It’s pretty much a given that major Microsoft product releases follow the release-first fix-later model these days (e.g. Vista → Windows 7, Windows 8 → Windows 8.1).
Should they adopt Apple’s “don’t-even-announce-it-until-it’s-RTM” approach, or would Google’s “launch-it-in-beta-and-fix-it-on-the-fly” be a better fit?
Click through for Owen Williams’ take on what Microsoft’s current approach is costing them, and what their options are. (via Svbtle)
Windows apps on Android: because that would be, ah, awesome
My inner geek loves the idea of running Windows apps on phones and tablets via WINE on Android, but I can’t help putting it through my will-this-actually-help-any-end-users filter, and, ah, yeah. WINE on Android is going to be completely and utterly useless. (Except maybe for my dad, who’s a sucker for any modern environment capable of running WordStar.)
Most Windows software is unintuitive with a large, 72dpi screen, full-size keyboard and two-button mouse. Who in their right mind would want to run any of it on a small device optimised for touch-based UI’s?
Not even Android sets its usability bar that low.
But you have fun, Alexandre Julliard. It looks like you know how to:
“Julliard uses an Apple MacBook for development of his software that runs on Linux to run Windows software… Android was emulated for his demo.”
Another Windows 8 review: “dog’s breakfast”
Oh dear.
Suppose that you are an expert user of Windows NT/XP/Vista/7, an expert user of an iPad, and an expert user of an Android phone… you will have no idea how to use Windows 8.
Sounds like the more advanced users at my school.
Why I’m not rushing to deploy Windows 8 ANYWHERE
Suspicions: confirmed. It’s the next Vista / ME, but so much worse.