Windows 8: This Is What Microsoft’s Future Looks Like

Credit is where credit is due. I have to give props to Microsoft for this one. Their long-term strategy makes a lot of sense.

Before I officially begin this post, let me say this: People in the tech “blogosphere” are terrible at assessing things. Everybody sees short-term and doesn’t look at things from an objective view. Frankly, thats bad because their readers actually agree with their opinions which are kind of misguided.

Back to the issue at hand: Microsoft showed off what the future of Windows will look like. I say you have to give Microsoft credit because it makes sense when you see what they are doing. Look at their mobile OS, Windows Phone. Look at the upcoming Xbox 360 dashboard and now look at the upcoming Windows 8. What stands out: They all look the same in terms of UI and this is a great thing. This is unification and synergy. Look at Apple and see what they’re doing. They’re doing the exact same thing with the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad. Thats what making them very successful. The transition from the iPhone to the iPad is so simply. There is no learning curve and users like that. Thats exactly what Microsoft is doing. When you look at the Metro UI, its going to be everywhere on all their products. Its going to be on the Xbox, on tablets, on slate devices and on phones. I think that is a good strategy.

I’m actually glad Microsoft didn’t actually release a separate touch OS and went full integration. Makes more sense. Google’s plan seems to be to merge everything together but there’s a lot of fragmentation, it might take time. Apple is gradually going there with the release of Lion. But Microsoft seems to have beaten both to the punch by getting there first. (Well technically, not until next year)

The only problem standing in Microsoft’s path is time. Windows 8 isn’t likely to hit full retail till fall 2012. We’re just getting some pre-beta and probably beta before full release. What is the competition going to do next year? Is Apple going to improve their OS experience along with good hardware? What about android? Are they going to get their act together and fully give users a OS that finally feels complete.

Microsoft is kind of in a different circle. Microsoft is just releasing a separate OS which has touch experience. They are releasing a new OS to the masses which includes a touch experience.

Total sidenote for this post: I officially hate fanboys. Sometimes I just want a critical look at a product but no we have to get an “Android vs Microsoft vs Apple” war. Its like a politically debate. Frankly, it disgusts me that some people who are vocal in the tech community won’t look at things from an objective view without injecting their obvious fanboyism into the topic. So grow up…

What Will The Future Of Personal Computers Look Like

A great blog post by Business Insider (link) really got me thinking: What DOES the future of Personal Computing look like?

From that Business Insider post, it seems most of the people who were interviewed seemed to be leaning towards a world filled with “tablets” and some see PCs become more like mobile devices. I agree with the latter. I’m on my laptop constantly in my apartment. It’s portable, has good battery life and gets majority of the job done.

Someone in the Business Insider post said that he believes that the PC will be gone in 5 years which I completely disagree with. It seems most people are thinking with their “consumer” mind and failing to look at the “business” side. That is, what about the computers which business people use in their offices? Is everybody going to be walking around with tablets and smartphones at work? In 5 years, will tablets be able to achieve the computing power of today’s laptops and desktop PCs? I just can’t see it. I don’t see big companies like Exxon going with tablets for their business.

I do see most households leaving behind Desktop PCs and going more mobile with tablets, smartphones and laptops. Most tablets still can’t do a lot. I see more people using their tablets to play games, read email and use apps. What about the big graphical games? Can it do an Excel spreadsheet? The keyboard is not good enough to write long worded pieces. One can buy the keyboard accessory to make typing a better experience but why not just buy a laptop instead?

In my opinion, I see the future of PCs being the Macbook Air added with some kind of cloud computing. Macbook Airs are the most mobile laptops and they have a great battery life and instantly turn on when opened. Google had a great idea with Google Chrome OS chrome. The idea of always having your data stored in the cloud and accessible even when your laptop dies. I think a combination of the Macbook Air along with some kind version of Google Chrome OS sounds like the future. Microsoft has been rumored to making some sort of clouding feature like that built into Windows 8. It should be interesting to see what they see at their BUILD event in September.

