CPU's are much faster, but few people need to
render cinema quality visual
effects or simulate
a jet engine. The big changes in a modern
PC are an SSD
that lets the
CPU run full speed more of the time,
lower costs and no need for
a fan.
The new hardware does not require any changes
in the software to show
its advantage, so Microsoft
had to find a reason for people to upgrade. The
thing
they chose was a touch screen. Microsoft have given
touch such a huge
priority in the user interface design
that doing things with a mouse works
differently - or
badly.
Manufacturers have not put touch screens on
desktops or laptops. I can understand why Microsoft
is so peeved with them.
This is where we get to why
Microsoft are in trouble. Manufacturers know their
customers are price sensitive, so they do not add
the cost of a touch
interface. Microsoft want to
price their software as if it were massively
popular.
The reviews of Windows 8 on non-touch devices killed
that plan stone
dead, but Microsoft have
not got the message yet.
The big selling point
of Windows is legacy software.
The transition to touch would wreck that, so the
plan was to assume that bridge was already burned
and have everybody re-write
all their software
and distribute it through Microsoft's App store.
Distributors make very little profit on hardware,
but get the money from
selling software on new
machines so they are peeved. Developers are not
exactly
thrilled by the idea of all that re-work
just to let Microsoft take all the
profit in their
App store.
Next up, Microsoft talks to all the
manufacturers
about their plans for new features, then puts those
feature into
Surface. Surface comes out first with ARM
CPU's, so no chance of any legacy
software working.
Add an empty App store and the reviews cannot justify
the
premium price.
The Surface Pro is here with a CPU for legacy software,
snubbed manufacturers, starving distributors, no
developers, a poisoned brand
name, a premium
price and supply shortages.
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