Bulldozer00's Blog

Bill Gates is obviously biased, but Bob Lewis is not. What they have in common is the same contrarian opinion as BD00: Windows 8 is better than  iOS and Android. OMG! WTF?

The iPad is better done. It’s more polished and has fewer irritations. None of this matters when the subject is getting work done. For that, Windows 8 is the superior tablet OS… When you have to get down to work, even with all the aggravations there’s really no contest. – Bob Lewis

But a lot of those (iOS and Android) users are frustrated, they can’t type, they can’t create documents. They don’t have Office there. So we’re providing them something with the benefits they’ve seen that have made that a big category, but without giving up what they expect in a PC. – Bill Gates

I know, I know. There are equivalents for Microsoft office on iOS and Android. But they don’t stack up very well against Microsoft’s well-integrated, flagship application suite. Android and iOS are touch-centric, which is a boon to consumption, but Win8 embraces touch, the keyboard, and the mouse all as first class citizens. Simply stated, iOS and Android are superior when it comes to consuming content, but Win8 is king at facilitating both consumption and creation.

I have a Kindle Fire HD and an iPhone 5, both of which I love for consumption of content. I don’t own a Win8 tablet or all-in-one PC yet, but being a somewhat creative blog writer and dorky graphics sketcher, I’m gonna get one or the other soon.

In addition to Mr. Lewis and Mr. Gates, Dr. Dobb’s editor Andrew Binstock  equivalently states ( “The Ever-Fatter Thin Client”):

But the vision of a tablet cum keyboard as the new model of PC is right on. This is the fat client come to the new form factor. I believe the future is heading in that direction and that the Microsoft Surface leads the way. I’ve been using an Intel-based Surface Pro for several weeks now and very much like the combination of PC and tablet that it provides. The device, while considerably more expensive than the standard tablet, represents a believable next step for the industry — a full PC (with Intel processor, SSD disk, 4GB RAM, 1920×1080 screen) that can be used as a touch-enabled tablet. Only battery life and cost stand in the way of wide acceptance.

Lately, Microsoft’s financial performance has been deteriorating because of the rise of the thin tablet. However, like they always seem to do, I believe the company will recover and come to the forefront once again. The software “thickness” of Win8 and the hardware “thickness” of Intel’s CPUs will eventually win out in the long run because they facilitate both consumption and creation much better than the current bevy of alternatives.