The future of Windows, and why Microsoft should make PCs |
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The future of Windows, and why Microsoft should make PCs
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Windows 1.0 release, one of my favorite sites, Technologizer, today published an interesting feature in which it asked more than two dozen journalists, analysts, former Microsoft employees and others what the company should do to keep Windows relevant.
The full feature is definitely worth a read, with lots of interesting thoughts on the direction of Microsoft's most important product. As one of the contributors, I also wanted to share my portion here and ask for feedback. Continue reading for my radical idea, as originally published by Technologizer earlier today.
I’m a tech reporter, not a software engineer, so asking me what Microsoft should do with Windows is like asking the guy in the press box how the Steinbrenners should run the Yankees. But I’ve been keeping score long enough that I have lots of opinions.
Of course, there are the obvious ones, such as making the core of Windows more simple, secure, and flexible enough to easily scale down and work on a wider variety of devices. But in my view, one fundamental change will be required to keep Windows relevant in the 21st Century: Microsoft needs to take complete responsibility for the experience of using its product — starting by designing, developing, and selling its own Windows PCs.
Over the years, Microsoft’s willingness to license Windows to a wide variety of hardware makers has been one of the biggest keys to its success in the market. Despite the company’s efforts to work more closely with PC makers, in many cases the software and hardware still feel disjointed, like they come from completely different worlds. At this point in the Windows lifecycle, Microsoft has the power to determine its own destiny, and improve its product, by completely changing its mindset and entering a new era.
The company should still make Windows available to many hardware makers, but that should shift over time to a secondary business. Operating systems are becoming a commodity anyway. Microsoft¹s market position is strong enough that it can risk alienating its partners by competing with them, setting an example with its own flagship line of Windows machines.
Todd Bishop is managing editor of TechFlash.com.
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