Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy?

Jason Ward

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Dec 2, 2011
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Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy?

Can we still expect a best on Windows Microsoft experience
Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update to the strategy?"


On January 21. 2015 Satya Nadella promised a "Best on Windows" Microsoft experience. Though there has been progress toward this goal in the year since the launch of Windows 10 we are yet to attain that goal. We are waiting as Microsoft populates other platforms with Microsoft apps and we see other developers never supporting or leaving the platform. Mobile market share has dipped to 1% in an expected decline since the firm's mobile retrenchment. Still, 1% for a critical component of the UWP is not encouraging.

So, as Microsoft invests in other platforms amidst these challenges do fans feel that Nadella should provide sort of a "State of the the Ecosystem" address directly referencing the status, progress and challenges to the Best on Windows strategy?
Let's discuss this here and on Twitter:

#BestOnWindows @JLTechWord @SatyaNadella

Can we still expect a "best on Windows" Microsoft experience? | Windows Central


Further Context Below.


One weakness that seems to have plagued Microsoft for many years is poor communication. This is not only true of my perception of their marketing in comparison to that of Apple and Samsung. I think it is also true in how they communicate or fail to communicate to their current and potential fans.

I've heard the concerns of Microsoft's core supports and share some of them myself. Some of these can be addressed by providing information that someone less plugged into the pulse of the industry may have missed. Other concerns are best or only addressed satisfactorily by Microsoft. Would Nadella candidly meeting users where they are, with a direct address to the status and challenges of the "best on Windows" strategy, be helpful?
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Is there a middle ground that can be bridged for fans who have championed the platform amid plunging market share, app exoduses and a deluge of negative press that has declared the death of their beloved platform? Admittedly, as they have waited for the manifestation of the "best on Windows" experience, encouraging progress has been made toward ambitious goals such as Nadella's 2014 vision of an all-encompassing cloud-based platform:
Microsoft has a unique ability to harmonize the world's devices, apps, docs, data and social networks in digital work and life experiences so that people are at the center and are empowered to do more and achieve more with what is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity ? time!
Though by no means complete, Microsoft's platform approach strategy has seen celebrated success in the cloud and its cross-platform endeavors. That said, I am confident that Microsoft is forging forward with a "best on Windows" strategy. I understand as many fans do, the complexity and challenges involved in the process.
The platform, though obviously moving forward has a perception problem.
Still, Windows phone is losing support from fans. Developer support of the UWP is underwhelming. The goal for one billion Windows 10 installs has been pushed out to some undetermined point. Apps are leaving the platform seemingly as fast as they roll in. And many users perceive that Microsoft has a greater interest in rival platforms than their own. The platform, though obviously moving forward in many respects, has a perception problem.

Moreover many mobile consumers who enjoy Microsoft apps on iOS and Android are woefully unaware that "best on Windows" is even a goal.
We are perhaps at a critical junction in Microsoft's history where their unprecedented ambition and goals, unique challenges and obvious progress requires something equally unprecedented, ambitious and unique. Perhaps a "State of the Ecosystem" address that speaks directly to the "best on Windows goals," challenges and progress is in order. Can Microsoft meet current and potential fans in the middle with a bold, candid and clear message?
Windows%2010%20is%20here.jpg

Microsoft cannot continue "communication" as usual.
The UWP, Microsoft's cross-platform pursuits and the best on Windows experience require a cohesive message to retain the industry's confidence as Microsoft's unique strategy endures unique and growing challenges. That confidence, though present for some OEMs, fans and developers, is waning for others. Redmond, in my opinion, cannot continue "communication" as usual.
I wonder if Satya Nadella, outside of the context of a scheduled conference or keynote speech, is open to such a unique, and in my opinion, needful address. Given the ecosystem's perception problem, I sincerely hope that he is.
What are you thoughts? Let's discuss it here and on Twitter:

@JLTechWord #BestOnWindows @SatyaNadella
Can we still expect a "best on Windows" Microsoft experience? | Windows Central
 

Guytronic

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Re: Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy

I do believe Mr. Nadella should fess up.
Microsoft mobile has to be a hot topic on the upper floors in Redmond.

Seems so odd to me that a company like Microsoft feels it needs to kiss the butts of the WP fans it evidently has abandoned.
Why not just admit failure?

Perhaps the folks at Microsoft were just hoping that simply ignoring something it started that may have inclined with a steady effort would just lay down and die by itself.
Isn't this how it's supposed to work?
Maybe not when people inside your company refuse to let their work get tossed.
Unless the power in the company that still wants to not hemorrhage $$ can fire everyone that keeps pushing for success.

