Mirosoft Looks AARP Right in the Eye
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: microsoft, apple, aarp, vista
Apple did a good job in bridging the gap between the desktop Web and the mobile Web with the iPhone.
That’s good, but a phone is pretty useless when you have to type a report, write an article, or even do a basic spreadsheet. Yes, there are people who use a computer for something besides email, IM, and RSS trawling. And when it comes to computers, Apple is more arrogant than aggressive. Going into an Apple store is an experience akin to joining a cult where you know they’re going to ask you to lie down on a shiny white surface, drink something deadly, and wait for the mother ship to take away the faithful.
Microsoft, on the other hand, should know better. It is a monopoly. It is battle scarred. It likes to win.
It used to.
Now, well now, who knows what the company wants. Vista is an awful upgrade. There may well be another Windows upgrade that will come and make IT managers happy, but Windows is no longer relevant, or accessible to the vast majority of users. It could be argued that neither is the PC. It’s an expensive utility. It is a product that kowtows to its corporate IT base without providing any real progress to the consumers that gave it its best features. Corporate IT guys did not spec WIMP, they did not ask for 3D graphics, or audio, or video. Consumers made all those things features for everyone.
Microsoft seems to have forgotten this. Perhaps Apple hasn’t because it doesn’t have corporate IT guys to worry about. Apple can make cool products, and define a market. Microsoft used to be able to do that, even if it was copying someone else. The crowd in Redmond seems to have forgotten who consumers are. They don’t seem to have any connection to their general audience. Maybe not even their IT audience judging by the reactions to Vista, but that happens every little iteration of the OS.
Underlying all of this is the fact that our basic computing platform, the PC, is an anachronism. Someone should have recognized that fact and did something about it. It doesn’t matter to the Web. It doesn’t matter to entertainment, and the more applications we move to the Webtop, the less it will matter to the IT guys, either. Why didn’t Microsoft do something drastic like give the IT guys Windows, and give us a redefined PC, one that would be Xbox compatible, say, and yet provide all of the inherently modern features of a mobile and connected world? Something that wasn’t so damn bloated and resource hungry and unwieldy. Then, perhaps then, they could have thrown impractical stuff like Microsoft Surface at this new machine and let the early adopters, the people who care more about the experience than productivity, handle it. Did Microsoft forget that crazy individualism helped to build the PC’s most interesting features?
Sadly, there is no replacement for the PC. Sadly, there does not seem to be anyone who can build an alternative.
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How much is Apple playing you guys for these articles?
How much is Apple playing you guys for these articles?
Aparently not enough to hire decent writers.
There are so many inconsistencies and contradictions in this blog that it is mind-boggling. I cannot fathom how someone so completely out of touch with the realities of the technological world as this writer could have a job writing about technology.
Take a deep, breath. Take another one. Try to make sense.
Don't get this.
As consumers drive the world on innovation, is the IT the one that gives Microsoft, and others, their constant cashflow with their subcription programs, that's what Apple would like too, that's why they have a server version of OSX, and are trying to get their systems work with Exchange and other software.
The importance of IT in the world is so much, that thanks to them we got Laser printers, inkjet printers (yes, the inkjet was designed for offices, as a replacement to the expensive laser printers) and flat panels, besides networking, and internet, if you think, more that 20 years ago, only companies had internet in their office.
Mass market products are almost tested in the office, not all of us had that amount of money when LCD panels where first released, or notebooks or CD writers, god! those where expensive!.
Apple is sitting on elitism and "self blindness", to the point as to change the core of their machines, it's processor to the Intel camp, in essence, a PC, a good looking one, but still a PC, with EFI, big deal, soon the PC will get one. I think that more that creating a new machine, Apple evolves to a new concept of machines (I know about this, as i used to have mac classic around when i was young, using appletalk, not ethernet, and even programming in it).
More than a replacement for PC's, the real need is an evolution, Windows Vista is going to the right place, it's not perfect, but better than XP in many things, just too bloated, but's that another story, anyway, we need another version and a real competition, something that may come true with ReactOS, as an alternative to Windows (i'm not including Linux, the idea is a Windows alternative).
It's true that people wants a system that just work, but it's also true that that same people, once they start learning, want to know more, want to do more with their PC, expand it, modify it to their own personal taste, and they must be allowed to do so.
What happens when only one manufacturer controls the market?, there is no possibility to customize your system, it turns out to be the Ford T of computers, Apple controls their own market too much, for stability purposes, and that's good, but i want flexibility also, and stabillity cannot be warrantied in that case.
So, it's easy to say, "Apple is good, PC's are bad", also calculators are good, but you don't want to install a new 3D card on that, you know it does what it does, nothing more, but PC can do more, much more, as Apple computers do, it's a matter of preference.
I choose PC, most of us do, and i'm happy, even if it hangs from time to time, that's the fun of living.
PD. sorry for my english, as isn't my native language.
I was going to point out some of those inconsistencies in this but... I realized I don't even know where to start, how does one reply to such an abomination?
Its ok, you write A LOT better than the author of this blog.
Is there supposed to be point being made here or did the author ingest some bad mushrooms? In either case, medical help is in order.
