When you have no
choice, the other side of everything; when you have a better
understanding of when, for easy starts annoying. Seven Year Itch essence
that is so. When the market has set off a boom in the small-sized flat
panel, Microsoft began to initiate optimized for small size Windows
Blue, how to get consumers to accept you? When you are no longer cool,
no mainstream, no longer indispensable when?
PCWorld freelance recent reviews Brad
Chacos for Microsoft's upcoming Surface commented on the small size, he
said: Even with small size Surface and optimized for small size Windows
Blue, Microsoft can not stand our ground in this area. There are no user
hard to publicize a common application environment is not mature
equipment, can only make consumers increasingly bored.
The following is the main content of comments:
Tablet PC is like speed with squally showers changing the global consumer technology industry.
When Microsoft's designers and
engineers worked on the sketch when developing Windows 8 operating
system, 9.7-inch iPad in the tablet market has accumulated unimaginable
influence, the device has a high market share, and far is trying to
catch up ahead of the other Android tablets. From this perspective,
Windows Tablet PC seems to be born in the future before it has been
buried in a large-size tablet fence being.
However, soon after the launch of the
Amazon Kindle Fire, Barnes & Noble launched the Nook, Google
(microblogging) launched the Nexus 7 tablet. We suddenly found that
consumers seem to have a love of this small size overnight cheap tablet.
October 23, 2012, Apple finally conform to this trend, released the
iPad mini. Despite three days, Microsoft released a special screen for
more than 10 inches optimized Windows 8 operating system, but the
company actually has been in competition in the tablet a backward state.
Now, with Windows Tablet PC has never
been able to fully attract the attention of consumers, Microsoft has
begun to change their strategy and started for the small size of Windows
Tablet PC launch preparations. Co-Head of Microsoft Windows Tami -
Lehrer (Tami Reller) has disclosed that Microsoft can better address the
upcoming 7-8 inch tablet life issues Windows 8 upgrade the system
"Windows Blue". After this, Asus and Acer said he plans to launch
small-sized Windows Tablet PC, many other manufacturers believe it will
have to follow such a practice.
However, the small size of the Tablet PC Windows Tablet PC really be able to solve the real problems facing you?
The small size of the screen to bring prices
Before we discuss any question, clearly
worth the price we first launched a topic. Currently, Google provides
to hardware manufacturers free Android system, and Microsoft through
hardware manufacturers to individual consumers or sales of Windows 8
system authorized get a lot of revenue. So, in general, Windows Tablet
PC prices will be higher than with the same hardware specifications of
the Android Tablet PC.
We believe that this alone is
sufficient to Windows Small size tablet strangled in the cradle. Imagine
if the user can be $ 200 purchase price of a Google Nexus 7, then he
will be willing to pay $ 380 purchase price of a 8 in. Windows Tablet PC
(with message display, equipped with Windows 8 operating system, the
Acer Iconia W3 Sale price will reach $ 380) do?
Of course, Microsoft may make
compromises to solve this problem. Many recent reports have pointed out
that Microsoft will screen size 10.8 inch touchscreen device with a
larger discount rate to provide Windows 8 an authorization, the price
may even be as low as $ 30 each.
Microsoft spokesman declined to OEM
manufacturers to get the system license price for comment. But there are
many indications are that the so-called "system license discount" Yes
indeed exist. Earlier this month, Taiwanese PC maker Asustek Computer
CEO Jerry Shen (Jerry Shen) has said that Asus plans to release a
Windows 8 tablet PC small size and less than 10 inches are expected
Windows Tablet PC prices will eventually be reduced to $ 300 less.
Well-known market research firm Gartner
research vice president consumer devices Karolina - Milan Xi (Carolina
Milanesi) argued that the selling price of less than $ 300 for the small
size of Windows Tablet PC will be crucial.
"I think, an 8-inch Tablet PC Windows
RT is probably attract the attention of consumers a recipe, but the
price of this device with Android devices can not have a big gap if I
were hardware manufacturers, then, $ 299 is the highest price I can
accept that, unless we can find the tablet and smart phone bundling a
better way. "Milan Xi wrote in a" PC World, "the e-mail case said.
Of course, even in the $ 300 price
point, Windows 8 Tablet PC also needs to provide more than $ 200 Nexus 7
more value to impress consumers. So, Microsoft will approach how to
achieve this it?
In this regard, one possible answer is
probably "had tried to forget to embrace Microsoft's Windows 8 interface
elements - the desktop."
Return to the "Desktop"
However, such a seemingly obvious
choice for Microsoft seems to bring a lot of potential risks. For
example, although Intel's processors have been developed in a number of
energy-saving features to make it at the technical level to the small
size of the Tablet PC carries the Windows desktop, but this feature is
really needed by the user?
Moor Insights and Strategy, founder and
principal analyst Patrick - Moorhead (Patrick Moorhead) said that:
"Windows to 7-8 inches in the tablet PC market will be very interesting,
but I think that only the device manufacturers introduced devices can
easily connect mouse, keyboard and large display under the premise of
these peripheral devices, Windows existence of traditional desktop
interface will be meaningful, because in the 7-8 inch screen running on
the Windows desktop will provide users with a poor user experience. "
Still remember with a 7-inch screen
Asus Eee PC do? Netbook fast to 10 or 12-inch screen device transition
has deep-seated reasons behind, and that is the small size of the screen
using the traditional Windows desktop interface unbearable. In this
interface, the text will appear small and difficult for users to
accurately click on a button or open the navigation menu. And this is
precisely why she's Eee PC using only 800x480 resolution reason (the
lower the resolution, the larger font). But now, with the endless stream
of high-resolution devices, this problem is not only not been resolved,
and even has been further worsened.