Concerning cloud computing, many say it hasn’t yet been proved which is true. But I can see it being around in 5 years and having some sort of effect with the future of PCs.

So what does the future of PCs look like? Hard to tell if one is to be honest. Some said netbooks were the future (Something I seriously disagreed with!). Everybody is leaning towards the “iPad” look. Some say more of a “mobile” PC future. Who knows. Maybe, we would have achieved virtual keyboards in 5 years. All I can say is that the future seems pretty bright. You never know what type of new technology could emerge but I for one can’t wait to see what happens….

Steve Jobs: Master Visionary

If you haven’t heard the news, Steve Jobs has officially handed in his letter of resignation as CEO of Apple. This is huge news in the tech world.

I’ve always said Steve Jobs was one of the best tech “salesmen” in the tech community. Steve could sell you a Macbook on a desert island. He was that good. And it has shown especially when you look at the growth of Apple.

I’ve never been a fanboy of Apple nor have I been a hater of Apple. This company is the most intriguing company I have ever seen. Sometimes I view Apple not as a tech company but rather a religious cult. Everything Steve Jobs seemed said was law and when a product was released, people would camp in line for days just to buy it.

I’ve never understood it. It still baffles me to this day. I find it odd and very peculiar. But perhaps that was the wonder of Steve Jobs. I don’t think I have been interested in watching a company’s keynote than an Apple keynote. Steve Jobs was a great speaker and he knew how to sell his products on stage. When Apple had a keynote, it was big news whether you liked it or not.

Love him or hate him, you have the man credit where he’s dude. He turned Apple around. For a while, different companies tried to get the “smartphone” thing right. Steve Jobs comes in and he sells us the iPhone. It wasn’t a “PC” phone that Microsoft tried to sell with Windows Mobile but rather a phone in which kids, parents and even old people could pick up and learn within minutes. It was not complicated and that’s why everyone bought it. Thats what I liked about Steve Jobs and the products he ushered in: Simplicity. The next step was easy: The iPod Touch. All he had to do was remove the phone capabilities of the iPhone and market it as a music/video device with apps and it worked.

Even with Macbooks. I’ve always shouted to the high heavens that Macbooks were way too expensive and always wondered why people still shelled out big money for them. Was it loyalty? Perhaps. But actually, it was the fact that people were actually paying premium for a great solid product. A product that was well-built, had a great battery life and had an OS which was fluid and not complicated.

Then came the iPad which till this day I view as a giant iPhone. But you know, it doesn’t really matter because it works. If you’re ever used an iPhone and you started using an iPad, the learning curve was basically non existent. It still had a grid of apps and still had swiping back and forth feature to view the next page of apps. But Apple gave developers tools to not just make giant iPhone apps, but to take advantage of the technology inside the iPad to make great apps. That is why till this day, the iPad is still the tablet most would prefer.

Like I said before, you have to give Steve Jobs his due credit. He hired people to make these successful products and gave his input and he saw his products going forward. He made word “smartphone” synonymous with iPhone and the word “tablet” with iPad. He made it difficult for competitors to have an advantage because when consumers think “tablet”, most would automatically think “iPad”.

Like when Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft, it was a sad day in the tech world. Today, Steve Jobs did the same, and we once again, “mourn” in a techy way.

My first smartphone was an iPhone. Great product from a great guy with vision. His loyalists, the Apple fanboys (and girls) can be pretty vicious when it comes to Apple products and in some ways, this sort of made me have a slight negative feel about Apple sometimes. Even the new iPhone commercials with the tagline “If you don’t have an iPhone, you don’t have an iPhone” have a sort of “elitist” feel to it especially when you don’t own an iPhone.

But regardless of how you feel about Apple, there’s no denying that Steve Jobs was a major disruptor in the tech world. It’s sometimes appalling when I look at other tech companies who at least don’t try to take a cue from Apple on how to design and sell products. Go ask Palm/HP and how they feel about their TouchPads which failed miserably. When Apple products hit the shelves, they were ready to go and never had that “beta” feel to them.

