Hypocrisy level: Microsoft

[Azurus]

Before you start throwing rocks and stones at me, I just want to point out that I'm a hardcore Microsoft fan. I'm a WP and a windows 8.1 user and I absolutely love both of them.
Now lets proceed. When Windows 10 was unveiled a week ago or so I was super excited at how it will be the same experience across phones, tablets and PCs. Now that's amazing. Now wait a second. If we take apple for instance, a lot of the criticism that the company receives is that the iPad is technically a bigger iPhone and doesn't add anything new to the mix.
I just find it super hypocritical of Microsoft users to criticize Apple for delivering the same OS across its products when Microsoft already planned how they are going to unify all platforms into one across all devices.
Don't get me wrong you guys, I really really wish that Microsoft surprises me with a unified yet different experience on their PCs and phones. They would otherwise be sugar coating how they intend on making the experience the same across all devices which is what Apple is really doing right now and criticized for it.
What do you guys think ?
Food For Thought

 

[Compiux]

I just find it super hypocritical of Microsoft users to criticize Apple for delivering the same OS across its products

Uhm.. as far as I know, a MacBook air does not have the same OS as an iPad or an iPhone.

I think that's what Microsoft wants to archieve. To give an homogeneous experience across all devices.

 

[several potatos]

Also, same OS is fine. It's that the iPad is just a big iPhone with no real boost in power or productivity is the problem.

 

[xandros9]

Nah, the way I see it is that 10 intends to adapt, something iOS hasn't done as much. (although it is a bit more than a big iPhone, but sometimes, that's all you need.)
And for actual computers, Apple has OSX, and they've done great work bringing the two OSes together. Thinking Continuity (I think) and features adapted for OSX from iOS.

But eh, I see all sorts of these things all over the place. Apple pulling things that just won't fly if MS pulled it, Google getting a pass for turning proprietary and closed-source while trumpeting open-ness, etc etc.

 

[Ragazzochild]

Uhm.. as far as I know, a MacBook air does not have the same OS as an iPad or an iPhone.

I think that's what Microsoft wants to archieve. To give an homogeneous experience across all devices.

This is pure marketing gimmick. In practice, no one wants a homogeneous experience That's why MS phones went from being #1 to being #3 in phones, or why MS tablets went from #1 to #3. Windows laptop sales year over year have been shrinking, while Apple computers have been increasing. Google's been increasing too.

In a laptop, physical keyboard / touchpad is important
On a phone, you want neither
On a tablet, the jury's still out. For sure, sales aren't in MS's favor though.

User's don't want a homogeneous experience. What users do want is a simplified experience to help them get what they want to do done.

 

[JamesDax]

This is pure marketing gimmick. In practice, no one wants a homogeneous experience That's why MS phones went from being #1 to being #3 in phones, or why MS tablets went from #1 to #3. Windows laptop sales year over year have been shrinking, while Apple computers have been increasing. Google's been increasing too.

In a laptop, physical keyboard / touchpad is important
On a phone, you want neither
On a tablet, the jury's still out. For sure, sales aren't in MS's favor though.

User's don't want a homogeneous experience. What users do want is a simplified experience to help them get what they want to do done.

Says you. Please don't speak for everyone.

 

[aximtreo]

User's don't want a homogeneous experience. What users do want is a simplified experience to help them get what they want to do done.

I believe that this is not only possible but probable. Processors are getting more powerful with less power needed so I think this will indeed happen in the next 3 - 6 years. And yes, I would really like a seamless OS that talks between not only my phone, my tablet, my PC but anything else that comes down the road that makes sense.

 

[jharr100]

Well it will be the same OS not the same experience as Windows 10 phones wont have desktop access and will likely have a different interface (a part from the tablet desktop) all together....its the OS that will "transform" on any device...

 

[Compiux]

Well, maybe people is not screaming for an homogeneous experience, but it would certainly provide a simplified experience on all devices... if done right, of course.
A simple way to see it is how you can share settings between all your instances of internet explorer I imagine that you will be able to share information and settings among devices more easily and the use will be simplified because if you know how to use one, you most probably know how to use the other.
I've seen my parents struggle with their phones because they're so different than to what they are used to work with that I see this "homogeneus experience" as an implicit advantage.

Maybe the best word to describe this is not "homogeneous" but that was the first word that came to my mind hehe

 

[xandros9]

Says you. Please don't speak for everyone.

Here to second this.
It can be great if done right.

 

[Nicholas Maguire]

You're not getting it. Microsoft criticizes Apple for the tablet being a big iPhone, instead of a mini laptop, for running iOS instead of OS X. Microsoft is working on making ONE operating system that adapts to the device it's on. It's completely different to what Apple's doing.

 

[cba191]

I think this is going to be much better on the business side of things. With one platform, from servers to phones, it will greatly simplify the job of IT admins. It will also, hopefully, accelerate the growth of Windows' phone market.
Wishful thinking perhaps. But I can hope, right?