Windows 8 Desktop allows users to
enlarge the size of the text in order to enable consumers to obtain a
better user experience, but this feature also brings some other
problems. For example, although the user enlarged font easier to read,
but non-Microsoft web sites and applications of the visual experience
will become very bad. Currently, Surface Pro Tablet PC's default font
size is 150%, but even so, many of the devices and control function
interface default menu buttons for touch operation is still too small.
The small size of the screen is not suitable for Office
In small-size flat strategic issues, Microsoft faces another major problem comes from their own Office suite.
Anecdotal had such a rumor: Windows
licensing fees decline is partly due to the small size of the screen on
Office licensing costs decline. According to the Finnish website leaked
Acer Iconia W3 configuration information display, the tablet will be
powered by default Office Home and Student Edition shipments, and this
seems to have become the standard configuration of Windows RT.
As a downright desktop applications,
Office suite Microsoft has yet to become a mobile device to help
increase consumer appeal key factor. If this software is really able to
do this, I believe that on the counter now Windows RT devices have long
been sold out it. Moreover, the smaller size of the device, Office of
attraction will usher in further decline.
"Although the Office is a good application, but not enough to change the whole situation." Milan Xi said the case.
In fact, more suitable for finger touch
operation Modern Office For consumers will have a more attractive, at
least some consumers can arouse tablet for small size greater interest.
However, Windows 8 Microsoft's small size does not seem the ideal Tablet
PC operating system, Windows RT is the better choice.
Windows RT problem
Unfortunately, Windows RT also has some
problems. So far people have not fully accepted Windows RT, although
the system is equipped with a tablet optimized specifically for the
Windows Strore app store and "live tiles" interface, but the hardware
manufacturers are still reluctant to vigorously develop Windows RT
products. Moreover, even Microsoft's next major publicity of the center
of gravity Windows RT tablet is also the field of retail channel
suffered a Waterloo.
So why is Microsoft's huge bet never
did give their own rewards equal to it? Outside analysts believe that
the cause of the reason was due to Microsoft in a big way, although the
promotion of this new user interface, but the development of this
interface is not yet mature. Another more important question is that,
Windows RT application of the ecosystem development stagnation.
According to the third-party
application tracker MetroStore Scanner data presented show that although
the Windows Store has more than 75,000 lines of application, but many
still do not have heavyweight applications to launch its own version of
Windows RT, plus Window RT traditional desktop interface does not
provide this a factor which makes a lot of users of Windows RT
prohibitive. A recent survey shows that most users rarely use Microsoft
Windows 8 touch operation specifically optimized software.
Therefore, the application of the
ecosystem is imperfect, rather than Windows Tablet screen size is
currently facing the greatest difficulties. For Windows RT tablet PC
users, this seems particularly obvious defects (because Windows RT is
not compatible with the traditional Windows desktop software, so the
system is completely dependent on Windows Store applications are
provided).
Moorhead said: "hinder the development
of Windows Tablet PC market, the biggest obstacle is the lack of
well-known 'long tail applications' (long-tail apps). Now from the
launch of Windows 8 has passed nine months time, but this system still
missing, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ these
applications, and the Evernote application development platform slightly
rough quality. dimensions slightly smaller launch Windows 8 Tablet PC
or to a certain extent, solve this problem, but in the end not once the
meter. "
In this regard, Gartner research vice
president Milan Xi consumer devices are also considered "Windows 8's
biggest problem is the lack of content."
"I think Microsoft needs to put more
energy to focus on content, rather than primarily relying Office to
attract users, after all, the small size of the Tablet PC the key to
success lies in 'digital content consumption' rather than 'digital
content creation.' Microsoft can increased cooperation with the Barnes
& Noble e-books, adding from the Xbox games, music and videos and
other methods to create more attractive for this platform. "Milan Xi
said the case.
We believe that the small size of the
Tablet PC probably does not apply to Windows 8, if Microsoft can well
solve the user interface problem, Windows RT will probably be 7-8 inches
Tablet PC ideal operating system. Of course, Microsoft also needs to
provide more applications to help Windows RT ways to get rid of the
shadow of death.
Too many compromises
Despite the small size of the display
device is currently being favorable for consumers, and Microsoft needs
to participate in order to maintain themselves in the tablet PC market
competitive, but overall small size of the device to the Windows Tablet
PC transformation is not the problem solution. Transition to the small
size of the device requires Microsoft to make a greater extent compared
to the previous compromise, because of the small screen device will
bring more frustrating desktop experience, and the Windows Store app
store is Microsoft need to give great attention to one aspect.
So, if the small size of the screen
instead of the current plight of the Windows Tablet PC ideal solution
for the proposition that the real answer, what is it? Applications!
Microsoft is required to own the same
Android, Apple Tablet PC effectively distinguish more concise, more and
better applications. To this end, Microsoft is now taking all possible
ways to attract more application developers, but the battle has not been
successful. However, once Microsoft really done this, Windows Tablet PC
will probably be in the eyes of many consumers to truly become "meat
and potatoes."
Of course, those Windows "mix the" not on us within the scope of this discussion.
