likely going to get installed on a tablet at some point whether they want to admit it or not.

Second, why do people think that consumers want a crippled OS to use as a computer? The iPhone is great for what it is, but is obviously limited in functionality compared to a full PC. Maybe we actually DO want a full OS on a tablet if it is done right.

When the iPad was first announced, there was a lot of questions about if it would add anything over an iPhone in terms of funtionality. I suppose it has added a small bit of functionality (ebooks, and the like) but it’s not a very useful device.

Who is to say Microsoft can’t create a tablet GUI which runs on Windows 7? Look at Media Center. That app simply runs on top of Windows, but is absolutely perfectly tailored to use with a remote control from 10’ away. I think they would be smart to layer something like that over Windows 7 for a tablet.

I’m still not sold on the iPad being a huge sucess. Checking the sales results so far from Apple, the product is definately selling well but not at any huge volumes. It will be curious to see how the volumes change over time. It’s just too early to tell if the trend will continue.

With 3.27 million sold in about 4 months, that is not great considering they sold almost 2 million iPhone 4s in 3 days.