How a silly phone for teens reveals MS's plan for us all

[blackroseMD1]

Despite its mobile prowess, Apple sucks at the internet. But surprisingly it's Microsoft—not Google—that's best positioned for Our Future in the Cloud. Here's why.

It's common for writers to trot out the Google/Apple binary. It's not entirely invalid: Yes, following spectacular success with the iPhone and the App Store, Apple has let its online ambitions—Mobile Me and the like—whither. And Google, inexperienced in hardware and consumer software as it may be, is an internet company, so you'd expect it to be ahead of the curve when it comes to, well, using the internet. But consider Microsoft, the lumbering giant, the sprawling monster. This is a company with more experience online than the other two companies combined; which could, if it wanted to, brings peoples lives—their media, their documents, their photos, their everything—online in a way that its competitors only dream of.

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I think this is a very interesting article, and the author makes some good points. Even after Win7 came out, people have been saying that MS may be headed downhill, that Google and Apple are the future. I think this article shows what could, and probably will, happen in the near future to ensure that Microsoft dominates once again.

 

[loquacious]

Will be interesting to see where it all goes for sure. I for one though am enjoying Windows 7

 

[Crunchy Doodle]

Even if Apple and Google gain some market share over Microsoft in the consumer electronics area, I'll not live long enough to see them make much of a dent in the business and industrial world where I work. I'm not twittering my facebook at work. I do real work with real software that runs on Microsoft powered platforms.

Bye.

 

[Dave76]

Good read, nice find.

Still don't want to see everything in the cloud, some already is, more will be, control and security are the issues.

Our kids will be saying, remember that big box Dad use to have just to get on the internet, while shaking their heads.

 

[CarlTR6]

Very good read. Thanks for posting it. I am still very wary of the cloud.

 

[swarfega]

The day Apple replaces Windows is the day I switch to Linux.

 

[arkhi]

Windows Phone 7-wise, I really think this would ruin the feelings of WM "elites" like myself. WP doesn't seem to have as much "tinkerabilty" as WM. We want to edit stuff like the ROM, the OS, and the registry you know.

Anyway, on topic, history has stated that the most powerful empire can indeed fall. Same might be true with MS. When that happens, I'm not sure, but I would go with swarfega said.

 

[SIW2]

Misses the point.

It's all about money . Your money.

The biggest money game of all has been afoot for some time. Nobody seems to notice.

 

[osholt]

The cloud is the future in most non commercial and even some commercial sectors whether you like it or not.

I for one am totally happy with the idea of the cloud... as long as the server it's stored on is upstairs next to the router.

That could be the next big thing. Personal cloud computing.

I mean all of us on this forum have a lot of our post stored on some server somewhere either controlled by Google, Microsoft, AOL or Yahoo and no one seams to object to that? Heck, a lot of us even trust our money online with online banking and online retail.

The next logical step is for more things to go the way of email, web apps etc.

I admit although being a cloud supporter I still prefer to have all my really important stuff right here on my PC and not on the cloud.

Oli

 

[blackroseMD1]

The cloud is the future in most non commercial and even some commercial sectors whether you like it or not.

I for one am totally happy with the idea of the cloud... as long as the server it's stored on is upstairs next to the router.

That could be the next big thing. Personal cloud computing.

I mean all of us on this forum have a lot of our post stored on some server somewhere either controlled by Google, Microsoft, AOL or Yahoo and no one seams to object to that? Heck, a lot of us even trust our money online with online banking and online retail.

The next logical step is for more things to go the way of email, web apps etc.

I admit although being a cloud supporter I still prefer to have all my really important stuff right here on my PC and not on the cloud.

Oli

I'm not completely against the idea of cloud computing...I just think that having all of your info, documents, pics etc. out there instead of stored locally is a stupidly bad idea. If MS ever goes to a fully cloud OS...then I will keep Windows 7 or 8 or whatever their last non-Cloud OS is.

 

[osholt]

The cloud is the future in most non commercial and even some commercial sectors whether you like it or not.

I for one am totally happy with the idea of the cloud... as long as the server it's stored on is upstairs next to the router.

That could be the next big thing. Personal cloud computing.

I mean all of us on this forum have a lot of our post stored on some server somewhere either controlled by Google, Microsoft, AOL or Yahoo and no one seams to object to that? Heck, a lot of us even trust our money online with online banking and online retail.

The next logical step is for more things to go the way of email, web apps etc.

I admit although being a cloud supporter I still prefer to have all my really important stuff right here on my PC and not on the cloud.

Oli

I'm not completely against the idea of cloud computing...I just think that having all of your info, documents, pics etc. out there instead of stored locally is a stupidly bad idea. If MS ever goes to a fully cloud OS...then I will keep Windows 7 or 8 or whatever their last non-Cloud OS is.

This is why I'm saying personal cloud computing.

You get a copy of Windows Home Server and put it on a storage server PC (just a mid /low spec one) and access everything from YOUR cloud, no one else can use your cloud unless you let them.

It's kind of a best of both worlds; the files/pictures are stored both locally and on the cloud (cloud and local being the same thing).

Although this all relies on upload speeds getting much better or for SDSL to become cheap.

Oli

 

[blackroseMD1]

This is why I'm saying personal cloud computing.

You get a copy of Windows Home Server and put it on a storage server PC (just a mid /low spec one) and access everything from YOUR cloud, no one else can use your cloud unless you let them.