I can do nothing but tip my hat to Steve Jobs. He had great vision for his company. He turned them around when it seemed like they were down. Apple is a goliath and that’s all thanks to Steve Jobs. I wish we had more Steve Jobs in the tech world. Apple is going to do fine without Steve Jobs and I see no reason why Apple can’t continue to dominate although it will be a little different if Steve Jobs is not doing keynotes anymore.

My thanks Steve for a great job well done. I wish you happy health and good luck in your future endeavors.

PS: One more thing: Could you please make iTunes less insufferable? Thanks. Cheers

I Want A Real Tablet Competition

Let’s be real for a second: When someone says the word “iPad”, the first thing to come into your head is tablet. Average consumers whenever they see other tablets not named iPad, they ask, “is that an iPad?”

You see what I’m trying to say here: The word Tablet is synonymous with the word iPad and thats because there is a huge lack of competition in the marketplace. Recently, Best Buy actually told HP to take their TouchPads back. From what I’ve been hearing from the tech world, the TouchPad has potential but is just flawed.

What about the absurd amount of Android Tablets out there? They’re not doing so well either. Honestly, not one of these tablets actually stand out. The Samsung Tablet so far looks like the most promising one but the rest don’t really show as much flash.

Microsoft is working on their tablet solution but they might not probably hit the market until 2012.

What makes the iPad successful? Simplicity. Apple loves to dumb down technology. Thats not a bad thing. Apple makes products that even your grandma could use. Simple and no fuss. Thats what the iPad is. A homescreen with a grid of apps and thats it.

I have nothing against the iPad but I’m sick of seeing it everywhere. I love variety especially in the tech world. Before I go on, let me just state that I’m not really a big fan of tablets. But if tablets are the new thing, I would love to more variety of companies with different tablets. Android Tablets looks good but many say it seems unfinished and not mature yet. The HP TouchPad has potential but it is also unfinished. Microsoft looks like it could have something on their hands with Windows 8 but it all depends if it can execute well and how long before it hits the market (Fall 2012?)

So this is my plea to tech companies: Please make better tablet products. I and some people want some competition. Having a goliath like Apple and its iPad rule the market is not really cool. iPad is a cool device so why aren’t you stepping up to challenge it?

Here’s hoping you step up to bat and produce competition in the tablet marketplace.

 

Is There A Microsoft Double Standard In Media And Blogs?

If you haven’t heard by now, you’re were apparently supposed to be a “dumb” person if you used Internet Explorer. Well, guess what? The story was fake and no, you’re not dumb if you use Internet Explorer to browse the internet.

I’ve been wondering about whether this is a trend: Is there a double standard when it comes to writing and reporting about anything Microsoft related in media and blogs?

Maybe its me, but there are times I can’t help but notice that when there is a Microsoft related story, there seems to be a heavy amount of cynicism and skeptism. Is it because Microsoft doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to releasing certain products (eg. Kin)?

We all know that Google is king when it comes to search and Bing is in the far distance. I use both Google and Bing. I find Bing visually appealing and it does some certain searches better. Google though has overall a better search of the web and many habitually associate “search” with Google. But I sometimes can’t help but notice when some blogs and writers continously call Bing “bad”. I would like to know whats “bad” about it. We know Microsoft is pouring in a lot of resources and money into Bing and is slowly trying to catch Google in marketshare but I’m puzzled when I hear that Bing is a bad experience.

I may be a little biased here when it comes to Windows Phone because I own a Samsung Focus which has Windows Phone OS on it. But I think the same double standard principle can be applied to Microsoft’s phone OS. Granted, Microsoft was late in delivering an competitive touch OS for their mobile strategy and got smacked by Apple and Android. But you have to credit them for created a credible mobile OS. But for some reason, Microsoft gets branded with being “bad” or not “good enough” which once again confuses me. I think most of the bias however comes from online commentators most notably “fanboys”.

