4 ms·

They did that for xbox, and it worked wonders.

by gcb 15y ago

PakG1 15y ago
Hehe, I said the same thing in another thread, but got majorly downvoted. But I think you're right.
cageface 15y ago
The same strategy could certainly pay off here if they're willing to play the long game. They've shown a lot more courage than Google in reconceptualizing the UI and they seem to understand how important this platform is for their long-term survival so I certainly wouldn't count them out yet.
- SlipperySlope 15y ago
  But Microsoft could lose the long game too! Suppose that Metro does not play well on ordinary PCs, and sales of conventional laptop and desktop PCs, not only stop growing, but actually start declining as users instead upgrade to very capable smartphone and tablets. Once PC sales decline, then Microsoft profits will suffer in a disproportionate manner because of all the money losing business units that are supported by Windows, Office, and enterprise cash cows.
  - corporalagumbo 15y ago
    As a user of bother OS X 10.7 and WP7, I have to say at this point I have more faith in Microsoft to successfully push the desktop UI envelope than Apple. Lion is pretty much a mess of conflicting UI and usability concepts, and Mountain Lion seems to be more of the same. Unless Apple is planning on completely overturning their entire integrated UI model (causing massive disruption to their carefully constructed iOS-OS X ecosystem) in the next couple of years, I think we're just going to see more of the same - basically a continued push to polish and refine the basic 90s desktop UI paradigm. Microsoft in the mean time seem to be pretty intent on throwing out all the old conventions and building the interface of the future. The tech industry is interesting, success can be very short-lived, and can come at a high cost - inflexibility. Microsoft is in a flexible position, and can move much faster than Apple. Apple's success in the late 00's may hamstring it for the next stage of the digital arms race. It's just a question really of how sharp Microsoft's strategists are.
    - cageface 15y ago
      Apple has two very strong and mature products in iOS and OS X but they're both kind of boring at this point. Android is too similar to iOS to really be particularly interesting. There's definitely room for somebody to step in and try something new. I wouldn't have predicted that it would be Microsoft that did this but they seem to be serious.

They did that for xbox, and it worked wonders.

by gcb 15y ago

They did that for xbox, and it worked wonders.

PakG1 15y ago

Hehe, I said the same thing in another thread, but got majorly downvoted. But I think you're right.

cageface 15y ago

The same strategy could certainly pay off here if they're willing to play the long game. They've shown a lot more courage than Google in reconceptualizing the UI and they seem to understand how important this platform is for their long-term survival so I certainly wouldn't count them out yet.

SlipperySlope 15y ago
But Microsoft could lose the long game too! Suppose that Metro does not play well on ordinary PCs, and sales of conventional laptop and desktop PCs, not only stop growing, but actually start declining as users instead upgrade to very capable smartphone and tablets. Once PC sales decline, then Microsoft profits will suffer in a disproportionate manner because of all the money losing business units that are supported by Windows, Office, and enterprise cash cows.
- corporalagumbo 15y ago
  As a user of bother OS X 10.7 and WP7, I have to say at this point I have more faith in Microsoft to successfully push the desktop UI envelope than Apple. Lion is pretty much a mess of conflicting UI and usability concepts, and Mountain Lion seems to be more of the same. Unless Apple is planning on completely overturning their entire integrated UI model (causing massive disruption to their carefully constructed iOS-OS X ecosystem) in the next couple of years, I think we're just going to see more of the same - basically a continued push to polish and refine the basic 90s desktop UI paradigm. Microsoft in the mean time seem to be pretty intent on throwing out all the old conventions and building the interface of the future. The tech industry is interesting, success can be very short-lived, and can come at a high cost - inflexibility. Microsoft is in a flexible position, and can move much faster than Apple. Apple's success in the late 00's may hamstring it for the next stage of the digital arms race. It's just a question really of how sharp Microsoft's strategists are.
  - cageface 15y ago
    Apple has two very strong and mature products in iOS and OS X but they're both kind of boring at this point. Android is too similar to iOS to really be particularly interesting. There's definitely room for somebody to step in and try something new. I wouldn't have predicted that it would be Microsoft that did this but they seem to be serious.