Microsoft Plans Windows 8 Preview at Mobile World Congress
When you think Barcelona, Spain, you’re either thinking killer vacation or Mobile World Congress. But surprisingly, The VAR Guy is thinking about Windows 8, too. Microsoft has sent an official invitation to certain members of the press to come check out the Windows 8 Consumer Preview at special event during Mobile World Congress. Our resident blogger is intrigued, but will he be packing his bags? Read on …
A tip of the hat goes to InformationWeek for publicizing Microsoft’s Mobile World Congress invitation. (Alas, our resident blogger has been checking his inbox regularly but has yet to receive said invite.) But other than the invitation and the release and download date for the Consumer Preview, which is coming Feb. 29, 2012, there’s not much else to talk about. The VAR Guy wonders, What can we expect Microsoft to show off that it hasn’t already?
If you thought you got a decent window into Windows 8 during Microsoft’s BUILD conference, our resident blogger would be inclined to agree with you. But there is something slightly different here: Instead of the focus being on developers, Microsoft probably will be focusing on how Windows 8 fits around a consumer experience (duh), with home-use cases (photos, music, etc.) and a much-improved Metro interface with more native applications.
But why Mobile World Congress? Microsoft has no plans to put the Windows Phone 7 OS on tablets. Instead, Microsoft is revamping Windows 8 for a tablet/desktop “no compromise” experience. It’s arguably one of the most ambitious things Microsoft is doing in the consumer space. At Mobile World Congress 2012, the buzz likely will be around Android, with a pinch of iOS for good measure and maybe Windows Phone 7 at the tail end. But to have a whole event around Windows 8 at Mobile World Congress? Microsoft clearly wants Windows 8 in the spotlight.
Just take a look at all the Building Windows 8 blogs — between more streamlined network connectivity and push notifications, it’s clear Microsoft has one goal and one goal only: to show how mobile Windows 8 can be. The VAR Guy will reserve further speculation until the event, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit intrigued. Meanwhile, his suitcase stands at the ready. (Are you listening, Microsoft?)
Putting regular Windows applications on a pad is probably the worst compromise ever wrt client computers.
Having said that, they are only competing with themselves. Tablet PC’s never worked. That’s why iPad and Androids are successful.
Hi Jack,
Normally, yes, I’d say regular Windows applications on a tablet form factor is bad, but Windows 8 is about bringing desktop-class applications into a tablet-like experience when possible, but also using your Windows 8 tablet as a desktop computer when you get home and plug it into a dock. That’s the big-picture usability of Windows 8.
We’ve covered Microsoft’s efforts quite a bit here on TVG. Be sure to check out some of our stories covering the Building Windows 8 Blog.
Thanks for reading,
-Dave
Hi Dave,
Slight digression, but Lenovo has shown a similar thing with Android and Windows.
AFAIK what Microsoft are talking about is basicly the MS Office suite and a few functions also originating from Microsoft. Nothing on 3rd party. That makes sense as the jungle is less coherent than for Mac or Linux.
Keyboard docks for pads is nothing new, and the question is if MSO really is a dealbreaker. Is this setup sufficient or at all desireable for corporations?
A pad screen (7 to 10 inches) is not really something you’d want to work with all day long. Shure, there are or have been pads up to 2x 14″ screens but then you are moving into the 13-14″ laptop sphere, and for those quite a few use external monitors.
To me it seems like move to keep MSO relevant. It might be, but I do really question the excess that comes with MSO. It’s an elephant that “everybody” believe they must have, but in practice MSO is way over the top for most users. (I’ve been working for a coupple of world leading companies and believe me – a very large share of the professionals are nowhere near utilising the functionality of MSO or LibreOffice.
Pads makes the excess very visible. Mac users are well aware that they get most things done with iWork, and LibreOffice is just about as excessive as MSO.
I believe Corporations are interested in simplification, and I question whether MSO on pad is just that. Corporations would be better off standardising documents (business systems) and simplifying the tools.
The “new standard” is HTML5, and companies like Visma have announced that “all their client software” will be HTML5.
In my opinion the big corporations with loads of clerks are “doing something wrong” if most of the clerks are using MSO/LO for regular work. They compensate for missing functionality in their business systems.