Microsoft is well known for internal battling between entities.
It's almost like no one is in charge up there in Redmond...

Today's billionaires have turned into a lazy bunch when it comes to good business.
 
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ven07

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Re: Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy

Imo... No we don't need another speech from him regarding his support for the mobile portion of W10...

He's repeated it quite a few times.. Mobile (in whatever form they deem fit) is a part of W10 and will be addressed
 

Jason Ward

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Re: Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy

Hi ven07. Actually two things, his address of this topic doesn't have to come in the form of a speech. It can be an interview, an open discussion, a speech, a detailed written address, etc.

Second and more importantly as I pointed out in the article "Best n Windows" isn't just about phone (mobile) its about all form factors. So his address would be addressing the status Best n Windows across the entire UWP. Thanks for the participation.
 

extrikate

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Re: Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy

I think people are misunderstanding the concept of "Best on Windows." IMO, this means that we can expect better integration between the OS and MS apps. That UWP will bring scalable apps vs watered down versions for mobile.

"Best on Windows" doesn't mean that MS products should be weak or restricted on other OS's. Microsoft is a developer, why would they want to turn out a subpar product?
 

ven07

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Re: Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy

Microsoft is a developer, why would they want to turn out a subpar product?

I think people want exclusive apps :) and it really isn't a bad idea. MS needs to make grounds in the mobile division (to the OP; sorry that I'm bringing it back to mobile lol) so they need to convince people that our side offers sth exclusive, but this hasn't been the case so far.

The only exclusive thing we have is MS edge

(btw I don't mind that MS is branching out, but I do understand what people are talking about when they say that MS isn't paying attention to it's own platform)
 

a5cent

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Re: Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy

Apps are leaving the platform seemingly as fast as they roll in. And many users perceive that Microsoft has a greater interest in rival platforms than their own. The platform, though obviously moving forward in many respects, has a perception problem.

If MS is interested in bringing the best versions of their apps to their own platform first, then that interest isn't showing. We don't know what MS' interests or goals are, but their actions don't support the best-on-windows hypothesis.

In this sense it's simply not true that the platform has a perception problem. The platform has a problem. It's not just a matter of perception.

Anyway, looking at just the W10M side of things, it was clear from the many negative reactions during the insider preview that it wasn't going to be a huge hit with WP8 fans, even without the reliability and old-hardware-update issues that it ended up having. W10M has since improved, but it's still nowhere as reliable as WP8 was, and even further away from WP7's rock solid stability (today I witnessed "My Tube" crash the OS on my L830 again.. another forced reboot).

This is another way in which W10M has problems which aren't just perceived problems.

Sadly, we can go on...

  1. after all these years, it's still very hard to definitively state whom W10M is really for. On the other hand, almost anybody can tell you whom iOS or Android is best suited to.
  2. the continual adoption of an ever more "me-too" UI
  3. an utter lack of consumer focused innovations (lots of innovations under the hood but consumer's don't care about that)
  4. very little differentiation to its competitors
  5. basically still playing catch up in terms of OS features
  6. the app gap
  7. the less than stellar uptake of UWP
  8. MS stating and clearly signaling by their actions that W10M is not a priority this year, when the exact opposite would have been absolutely necessary.
It's not all bad of course, but the massive exodus of users and the plummeting activity in these forums are not just due to "perceived" problems. Until we (and particularly MS) come to grips with the fact that it's not just consumer's perceptions or MS's messaging that's off (although that sucks too), but the product itself, I don't see much hope for W10M.

At this point MS needs something spectacular to rekindle the public's interest in W10M. If they don't have something spectacular, we'd still gladly take any information we can get, but it won't do anything to improve W10M's general standing. If they do have something spectacular up their sleeves, MS won't be able to tell us until they are close to launching it. There's nothing wrong with more information, but I don't think they can tell us anything that would help the situation (which is why I changed my vote to "doesn't matter"). Release something spectacular... that's better than talking.
 
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FirstWatt

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Re: Best on Windows - Should Satya Nadella provide a candid update on the "Best on Windows" strategy

I think people are misunderstanding the concept of "Best on Windows." IMO, this means that we can expect better integration between the OS and MS apps. [...]
And, did we get better integration? I think, clearly no. Even more so in W10M.
There is no misunderstanding, it's a poor Job by MS. Period.
 

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