 

[Jas00555]

Before you start throwing rocks and stones at me, I just want to point out that I'm a hardcore Microsoft fan. I'm a WP and a windows 8.1 user and I absolutely love both of them.
Now lets proceed. When Windows 10 was unveiled a week ago or so I was super excited at how it will be the same experience across phones, tablets and PCs. Now that's amazing. Now wait a second. If we take apple for instance, a lot of the criticism that the company receives is that the iPad is technically a bigger iPhone and doesn't add anything new to the mix.
I just find it super hypocritical of Microsoft users to criticize Apple for delivering the same OS across its products when Microsoft already planned how they are going to unify all platforms into one across all devices.
Don't get me wrong you guys, I really really wish that Microsoft surprises me with a unified yet different experience on their PCs and phones. They would otherwise be sugar coating how they intend on making the experience the same across all devices which is what Apple is really doing right now and criticized for it.
What do you guys think ?
Food For Thought

I think you've completely made up a weird scenario that doesn't happen. Microsoft hasn't combined the OS across all devices, they have a shared kernel and APIs and will thus share an app store. I've also never in my life heard criticism that Apple is unifying everything under one OS, mainly because they're not. While they may change course sooner or later, they've said multiple times that one OS for everything is a terrible idea (e.g. Refrigerator and toaster jokes). If anything, I've heard people wish they could have the level of communication between phone and computer that Apple has.

 

[John Steffes]

This is pure marketing gimmick. In practice, no one wants a homogeneous experience That's why MS phones went from being #1 to being #3 in phones, or why MS tablets went from #1 to #3. Windows laptop sales year over year have been shrinking, while Apple computers have been increasing. Google's been increasing too.

In a laptop, physical keyboard / touchpad is important
On a phone, you want neither
On a tablet, the jury's still out. For sure, sales aren't in MS's favor though.

User's don't want a homogeneous experience. What users do want is a simplified experience to help them get what they want to do done.

Says you. Please don't speak for everyone.

Yes I know we can not speak for everyone, but the use cases of each device is different, I am a Surface RT user, I use it like a laptop (Hybrid just as Microsoft designed it, review their user guides for examples), It can be a tablet most of the time, but when I want to use Office, it is like a laptop. I want this from my Laptop/Tablet, I do not want this on a Phone... I do not want this on a Laptop (non-touch), I do not want this on a server, I do not want this on a Desktop (non-touch), I do not want this on my gaming (xbox), I do not want this on my TV, I do not want this on my watch. I get the Microsoft one Windows, one version to rule them all, but each device has their own use cases, and different sizes of screen/input, I think this is more then any one OS can handle...

Kind of reminds me of the old Microsoft Works (version 3), one app to try to do it all, guess what it did not work, That is why Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc... are all separate apps, they have different use cases, and some want all Office Apps, some just want one?

 

[BobLobIaw]

User's don't want a homogeneous experience. What users do want is a simplified experience to help them get what they want to do done.

The two aren't mutually exclusive. Even if the Windows 10 experience is homogeneous (which by most accounts, it won't be) it certainly would be simplified due to its homogeneity.

 

[jmshub]

I think users want a great user experience, they aren't thinking about the core operating system while they are playing a game or trying to get some work done, etc. The gripe with the Apple system is that the tablet uses the intentionally limited operating environment, iOS, instead of being based on OSX, which is what Microsoft was thinking then they brought Windows down to tablets instead of Windows Phone up. The difference is the functionality that is built in. iPads can print only using printers that support Apple's AirPrint functionality. Any Windows tablet can print to nearly any printer in the world, at least any that has standard Windows drivers.

While we don't know a lot about Windows 10 yet, I don't think this means that an app running on a 30 inch desktop computer with a mouse and keyboard will look the same as it will on a 4" phone. I think a unified operating system will still look different as the UI will be optimized for each experience.

 

[ZackTheNever]

Android looks the same on phone as well as tablet but I dont think the UI will come very close together tbh... I think there enough to differentiate them and im cool with it. Lets just see what happens.

 

[El_Burro]

I just find it super hypocritical of Microsoft users to criticize Apple for delivering the same OS across its products when Microsoft already planned how they are going to unify all platforms into one across all devices.

Have I missed something. Who has been criticizing Apple for delivering the same OS across multiple devices? Anyone who was should check the latest sales numbers. MS can only wish to have the sales Apple has. Who cares if they use the same OS?

 

[El_Burro]

User's don't want a homogeneous experience. What users do want is a simplified experience to help them get what they want to do done.

I actually disagree with your statement here. Of course you can't lump all users together but I believe most consumers of electronics base their decisions on emotions rather then experience or usability. For proof look at the success of Apple. I'm not saying Apple products are not usable or that they do no provide a good experience. I'm sure they do but the same can be said about Microsoft's and Android's products. Even so they are not as popular in the US. The reason is Apple products satisfy some ephemeral "WOW " factor that others do not.

 

[Azurus]

Have I missed something. Who has been criticizing Apple for delivering the same OS across multiple devices? Anyone who was should check the latest sales numbers. MS can only wish to have the sales Apple has. Who cares if they use the same OS?

I agree with you that Apple sales are not to be questioned. But if you look at iPad sales individually , you'll see that it hit a plateau where its not increasing anymore and actually started falling. That's mainly because people started realizing how the iPad doesn't deliver anything new. Its an iPhone on steroids.