Bill Gates thinks Windows tablets have a big chance against iPad & Android ones

[MattIM]

Microsoft have massive market dominance in business. I love Bill Gates. But iPad market is growing more and more day by day. Bill Gates apparently is oblivious to the latest sales figures that Apple recently revealed. The iPad's operating system (iOS) is too limited to let customers make full use of the hardware.
I think It is faster than the windows tablets.

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I don't think Bill Gates is "oblivious". Otherwise he would not go on media and make the comments reported here. What Microsoft does with its business is important to the health of my portfolio. My interest in Apple is that it continues to provide products that I can use easily and in-expensively. I am disappointed that Microsoft has not provided a tablet that I can afford. I am further disappointed that if I were to buy a Surface tablet to run full blown versions of Word and Excel and other programs to do my work, I would have to hire someone to get that device functioning to the same level as my iPads--which is pretty good but still not comparable to what I can accomplish on a laptop!

 

[col.bris]

I am open minded about any thing that concerns computers.... Maybe that is because my first spread sheet was VisiCalc on an Apple II. that was the main reason I wanted the Apple computer. Buying my first Apple set me on an amazing path that included some 25 years providing Mac solutions for specialised markets including Graphics, Cad and publishing. Much has changed over the years on all platforms.. I can even remember when Microsoft Office for Mac came on 26 floppies. Yes 26. Real pain to install however imagine if you will after installing 22 floppies it came up with an error..... Oh well.
Now after many years selling and using Macs I have had the pleasure of selling Windows computers in a main stream Computer store here in Australia similar to Best buy if you get my drift. We deliver to customers consumer laptops and desktops not to mention an array of tablets including Apple ipads, and Samsung tabs
What amazes me since Windows 8 splashed on the market not I may say a big splash more like a ripple, I have to now some how in my course of recommending a solution for my customers have to spend wasted time fending off questions and criticism about Windows 8. This is more of an issue with as one would say windows XP and Vista users as they just hate it...yes win 8 works great on Touch screens but navigating in non touch screens is a real pain for many users.

What I find amusing is when I sell Mac systems ( my second job is Mac consulting). and some one asks about OSX all I have to say is " it just works" and you know what I hardly ever get support calls regarding the OS !!! however not a day goes by at the retail store when we get users coming in asking for help or in several cases trying to return their brand new Windows 8 laptops because they hate Win 8. Personally I cannot wait for Microsoft to do a fix maybe then I can do what I do best sell the solution not spend valuable time apologising for a real bad OS. What is also real funny in some ways Windows 8 has helped Apple sell more Macs and iPads Oh well times have changed......

Colin, Down under Brisbane Australia.

 

[KevinJS]

Apple screwed up one app (Maps). It took MS to screw up the entire OS. It doesn't matter how technically brilliant the OS actually is. If users don't like it, all was for nought. MS fixed something that wasn't broken.

I fail to see how anyone can argue that 8 is a good OS. The very nature of a GUI-based OS is that it must be intuitive. The few times I have to deal with it leaves me wondering what I'm doing. I'm reasonably savvy on computers, particularly Windows, and when I see 8 I just want to turn and run. I pity anyone who is trying to learn how to use a computer from the ground up with Win8 as the OS.

I await with interest the day when my company does the switch. Our IT manager likes Apple well enough for his own use, but doesn't see it as viable for the company, so eventually everyone will be using 8. Interesting days ahead.

 

[Bob Maxey]

I can even remember when Microsoft Office for Mac came on 26 floppies. Yes 26. Real pain to install however imagine if you will after installing 22 floppies it came up with an error..... Oh well.

Or . . .

you are asked to insert disk 21 and it is missing. Disks 22 and 20 are there, so where did I put disk 21?

I remember those days as well. Everything seemed to arrive on several dozen floppies. I still miss the days when buying software required the strength of ten small boys to carry the box home. All of those manuals and programming references.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Microsoft have massive market dominance in business. I love Bill Gates. But iPad market is growing more and more day by day. Bill Gates apparently is oblivious to the latest sales figures that Apple recently revealed.

Bill Gates is a company man who will never let Microsoft go. I think you can call BG many things, but perhaps oblivious is not one of them. My guess is he still thinkls MS is a great company and he will defend it untill the bitter end. As he should. I think he well knows the market and his companies sales figures.