Which brings me to Internet Explorer. Like I said in the beginning of this post, this “new study” came out and most blog sites decided to run it as it was without checking whether it was credible or not. Basically I called BS as soon as I saw this report. Soon enough though, the report got debunked but not before everybody decided to take shots at Internet Explorer.
One could easily say that Microsoft was once again slow to make IE a competiting browser even though it had a large marketshare. Firefox came up and so did Chrome which in my honest opinion is one of the fastest and secure browsers I’ve used. IE9 is not a bad browser. It took me a little getting used too. Its far more faster and less frustrating than previous versions but unfortunately, its the still the butt of jokes on the internet.

These are just a few observations. Is is a double standard? Perhaps. But also, this could be Microsoft’s fault. They somewhat become stale with their products(Internet Explorer, Windows Mobile/Phone etc…) but they have somewhat stepped up their game and are actually putting out good products. I think Bing is a good search engine. Windows Phone is not as terrible people make it out to be.

Maybe Microsoft needs to go on a “We’re Not As We Used To Be” advertising campaign to change perception. But then again, the tech community needs to stop labeling and stereotyping certain companies. Apple is looked at as the Zeus of Tech Companies. Granted, they put out great products which are great quality but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own bad products of their own. The same can be said about Google.

Anyway, thats just my opinion. If you feel differently, feel free to comment

The Movie Theatre Experience Is Gone, Time To Switch To The Home Experience

I didn’t think it would happen this fast but I think its time: The movie theatre experience is no longer cool. In fact, I think movie theatres are dead.

Maybe I’m seeing it from my point of view but you have to notice something here. Going to the movies is just no longer fun anymore. When’s the last time you actually bought “movie theatre food”? Seriously, the movie theatres mark up their food prices up a %100. I can’t tell you the last time I bought food at the movie theatre. Movie prices are up and paying for a 3D movie? Forget about it!

Personally, I think the future of movies is in the home. Larger display TVs are getting cheaper now. Blu-Rays offer crisp visuals and great sound especially when you own a great surround sound system. You can even get projectors and watch movies that way. You can even buy a 3D TV if you have the money. Also, you get GREAT food other than popcorn and hot dogs in your own home.

The movie theatre experience is just not the same especially with this current generation. I’m talking about these kids. These young, loud kids who come to the movie theatre to hang out and when the movie starts, they whip out their smartphones in the dark and distract you.

Another argument against the movie theatre experience is the fact that you have to drive to the theatre and then find parking. And if you get stuck in traffic, that sucks even more.

Lets be honest, we would all like to sit at home and watch movies rather than drive to a movie theatre where we would be among people we particularly don’t want to be around and pay for expensive food. More consumers are buying Apple TVs, Roku Boxes, watching Hulu, watching movies on their Xbox and PS3s and watching Netflix.

Movie studios better start designing plans on how to deliver movies to the home. It sounds daunting but there’s nothing wrong with experimentation to gauge the public. Pricing and actual delivery might be complex but they should start looking at options. If a new movie comes out, you can start showing in theatres and after one week, you can start streaming to homes. Pricing? You could start at $20 to view maybe. Maybe put in a subscription and offer some extras. Partner with a cable/internet provider for streaming options.

There’s going to be a ton of issues first-hand: Streaming problems, movie rights etc… but honestly, I think there’s way it needs to go. I don’t like going to the movie theatre anymore. I rarely do. I mostly wait for the DVDs to come out so I can watch at home. I’m sure other movie theatre goers would agree with me.

Give it a thought. I think that’s the future of the movie experience. It begins at home

Rant: Dear Netflix Customers, You’re All A Bunch Of Whiners!

I didn’t really plan to write about this but the “anger” coming from the recent Netflix price increase is just unfathomable to me.

Here’s the backstory: Netflix, the ever popular DVD/streaming service recently decided to increase its price plan for its DVD/Streaming service to $16 a month. They also have seperate plans for an only streaming service for $7.99 and also a seperate plan for DVDs for $7.99.