It's kind of a best of both worlds; the files/pictures are stored both locally and on the cloud (cloud and local being the same thing).

Although this all relies on upload speeds getting much better or for SDSL to become cheap.

Oli

Yeah, that seems like a good compromise. I could definitely go for that. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

 

[logicearth]

It's all about money . Your money.

Microsoft is a business, not a charity. Money is what makes the world go round. Without it, you starve. Every business is looking out for its bottom line, nothing more.

 

[SIW2]

I see there is a need to spell it out.

We will all be paying a monthly/usage fee at some time in the not too distant future.

It will no longer be a case of pay for the o/s once and use it for as long/as much as you like.

The precise business model has not been decided yet. The fee may be for combined use of o/s and online services.

It may just be for online services and the o/s will just be peripheral - as a way of getting to the online services.

It may be you get the o/s ( e.g. Windows ) included in your package. If you want to go with Google , perhaps you can still get Windows, but have to buy it separately.

It will be introduced gradually. MS and Google appear to be the only players. No idea what Apple will do.

I haven't heard they are setting up the massive base required to service it. Perhaps they will throw in with Google, too soon to say.

In any event, whatever the precise details are thrashed out to be, it is coming.

It has been obvious for a long time.

 

[Boris]

Lot of wishful thinking going on in this article. True MS is a giant, but slow to act and with little vision. There market share seems to hold them back. Just look at the markets Apple has opened up: ipod, iphone, ipad, itunes store, app store. MS is still windows and office only, only reacting to changes in the market at the moment.

I still remember the way MS responded to the introduction of the iphone (and ipad). Now four years later they still have to come up with an viable combination of hard & software.

 

[Bootz]

If Google and Apple are teh future, does that mean Big businesses are gonna stop using computers? :sarc: lol. I dont know of a single fortune 500 company that doesnt run Windows.

 

[Bootz]

Lot of wishful thinking going on in this article. True MS is a giant, but slow to act and with little vision. There market share seems to hold them back. Just look at the markets Apple has opened up: ipod, iphone, ipad, itunes store, app store. MS is still windows and office only, only reacting to changes in the market at the moment.

I still remember the way MS responded to the introduction of the iphone (and ipad). Now four years later they still have to come up with an viable combination of hard & software.

Ill put any of the top 5 windows phones up against an iphone anyday...

And given it runs Android, my HTC EVO will run circles around in iphone in every way.

 

[Tepid]

I think what people are also missing with Cloud Computing is Regulation.

They are already trying hard as they can to get the Internet fully Regulated.
This would only give them more reason to jam that foot further in the door.

I can't wait till someone says, "remember the days when we could do just about whatever we wanted on the Net?"

It will turn into, "I need to check the regulatory papers to make sure it's safe for me to post or say anything. I could be violating some pithy regluation, and could be held liable for helping someone fix their PC over the net."

If you really and truly think that is far fetched?

Go check out Labor laws in the personal home and what they are trying to do there.
Are you ready for that? Just wait.

Scenario 1: Some kid comes to mow your lawn, he runs himself over with the his lawn mower. You then find yourself in court with a million dollar lawsuit. Oh, yes, they are trying, it is coming.

The net will be regulated. Unless we all fight for it.
Scenario 1 will come true, unless we all fight for it. Or don't higher anyone to mow your lawn, or clean your house.

 

[severedsolo]

Lot of wishful thinking going on in this article. True MS is a giant, but slow to act and with little vision. There market share seems to hold them back. Just look at the markets Apple has opened up: ipod, iphone, ipad, itunes store, app store. MS is still windows and office only, only reacting to changes in the market at the moment.

I still remember the way MS responded to the introduction of the iphone (and ipad). Now four years later they still have to come up with an viable combination of hard & software.

they are all effectively the same market though arent they? they all lean towards the "kids" who want their music with then 24/7. Now i am one of those "kids" (im 22... but you know what I mean) but i will not buy anything from apple.

1. Its over priced
2. Itunes is such a badly written program, you can actually see it breaking your computer while its running.... ( i exxagerate of course, but only a little)

*braces himself for a pelting with Apples*

This is why I'm saying personal cloud computing.

You get a copy of Windows Home Server and put it on a storage server PC (just a mid /low spec one) and access everything from YOUR cloud, no one else can use your cloud unless you let them.

It's kind of a best of both worlds; the files/pictures are stored both locally and on the cloud (cloud and local being the same thing).

Although this all relies on upload speeds getting much better or for SDSL to become cheap.

Oli

Oli what would be the point of that? you might as well just leave them where they are to be fair.... the only advantage i can see is that you can access the files from any computer, and Homegroup manages that quite comfortably. (yes i know Workgroups are a PITA but by the time we reach this point your talking about XP will have died a painful death I hope)

also upload speed wouldnt matter if it was all local as it would be LAN speeds, so at LEAST 10Mbps more likely 100/1000

 

[blackroseMD1]

1. Its over priced
2. Itunes is such a badly written program, you can actually see it breaking your computer while its running.... ( i exxagerate of course, suffice to say i don't like Itunes)

*braces himself for a pelting with Apples*

I agree. Having used both an ipod touch and a Zune HD, I would take the Zune HD any day of the week. The software is much more user friendly, and the hardware is actually worth what you pay for it, without any kind of "Apple logo tax".

To hell with Apple and their overcharging ways.