Wow,
So what exactly did Microsoft look in the eye... much less did this article discuss anything that wasn't pro Apple? Surely there is a good side to Apple, but not that many good sides.
I use Unix, Linux and Windows on a daily basis and I concur that Vista while not perfect, is a step forward. Each has its own benefits, but Apple is what marketing makes it. Microsoft doesn't have the marketing towards consumers.. ie I-pods. Microsoft markets itself to IT, where people can feel "cozy" that their software will work tomorrow.
Can't say the same thing about Linux if you use it on a daily basis and apply updates.....
Well said Gaevs. This really reads like the drunken confessions of a person who married the wrong person. Oh woah is me... My windows can no longer satisfy me like those gimmicky computers from apple!
... Wow well the beginning of this article was fine once I got near the end.. Well I think the writer also lost touch with reality. Uhm people want to use Microsoft compatible software and we can't run that on a new OS... Yes I think Microsoft needs to start over, and I also think Vista isn't what it should have been as Microsoft seems to have lost touch with the consumer and IT.
Vista is a bad case of trying to do much and not enough at the same time based off of what I have seen with the new Vista WDM (Driver Model) and a few other features that they added to Vista, not to mention what they have removed (like WTF happened to my file associations menu..... yes I know where what is left of it is).
"Mirosoft"?
Bleh, another baseless Vista bashing post... I can't believe I kept reading through this after the 3rd paragraph, it was something in me that was hoping there would be a valid point at the end.
Before writing any reviews on technology, please learn to make scene.
Tech reviews should also be unbiased, where here you can see author's hidden message "buy apple" (and I bet he gets paid for that)
Nice rant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I find this article to be baseless. Bashing Vista with no evidence outside of the writer's subjective opinion. Sure it's no gold medal winner, but it's an evolution from XP. I have no problem with it, the native x64 OS works flawlessly and is the first real x64 OS that I can depend on for everyday use. I'm sure many Corp IT guys are thankful for Vista's UAC (even if it can be an annoyance) cutting down unintentional viral activations and whatnot... I'm still waiting to see what happens to WINFS. I guess my point is, Vista was supposed to be a huge leap in one direction, but microsoft couldn't pull it off, yet. We're still left with a perfectly functional OS, but at the same time are let down from all of the hype.
I don't really see how OS X warrants any more praise than Vista, personally, it's all just a matter of taste.
Wow... I was so let down by this writing I had to stop and check to make sure I clicked the right webpage. I thought I had navigated to some kind of userblog. I'm not going to arse myself to read the article again because it is that awful, but I must know this, by AARP do you mean the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons? Cause thats what the article tags take me to. Maybe its right in front of me but the only thing I can think of is a allusion to Microsoft needing to retire from the IT industry? However if that is your point I don't understand the reference to Apple. I don't understand why Apple is the first word of the first sentence. I don't understand why Microsoft isn't mentioned until the second full paragraph.
I am generally very supportive of Toms writers. A spelling mistake here and there really is not a problem for me, however this article has no direction. It simply bounces from point to point like the rantings of a drunken person.
Wow... I was so let down by this writing I had to stop and check to make sure I clicked the right webpage. I thought I had navigated to some kind of userblog. I'm not going to arse myself to read the article again because it is that awful, but I must know this, by AARP do you mean the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons? Cause thats what the article tags take me to. Maybe its right in front of me but the only thing I can think of is a allusion to Microsoft needing to retire from the IT industry? However if that is your point I don't understand the reference to Apple. I don't understand why Apple is the first word of the first sentence. I don't understand why Microsoft isn't mentioned until the second full paragraph.
I am generally very supportive of Toms writers. A spelling mistake here and there really is not a problem for me, however this article has no direction. It simply bounces from point to point like the rantings of a drunken person.
Lemme try and write this, been a while since I've written anything in english...
It's senseless to bash any platform, regardless of who makes it or how they behave and stuff. Apple may be elitist and all, but their system is pretty good and stable. Vista is still my #1 choice, though, because practically everyone I know has a PC, we edit in pc, we repair pcs, and all that. That and the games I play aren't available in Mac, and that's a pain. However, for tough, industrial work, Apple doesn't let down either.
Both platforms have their good points. Not worth bashing any of them for some flaws. All systems will have flaws. Apple's too expensive (regardless of the pricing, there's a thing called 'warranty' that I don't ever wanna mess with, so I won't be breaking it open if I do get one just to upgrade something that would've cost me a fortune to add at the store itself), and OSX is still not very compatible (games, audio editing programs. yeah, I know Logic pro's there, but that's too complicated for what I do. I need Audition...). Vista... it's bloated and UAC annoys a lot (ended up turning it off). It's up to the manufacturers to get rid of those flaws in the next release. Vista IS bloated, in comparison with XP, but if you take that out, Vista is an improvement to XP. If Windows 7 gets rid of the bloats, and improves upon the interface, then we'll have a killer OS. However, since the work I'm in now is slowly being forced to use OSX, I ALSO want Apple to get with the program.
"Why have both get better? We hate !" Because in the end, the consumer wins.
Oh, when the author said "xBox compatible", what did he mean? My Media Center connection works flawlessly here... just a thought.