I am not a Netflix customer. I’ve never undertstood its popularity but apparently people LOVE IT. Like I said, I don’t use Netflix but if I did, I would simply sign up for the streaming plan and simply get Redbox DVDs for $1 a night. Simple right?

But for some reason, people seem to be ”outraged”. You would think the people at Netflix stabbed puppies in the street with a smile on their faces. I already wrote a piece how people are spoiled by technology and this is a great example.

People are on Twitter talking about how they are going to cancel their plans. I say, they should go ahead and if they find a great alternative, good for them. But seriously folks, you’re mad at a movie/TV streaming service. Seriously, you are actually “angry” at price increases for television! Some of us (people in the real world) are actually pissed when we have to buy groceries and see the bill when we check out. (Seriously, milk is at $3.75!!!)

Its people like you who have the worst priorities in the world. Your government could actually default on its debt and instead of being mad at your government for failing to get a deal done, you’re actually mad because you have to pay more for streaming and DVDs??!!!

Apparently, you people seem to think streaming things is so cheap. You think everything is cheap. You think Netflix is not actually taken a lot of crap from the content providers to actually get you good TV and movie selection.

I have never seen so much misguided anger at something so trivial. If you want to quit, please quietly do so. Everybody and their grandmother wants to act like this is a great travesty and want to complain to anyone who will listen. Well, guess what, you’re all a bunch of spoiled brats who don’t deserve nice things.

I will sympathize you a little. If a service I was paying for raised its prices a little, I would be a bit mad but at least if that service is giving me different options, I wouldn’t be THAT upset.

Until Redbox comes out with a $2.99 DVD/Streaming service and Netflix is your best option, I suggest you stop complaining, select the best option you can and get your priorities straight.

Ads Aren’t Cool. You Know Whats Cool? Interactive Ads (Kinect Style)

Let’s pause and think about this for a second: Do we all actually hate ads/commercials?

I can kind of argue for both sides of the story. Don’t we all actually get excited to watch commercials when the SuperBowl is on? I all sit down and wait for the commercials to air. On the other hand, whenever I watch my favorite shows on Hulu, I could actually do without watch the ads. Even when watching a movie on television, it somewhat gets ruined when there is a commercial break because it ruins the continuation of the movie. On the other hand, it makes for a great bathroom break.

Advertisers have always been trying to find new ways to engage the viewing public and now they’ve found a new way: Microsoft Kinect

It’s a very interesting concept I have to say.

I’ve been reading many comments online (Just to get what people are saying) and most don’t seem to be in favor. Of course, I find their disdain is kind of misdirected. Many seem to forget that Microsoft announced at E3 that it would be getting Live TV on the Xbox 360. Many people seem to think that these ads are going to pop up automatically when you play games or something and I hardly doubt that’s the case.

I see these ads appearing more when you’re watching a show when watching the Xbox 360. Last time I checked, Hulu uses ads as well. You never know. Hulu might implement Kinect ads into their platform on the Xbox 360. I see these Kinect ads coming up while watching some shows on the upcoming Live TV portion of the Xbox 360 dashboard.

Everybody looks at commercials as Satan. I agree to some degree but ads aren’t that bad. Some ads are damn funny and I watch and laugh everytime they come on my television.

I think there may be more interactive ads outside of television and more in public. I would definitely interact with a touchscreen ad on a bus stop. But put in a Kinect ad at a bus stop, my interest level peaks higher.

Its too early to judge but this has potential. Like it or not, ads are here to stay. They’re not going anyway. Advertisers will always try to innovate to get you take notice of their products.

In the future, you’re probably going to checking out a holographic ad with Don Draper trying to sell you a Coke.

Windows 8 Is Unveiled And It Comes With Questions

Today, Microsoft finally unveiled Windows 8 to the public. I for one have to say this: Interesting.

A lot of people (including me) have been asking where was Microsoft’s tablet strategy. We all said that putting Windows 7 on a tablet was a sorry excuse for a touch oriented device especially in the age of the iPad and Android tablets. I have been very vocal about tablets in general (Rant). I of course have grown more accepting of them since that time.

