

Windows 8 will be Microsoft's 'riskiest product bet' - Ocho-Bits
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/23/ballmer-next-release-of-windows-will-be-microsofts-riskiest-p/

======
jsz0
Risky in a legal sense maybe? It seems to me Microsoft has been really trigger
shy about pushing forward on integrating all their various services and non-PC
products closely with Windows due to their past problems with DOJ/EU. I feel
like if they made a big push to integrate things like Zune Pass, Xbox Live
integration, Windows Phone, cloud services, Bing search/maps, etc they would
have a much more compelling platform. All their competitors are doing it so
maybe they now have the cover they need with the DOJ/EU to wrap everything
together.

------
pohl
Here's the bit I found most interesting, wherein Steve has a hard time selling
the idea that "Windows" is somehow the same whether it's the Windows 7 variant
on the HP pad or a WP7 phone. The interviewer wanted to know if the latter was
coming to tablets, but Ballmer didn't pick up on that or tried to deflect the
implicit fragmentation question.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKB8XEXm3Oo#t=2m54s>

------
thought_alarm
I thought Scoble's take on this was actually kind of interesting.

[http://scobleizer.com/2010/10/22/starbucks-cio-shows-why-
nex...](http://scobleizer.com/2010/10/22/starbucks-cio-shows-why-next-version-
of-windows-is-risky/)

~~~
PlanetFunk
Slightly off-topic, but my ultimate device is something like a smart phone
that can dock into different "stations" (think desktop, laptop, tablet) and
utilise that stations peripherals (screen, mouse, keyboard, etc).

Ignoring the fantasy hardware, an OS that could handle that would be mind
blowing.

------
moserware
No real content here. Perhaps we'll learn more on Thursday at microsoftpdc.com

------
levesque
Off topic: Is Steve Ballmer supposed to be a good speaker? He sounds arrogant
to me.

~~~
chaosmachine
Perhaps you are unfamiliar with Steve Ballmer...

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsboPUjrGc>

~~~
citricsquid
That's it, I'm sticking with Windows _for life_.

------
mikepurvis
I dunno. I'm kind of having a flashback to the 2003 Longhorn video. Wasn't
that kind of the same message, promising all the risky and exciting things
that were in a release mere months away?

------
marcamillion
Hrmm...people still listen to Balmer? As far as I am concerned, Microsoft
would be in the exact same position today (or maybe even better off) if there
was no one in top spot.

It has become a well-oiled machine that can just continue churning out Windows
& Office versions.

There will be no one to drive new product innovation, granted, but there is no
one there right now either.

------
jchonphoenix
His argument that Windows is no longer a game changer seems somewhat faulty.

He claims Apple has impact because they decided not to support flash, so he is
now moving Starbucks to HTML5.

But if Microsoft decided to not support HTML5, would he still be using HTML5?
I personally would still hedge my bets with more people using Windows than
Macs.

------
jeffreymcmanus
Microsoft has never released a new version of Windows without referring to it
as a "bet-the-company" release. This includes Vista. Just because they say it,
doesn't mean it's true -- in fact it's probably never actually been true.

------
okeumeni
Why Windows 8 we have barely used 7?

~~~
ugh

       1985:      Windows 1.0
       1987:      Windows 2.0
       1990:      Windows 3.0
      (1992:      Windows 3.1)
       1995:      Windows 95
       1998:      Windows 98
      (2000:      Windows ME)
       2001:      Windows XP
       2006/2007: Windows Vista
       2009:      Windows 7
       2012:      Windows 8
    

Nothing out of the ordinary.

