13 ms·

Is it too late to split Windows 8 into desktop and tablet versions?

15 points by rbii 15y ago

AndrewDucker 15y ago
If you want the pure Metro version then just buy an ARM tablet. The battery will last longer, and none of that awkward old-fashioned desktop software will run on it, so you won't have to be bothered by it!
- throwaway64 15y ago
  I think the bigger issue isn't that arm customers don't want a desktop, It's that desktop customers don't want to be forced to use an ill fitting touch interface.
  - AndrewDucker 15y ago
    Then don't run any Metro apps! I can happily continue to run all of my existing apps without having to touch the Windows App Store, or any other locked down stuff. The only downside is, apparently, the launch screen. If they don't see sense and allow a launch direct to the Desktop then I'll be annoyed.
    - sjs 15y ago
      I bet 3rd parties will provide a solution if that's not possible out of the box.
  - zmonkeyz 15y ago
    At the push of the button you'll be out of the Metro interface. It's not a hard concept.
nobody31415 15y ago
If you wanted a tablet that had no compatibility with Windows - why would you get a Windows tablet? You are stuck in the problem of either adding a 'bit' of backwards compatibility until you get into the state of supporting 1980s netware apps because some customer in one focus group mentioned them. Or you deliberately change things to differentiate it.
- nextparadigms 15y ago
  Exactly. This is why Windows 8's future is still very uncertain. If it wants to compete in the tablet market, it will have to be on ARM, no ifs or buts about it. But the problem is Windows 8 is starting from scratch on ARM, not unlike WP7 in the smartphone market. So why would anyone still want a "Windows 8 tablet" over an iPad or even an Android tablet, which would still have many more apps that work on it than Windows 8 for ARM? There's not a very big compelling reason to want it.
  - nobody31415 15y ago
    Corporates will buy it because it's Windows. Average Joe will buy it because MSFT has a massive ad budget Of the rest; (money>sense) > iPad : Android ;
    - NonEUCitizen 15y ago
      I think you meant: (money > sense) ? iPad : Android ; i.e. the 2nd '>' should've been a '?'
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
  - vogonj 15y ago
    the added value of a Windows 8 tablet over a Windows Phone device is that a heavily-encouraged subset of applications will run across those devices and a traditional desktop. Windows Phone will only run desktop Silverlight applications out-of-the-box (and even those require some cajoling.) Windows 8 Metro-style apps will run across desktops and tablets without any additional work. and 90% of the world still runs Windows on their "traditional" computers, so this is an appealing proposition.
- Osiris 15y ago
  I suppose it depends on what you mean by compatibility. It will be interesting to see if current .NET apps will be able run on top of the ARM CLR or if Microsoft will actually strip out support for anything that's not Metro.

15 points by rbii 15y ago

If you want the pure Metro version then just buy an ARM tablet. The battery will last longer, and none of that awkward old-fashioned desktop software will run on it, so you won't have to be bothered by it!

throwaway64 15y ago
I think the bigger issue isn't that arm customers don't want a desktop, It's that desktop customers don't want to be forced to use an ill fitting touch interface.
- AndrewDucker 15y ago
  Then don't run any Metro apps! I can happily continue to run all of my existing apps without having to touch the Windows App Store, or any other locked down stuff. The only downside is, apparently, the launch screen. If they don't see sense and allow a launch direct to the Desktop then I'll be annoyed.
  - sjs 15y ago
    I bet 3rd parties will provide a solution if that's not possible out of the box.
- zmonkeyz 15y ago
  At the push of the button you'll be out of the Metro interface. It's not a hard concept.

nobody31415 15y ago

If you wanted a tablet that had no compatibility with Windows - why would you get a Windows tablet? You are stuck in the problem of either adding a 'bit' of backwards compatibility until you get into the state of supporting 1980s netware apps because some customer in one focus group mentioned them. Or you deliberately change things to differentiate it.

nextparadigms 15y ago
Exactly. This is why Windows 8's future is still very uncertain. If it wants to compete in the tablet market, it will have to be on ARM, no ifs or buts about it. But the problem is Windows 8 is starting from scratch on ARM, not unlike WP7 in the smartphone market. So why would anyone still want a "Windows 8 tablet" over an iPad or even an Android tablet, which would still have many more apps that work on it than Windows 8 for ARM? There's not a very big compelling reason to want it.
- nobody31415 15y ago
  Corporates will buy it because it's Windows. Average Joe will buy it because MSFT has a massive ad budget Of the rest; (money>sense) > iPad : Android ;
  - NonEUCitizen 15y ago
    I think you meant: (money > sense) ? iPad : Android ; i.e. the 2nd '>' should've been a '?'
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
- vogonj 15y ago
  the added value of a Windows 8 tablet over a Windows Phone device is that a heavily-encouraged subset of applications will run across those devices and a traditional desktop. Windows Phone will only run desktop Silverlight applications out-of-the-box (and even those require some cajoling.) Windows 8 Metro-style apps will run across desktops and tablets without any additional work. and 90% of the world still runs Windows on their "traditional" computers, so this is an appealing proposition.
Osiris 15y ago
I suppose it depends on what you mean by compatibility. It will be interesting to see if current .NET apps will be able run on top of the ARM CLR or if Microsoft will actually strip out support for anything that's not Metro.