Microsoft needs a coherent OS strategy

I didn't see a sarcasm tag in the linked article, so...

Quoting: While Windows 8 as currently designed might not be the best or only answer, the idea of presenting one view across three screens is definitely the vision they should be pursuing --and they have to drag their whining users kicking and screaming with them into the future.

Because that worked so well for the Gnome team.

Quoting: Some people have suggested that PC sales are dropping because of Windows 8. Nothing could be further from the truth of course.

[citation needed]

I find Charlie Demerjian's viewpoint interesting: http://semiaccurate.com/2013/12/09/tablet-oses-killed-window...

Quoting:I find Charlie Demerjian's viewpoint interesting

Interesting indeed. What puzzles me is that his observations of the growth in tablets does not square with what I see on campus.

Could it be that students are recognizing that tablets are for consumers, and laptops are for work?

So the author seems to suggest they should double down on stupid...

One could only hope that is exactly what they actually do :).

In the past, those that needed a "computing device" but not necessarily a "computer", bought a computer because that was their only choice. Now not so much.

No doubt that accounts for part of the reduction in sales.

In the past, computer technology was moving so quickly that keeping a computer two years was suspect, keeping one five years was dumb, and keeping one ten years was for archaeologists. Now not so much.

No doubt that accounts for part of the reduction in sales.

Finally, some of the M.S. Stockholm sufferers look at Windows 8 and think "why would I want my computer to look like a telephone?"

No doubt that accounts for part of the reduction in sales.

Finally, maybe people haven't noticed, but the economy is still pretty iffy, maybe that's part of the problem as well?

It seems like every pundit wants to find one thing to blame. I suspect there are a number of factors that combine.

And I'm with dyfet, I hope Microsoft doubles down on the stupid. The sooner they are gone the better as far as I'm concerned.

@mrider

That's exactly what's happening. It's so obvious, I don't understand why everyone doesn't get it, particularly those idiots in charge at Microsoft.

There is a real advantage in having consistent coverage of service across all devices and many are doing this now via their cloud offerings in terms of hosting (e.g. audio media, email..). However, that doesn't have anything to do with interface which must be individually appropriate for the device in use. The bods at Microsoft don't seem to be able to make that distinction.

Although their OWA interface for mail in the browser is handy at times, you can see that they are desperately trying to make it look and behave like Outlook in a vain attempt at consistency. Because of this it could be so much slicker and simpler than it is just by letting go of the idea that it has to work in the same way. The backend services may well be the same, but the user's implementation does not have to be.