Posted on 09/17/2012 6:23:52 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is convinced that Windows 8 will be a winner, he doesn’t seem too impressed with Amazon’s Kindle Fire, and he expects Microsoft to build on its core capability in software to become more of a “devices and services” company in the next five to 10 years.
Those are a few of the takeaways from a wide-ranging interview with Ballmer published online by the Seattle Times Saturday evening, providing some insights into the Microsoft CEO’s mindset as the company prepares for the pivotal launch of Windows 8 this fall.
At one point in the interview, Seattle Times reporter Janet Tu asked Ballmer what Microsoft will do if Windows 8 doesn’t take off. Ballmer said he doesn’t have any doubt that it will do well.
“I’m not paid to have doubts,” he said.
Of course, Ballmer wants strike a confident tone in public, but his comments as published don’t acknowledge the huge risk that Microsoft is taking by overhauling the default Windows 8 interface to make the operating system work better on tablets.
In my experience, Windows 8 works well as a tablet operating system, but I believe Microsoft executives are underestimating the potential for a backlash from users of Windows 8 on traditional desktop computers, where the experience can be highly disorienting.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire came up during the interview as part of an exchange about tablet pricing. Talking about lower-priced 7-inch tablets, the Microsoft CEO asked rhetorically if anyone would ever use the Kindle Fire to do homework.
He said, “The answer is no; you never would. It’s just not a good enough product. It doesn’t mean you might not read a book on it.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Windows 8 provides the EXACT same desktop I have used for years. Just click on it!. Everything installed on my Dell XPS15 works!
This is ignorance by the reporters.
Bagdahd Ballmer propaganda.
Say what you want about Ballmer, but the man is more colorful and more of a clown than Bill Gates ever was. See his now classic : MONKEY DANCE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc
It is going to be a collosal disaster for Microsoft. It’s awful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4boTbv9_nU
Having been a windows user since version 3.0’ I think Microsoft makes too many changes, just for the sake of change.
Once users get past the learning curve of each new iteration of Windows, and get their production back up to speed, their servers updated, and figures out which of their customers have what version of Windows, for backwards compatibility of communications and documents, along comes still another new version of everything.
Take the newer “ribbon” that replaced the standard menus in MS Office, now I had the old menu system down pat, there was nothing I couldn’t do in Word and Excel, now with the new versions, it’s hunt and peck all over again. The whole conceptualization is gone.
And the, there’s the “library” filing system, very confusing for those who cut their teeth on the file and directory method. Duplicates everywhere, copies of files that I didn’t copy. I hate it.
Of course, I’m an old guy, and us old guys aren’t as fanatical about “change” as our younger counterparts, so maybe that’s the problem.
So far, what I’ve seen and read about Windows 8 , I want no part of it.
I know some people who have downloaded the beta test/development versions. Every one of them quickly switched to the traditional interface. They've got work to do and Microsoft's new interface got in the way of that. I expect that Google's top search term will be something like "revert windows 8 interface" when it hits the street.
Talking about lower-priced 7-inch tablets, the Microsoft CEO asked rhetorically if anyone would ever use the Kindle Fire to do homework.
Two words: Key Board. Add a real keyboard and most tablets have more than enough power to run the word processor/spreadsheet/internet browser you need for just about all homework. Would a 10-inch (or 13 or 17 or 26) screen be better? Yes, but the lack of a keyboard is the killer for entering info on a tablet.
And thinking about it, a tablet would be a great use for the virtual laser keyboard I saw a few years ago. It projects a keyboard on the desk and can detect where you are typing. The only thing missing is the feedback the keys give.
Y’all let me know how you like it. It’s getting about time to build a new desktop, and I’ll either go with Win 7 or 8. XP has been great, but since I’ve been using Win 7 on the laptop, I’ve decided to move on.
RE: Having been a windows user since version 3.0’ I think Microsoft makes too many changes, just for the sake of change.
I don’t think Windows 8 is “change for the sake of change”. This time, Microsoft recognizes that it can’t rest on past laurels with Apple, Amazon and Google creating the next wave of products AWAY from the Desktop ( which Microsoft still dominates).
Windows 8 is supposed to be the Operating System that runs on ALL devices, giving developers a uniform OS to work with -— Smart phones, Tablets, Gaming Consoles, Desktops and Servers.
Whether this be-all-to-every-platform OS will succeed remains to be seen. But no, I don’t think this is change for the sake of change. This is fighting for survival.
RE: XP has been great, but since I’ve been using Win 7 on the laptop
There will be no more XP support from Microsoft by the time Obamacare fully kicks in... that will be 2014.
The last thing I want to see on my laptop is something that looks like it came off an ATM or cell phone.
Hey! How did you get a copy? It says “October”.
The casual email or web page user might adapt easily to Win8, but hardcore user, used to multi-tasking on multiple screens will resist.
My main complaint with the Release Preview is that I need to concentrate on the software development or system administration tasks at hand, and not have to think about the UI components that support them. I typically have 2 24” monitors, with 15 - 20 windows open that I’m switching between. Win8 does not seem conducive to this.
Which preview version are you running? Because my staff and I had a good laugh - and shared some dread - over the first two preview versions.
At least with the first preview there was a registry hack to bring the Start button back but MS removed it in the second release.
And the design of the system settings interfacing was - like every new MS OS release - one layer worse than the last release. MS programmers are lazy and do not update the entire OS to the new shell style.
Which is absolutely idiotic because one or two properly written APIs would take care of it. They just don’t want to deal with it.
So when you start digging around the Control Panel, you end up encountering interface designs from Win95/98...2000...XP...7...and now, bits and pieces are Metro. For IT professionals, it’s a constant annoyance.
To their credit, Apple does a terrific job of keeping their control interfaces unified.
We’re MSDN developers.
Didn’t they say the same thing about Vista?
There have been pre-release versions out for some time. The most recent is the Release Preview. It’s available for download at Microsoft.com.
You would want to shut down Windows?
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