Microsoft has to be given kudos have actually coming up with a very feasible tablet UI. Other people have said this just seems more like a skin. I disagree. All I can say that this is too early to make judgements.

Here’s a video on the new UI:

Impressions:

• It has a very Windows Phone 7 feel to it which is not a bad thing. It produces a nice experience and great transitions and seems to have a great feel to it. The use of multiple different touch keyboards is a nice welcome
• All apps seemingly will be developed using HTML5 (smart) and Javascript.
• IE 10 designed for touch

Couple of questions left unanswered:

• When will this ship?

Microsoft made a mistake getting Windows Phone 7 out late and are now playing catch up. Don’t expect this to ship in the Fall but it better ship early in Spring because Android could only get better and Apple will be Apple.

• What happens to old programs? How will they transition to the new experience? Will they get left behind?

From the video, it seems that Microsoft Office has been untouched. Why not develop a touch oriented Microsoft Office? It begs the question: Why not build products like Microsoft Office from scratch to suit the touch interface? I seriously doubt people want to use touch when using the desktop version of Excel. If thats the case Microsoft wants to make for its future touch tablets, its flawed.

Or maybe thats down the line and will be shown in September at Microsoft’s developer conference. I for one really hope so.

The dual OS strategy is an interesting one. I like the option of using both a touch system as well as a mouse/keyboard system. Believe me, there’s no way I’m blogging with just a touch keyboard. That would take forever.

So Windows 8 was shown. Will developers be interested? Will some of the Windows Phone 7 apps make a transistion to the tablet version of Windows?

Hopefully, all these questions will be answered at Microsoft’s event: Microsoft Build.

These tablet wars are getting interesting. Can Microsoft pull this off? Will Android perfect itself to be ready for primetime without being buggy? and what will Apple do going forward. It should be interesting…..

Technology Has Spoiled You

 

I’m beginning to notice a little trend in the tech community. I know that the tech blogosphere and community are supposed to be critical of the products and companies they review but I can’t help but feel like most people have become…..spoiled!

I’ve looked at some reviews of some gadgets such as smartphones and I think to actually dock points from the gadget because it has a “plasticky” feel and therefore makes it feel cheap is kind of overrated. Seriously, are we going to start criticizing tech gadgets because its in a particular color that WE don’t like?? How about we appreciate the fact that the damn thing has a touchscreen which allows you to manipulate things with your bloody fingers!!!

Let’s look at smartphones:

These things are basically alien technology. I mean seriously. I can go to almost anywhere in the United States and pull up my email, read a book, play music AND play games!?!! Thats amazing. And guess what? It can make calls too!  But what do people criticize about the particular smartphone? It doesn’t have [Insert app] on it.

I don’t people realize how fortunate they are to have such existing technology.

Here’s a cool story:
One day I was lost on my way to the bus station in New York. So what did I do? Pulled out my smartphone, opened maps and got the right directions. Took my 2 minutes. I even played a game of Angry Birds while I got the right train to my location.

People complain a lot especially on the blogosphere about how product X sucks because it doesn’t have so and so features. If I have to hear about how a product doesn’t flash, I’m going to scream. What do you mean it doesn’t have flash! It has a freaking gyroscope and 3D graphics and its thinner than a pencil!

Maybe its me. I’m not the type of person who gets picky when it comes to technology. I just go out and afford the right type particular gadget I want. Maybe its the fact that I grew up with not a lot of technology around me and therefore appreciate the things I have now. I have a Samsung Focus, a Zune HD and a Toshiba Laptop. A simple collection of devices. A smartphone for my making calls/other stuff, a Zune HD to take care of my huge music library and a Toshiba Laptop to take care of web browsing, doing work etc. I love all these devices equally.

I’m not saying some tech companies and tech devices are not beyond criticism, but jeez, love what you have.

I don’t think I could have put it any other better than my guy, Louis C.K.

LOVE TECHNOLOGY AND STOP BITCHING