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It is true that Microsoft does not have the cool factor that Apple has, but Microsoft still has a huge following in the desktop PC space. Despite all the hype about iPads and iPhones, the Windows OS continues to be the most popular one in the world. Windows 7 alone has more than 500 million users in the world. It is possible that Windows 8 might become even more popular as it comes with an easy to use interface that people have started loving these days.
If a user enjoys the experience with a Windows 8 running PC, then he might become persuaded to take an extra step and purchase a Tablet running the same OS. Also, developers will have more incentive for creating new apps for the Windows 8 platform, as they will be assured of a large audience from the very onset.
Microsofts timing is perfect
The Windows 8 OS seems to be arriving at a perfect time. In 2010, when Apple launched its iPad, analysts had assumed that a range of competitors who were sure to follow Apple into the Tablet space would soon overtake the entire market for the new device. iPad was expected to get swamped under a tidal wave of Android using Tablets, which would have many more features that the iPad lacked, such as USB ports and cameras. But that has not happened. iPad continues to thrive.
With the failure the of Apples competitors in Tablet space, app developers too have started ignoring the Tablet side of Android. This creates a magnificent opportunity for Microsoft. Its Windows 8 OS can become a magnet for the almighty app developers, who these days enjoy the power to make or break platforms. A Windows 8 powered Tablet can also have the potential of attracting customers who are looking for an alternative to the ubiquitous iPad.
Microsoft has already made some top developers preview the Windows 8 and the verdict is that the OS is fast and fluid enough to enthuse the modern Tablet user.
One OS for a range of devices
The best thing about Microsoft's Windows 8 is that it will run on both ARM and x86-based systems. This kind of flexibility will allow hardware firms to make Intel-based laptops that can also turn into Tablet PCs. We could have systems like Asuss Eee Pad Transformer, which can now appear in the market as a fully featured Windows 8 laptop. The Android 3.0 Honeycomb that is currently being used on the Asus device is working well, but the user experience is going to be much better with Windows touch UI. The undocked Tablet will run the Tablet version of Windows 8 and will switch to the full version of the OS when connected to the keyboard.
With DirectX for running and displaying applications rich in multimedia elements already in place, and powerful ARM processors like the Tegra Kal-el and Texas Instruments OMAP4 planned, it looks like Microsoft could also turn Windows 8 tablets into games consoles. With gamers and games developers significantly invested in Microsoft's platforms, it is quite possible that the Windows 8 could seriously harm Apples attempts to be taken seriously in gaming space.
Networked to the cloud
For a company like Microsoft, it must be a challenge to create a full-blown computer OS that runs efficiently on super-thin Tablets, where interactions happen through taps from fingers. But Microsoft is taking this opportunity to orient its Windows OS more closely with the Internet. In Windows 8 we will have more features for social networking. In the People contact book of the OS there is provision for Facebook and LinkedIn contacts. You can anchor people on your Start screen, see status updates and share across multiple social networks from all over the OS.
Myriad apps will be able to interact with one another across the platform, whether on the computer or in the cloud. When it comes to pictures Windows 8 offers integration with both Facebook and Flickr. You can see images stored on your accounts, other peoples' accounts, and up on your own SkyDrive cloud storage account, along with your local photos. But the most important thing is that Microsoft is not ditching the PC platform. In fact, despite all the talk of Tablets, Windows 8 is being designed to run on maximum number of PCs.
Apple versus Microsoft
The most popular gadget in the world is still the humble PC. So as a long-term strategy, it makes sense for Microsoft to leverage its huge Windows base to grow a tablet business makes more sense. It is still too early to predict who will be the winner in the face-off between Windows 8 and Apple. Microsoft might not be able to win over completely the market that exists for Apples iPad, but it is possible that its Windows 8 could slow, halt or reverse the progress of by which its dominance in the field of computer software was being threatened by the likes of Apple and Google.
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