Like I said, the sales figures will tell the tale. Surface is just getting its feet wet and we do not know what MS will come up with.

That said, Apple should scare people in the business because Apple has a way of turning everything upside down.

That said, Cook is leading the charge and he is no Steve Jobs, so perhaps Apple will slide somewhat and MS becomes the top dog.

That said, I think the ultimate winner will be RIM.

Or as history shows us, there are those two guys in a garage that develop something that Apple pines for and did not think of; that MS thinks is a game changer; something that becomes the new Apple.

 

[Bob Maxey]

I fail to see how anyone can argue that 8 is a good OS. The very nature of a GUI-based OS is that it must be intuitive. The few times I have to deal with it leaves me wondering what I'm doing. I'm reasonably savvy on computers, particularly Windows, and when I see 8 I just want to turn and run. I pity anyone who is trying to learn how to use a computer from the ground up with Win8 as the OS.

Under the hood where it really matters to people like me, Windows 8 is a solid operating system. Unfortunately, people want the same old things and the same tired ways of doing this and that. It shines on a mobile device (for the most part) but people seem to be hating the GUI. So far, the biggest issue seems to be the silly Start Button. There are quick fixes for that issue. I do not run a GUI, just BASH on my laptop and I got use to it.

People can learn to use W8. Many people are already using it. You had to learn, remember? I am a fairly typical user and even at my advanced age, W8 would be no problem at all.

If I were running W8 I could replace the shell with something cool, but I do not really need cool, I need "It Works!" Just remember, after Microsoft releases 34 Servicve Packs and 1545 security updates, it will rule. For the record, I favor Windows 7, but I could live with Windows 3.1.

So what is easier, press a few silly buttons or type:

$ export CDPATH='.:~:/usr/local/apache/htdocs:/disk/backups'

See . . . Bash is better and much easier and all you really need is a solid OS and Bash.

 

[s2mikey]

Under the hood where it really matters to people like me, Windows 8 is a solid operating system. Unfortunately, people want the same old things and the same tired ways of doing this and that. It shines on a mobile device (for the most part) but people seem to be hating the GUI. So far, the biggest issue seems to be the silly Start Button. There are quick fixes for that issue. I do not run a GUI, just BASH on my laptop and I got use to it.

People can learn to use W8. Many people are already using it. You had to learn, remember? I am a fairly typical user and even at my advanced age, W8 would be no problem at all.

If I were running W8 I could replace the shell with something cool, but I do not really need cool, I need "It Works!" Just remember, after Microsoft releases 34 Servicve Packs and 1545 security updates, it will rule. For the record, I favor Windows 7, but I could live with Windows 3.1.

So what is easier, press a few silly buttons or type:

$ export CDPATH='.:~:/usr/local/apache/htdocs:/disk/backups'

See . . . Bash is better and much easier and all you really need is a solid OS and Bash.

Bob, I can see your points about caring what's under the hood but most people couldn't care less about that. That's why apple stuff sells well. There isn't any thinking about how it works...just that it works. Windows 8 to me just isn't cutting it. The same old things are exactly what people want when it comes to computing and usability. That's because they are comfortable with it. If something is changed for a good reason and it makes logistical sense then that's one thing. But, no one was clamping for windows to change so drastically overnight. There was no good reason for this at all. Maybe on a phone it works better but for home use windows 8 has redefined the term obnoxious. When something works well and people have been using it for years, it doesn't get tired, it just keeps being easy to use and familiar.

My take on it.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Bob, I can see your points about caring what's under the hood but most people couldn't care less about that. That's why apple stuff sells well. There isn't any thinking about how it works...just that it works. Windows 8 to me just isn't cutting it. The same old things are exactly what people want when it comes to computing and usability. That's because they are comfortable with it. If something is changed for a good reason and it makes logistical sense then that's one thing. But, no one was clamping for windows to change so drastically overnight. There was no good reason for this at all. Maybe on a phone it works better but for home use windows 8 has redefined the term obnoxious. When something works well and people have been using it for years, it doesn't get tired, it just keeps being easy to use and familiar.

My take on it.

But we must change. I do not think people are incapable of change and MS has taken a chance with W8. Apple took a chance with iOS and the iPad. No reason to think the iPad would be such a hit. Perhaps W8 will revive MS and something insanely great will arrive.

A friend just bought a laptop with W8 installed and it is not so hard to get around.