Elijah Ketchum
Microsoft has really hyped up their new plan to bring Windows tablets into the mass market. With Windows 8, Microsoft is trying to combine a software experience into both tablets and PC’s, bringing about a new wave of usage. Microsoft wants to develop apps that work seamlessly on both, and they want to build an environment where a user doesn’t feel any different when using a tablet compared when he uses his PC. This all sounds great and all, but in order to execute this plan Microsoft would have to do a lot of things we’ve never seen before in the mobile market and in the PC market.
Apple thinks this is the wrong way to go.
According to Tim Cook, Apple is purposely making MacBooks and iPads two completely different ecosystems. Answering a question about MacBook-iPad hybrid being a viable product in the future, Tim responded with a blunt but solid “no.” In fact, he went as far as using an analogy of combining a toaster and a refrigerator, explaining that these devices work great on their own, but combined would not be very pleasing to the user. Apple believes that streamlining two products down to one is “compromising” because somewhere in that process you will lose what makes these products work great for consumers. Apple has downright perfected their tablet. Not to say, it is perfect, but in comparison to the rest of today’s tablet market, the iPad is destroying the competition. Just look at the earnings numbers released today in the conference call. Apple recorded the best Q2 earnings call ever for the company, and iPads played a huge roll in doing so. Apple sold 11.8 million iPads in Q2 which is a 151% increase. They’re clearly doing something right.
Microsoft on the other hand, is having trouble getting any tablet sales at all. Windows 8 is supposed to be their savior, but is Tim Cook right? Apple has the idea of making one specific device do an outstanding job at what it is supposed to do. The MacBook, the iPad, the iPhone, all have specific pushes behind them that allow them to work together, but still separate them as completely different products for multiple reasons. Windows 8 will make tablets and PCs virtually identical on the software side of things, but this may cause some serious issues for overall performance of both of these products.
Tim Cook believes that Apple is doing the right things by separating and focusing their products, but Microsoft believes a combination will be the future for tablets and PC’s. Is Apple on the right path here, or will Microsoft come from behind to steal their market-dominating-crown. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to check back for the latest tech news and updates.
