Microsoft Becomes Hardware Company With Surface

Entry into the tablet market at a high price.

Microsoft's core business has long been software. And the focus of that software has been the desktop. Microsoft for most of its life has believed that the desktop is king and in may respects that has been correct until recently. A shift is moving away from desktop computers and even laptop computers towards tablet computers. Microsoft has made the coming Windows 8 to be the OS for tablets. But that is not enough for Microsoft. They have decided they need to be a hardware company as well. They have really been a hardware company for almost as long as the company has existed.

You just do not think of Microsoft as a hardware company. They have been producing the Microsoft Mouse for so many years along with their Microsoft keyboards. They have manufactured cards that go into PCs and so much more. It seems that they have been in the hardware business for 32 years out of the 37 years they have been in business. So, they are a hardware company, but we just do not view them as such. The reality is they have been involved in hardware for years. And that includes the xBox and Kinect which have been extremely popular for them. But, they have not really been considered a hardware company because they do not build computers.

Building a desktop computer or laptop would have moved them into being seen as a hardware maker. Given the shift to tablets, Microsoft has made the decision to move into what most would consider as being a hardware company with their Surface tablet. This is entering them into a highly competitive market with the likes of Apple and Amazon. Those two companies basically control the tablet market making the entry of a new comer somewhat difficult.

Microsoft has their new Windows 8 OS to run their Surface tablet and that may make a difference for them. Microsoft has their great marketing arm which knows how to promote products. But that may not be enough for them to be successful. The one big thing that Microsoft has going for them is the integration of their Windows 8 OS. It is immediately ready to integrate tablets into a Windows environment within companies. Its built in security within their server OS makes it an immediate success for businesses.

Whether Microsoft can achieve a level of success is an unknown. Part of the problem is the pricing they are putting out with their newest hardware product. Starting at $500, this may be a tough sell when compared to other tablets, such as the Apple iPad. If they were to come in with a price less than the Apple iPad, it would give them a sales boost. The market for tablet prices is currently facing a lot of downward pressures for price. This is especially true for the 7 inch models. At 10.6 inches, it looks to be one that is a little less portable, but could do well.

Just how well Microsoft is going to do with their Surface tablet will depend on exactly who they are targeting for this. It does not look like it is a good fit for small businesses.

Microsoft Betting Everything On Windows 8

The next desktop OS is expanding to be many more things.

Microsoft's next operating system for the desktop is due out very soon. If you have been working with it, you understand just how much of a shift it is from what you are currently doing under Windows XP, Vista or 7. The whole concept of the desktop has changed to tiles. And with these tiles, it bears a close resemblance to the screen for Windows Phone 8. It does appear that Microsoft has made some long term decisions as to how the interfaces are going to look and this is definitely one of those paradigm shifts.

Microsoft is attempting to revolutionize the interface once again, but this time they are trying to do it across many different devices. The changes to the Windows Phone 8 interface work well because of the compact nature of the smart phone. And that will work in that environment. But betting that the same interface will work on all other devices is a big leap in technology. For the phones, Microsoft's OS did not exist, so it was far easier to release and make it a standard. It appears to have been well received.

The bigger problem for Microsoft and the risk is with respect to the paradigm shift for the desktop users which also includes laptop users. I have been working with the Windows 8 for a few months and find it difficult to make the shift to the new interface. There are many who are questioning the change to tiles for Windows 8. It is confusing and along with the some what similar desktop screen included, it creates confusion. Things got so bad this morning while I was trying to accomplish something that I downlaoded Start8 so that I could get back to the old standard Windows desktop so that I could accomplish the task at hand. That is a bad situation to be in. There are other who have voiced issues with the interface which will take some getting used to.

The basic consensus is that you will hate Windows 8 at first and I would agree with that. Some believe that after a while, you will adjust to the changes and life will go on. But the differences will drive you nuts for far longer than that.

For those who have not used a Windows desktop in the past, it will be a far easier adjustment to make. For those who have become very accustomed to Windows and where everything is located, this will be excruciating in trying to learn where everything actually is to use. That is why I downloaded a piece of software to get things back to what I am used to. You may feel the need to do exactly the same thing after using Windows 8 for a while.

One of the big winners for Windows 8 may be their coming Surface tablet. Much of the new interface is designed for use with touch screens which exactly fits their 10.6 inch screen. This is where Windows 8 will really shine and makes perfect sense for users. The problem is that Windows 8 has been designed pretty much as a one size fits all. And for Microsoft this may create a big problem for them. Business users may balk at purchasing the latest version from Microsoft. And they have a big impact on how successful an OS can be for Microsoft. It could even open the door to other companies to get their OS into businesses, such as Ubuntu. That is not want Microsoft should be doing.

Just how well Windows 8 is received is up to consumers. We should know by the end of the year just how well it is received. Add on companies which can return to your the familiar Windows desktop may do very well. Are you considering moving to Windows 8?

Rumor: Barnes & Nobles Going To Windows 8 For Nook

To differentiate itself, will B&N move to Microsoft OS.

The competition for 7 inch tablets continues to escalate. We know that Apple is going to announce the iPad Mini in the next few months. At least that is the rumor which is going around and has been pretty much accepted as fact with a competitive price. Barnes and Noble has been completing against Amazon with the two going up against each other in a great market and price point. The advantage that Barnes and Noble has is the brick and mortar store fronts that Amazon does not have. So what else can they do to have themselves viewed as different from Amazon when it comes to tablets?

Well, it appear that rumors are circulating of a new OS for the Nook tablet line in the future. At the moment, both companies are relying on versions of the Google Android OS to power their hand held devices. Amazon has heavily modified the version of Android they are running and have locked themselves into the for the future. Barnes and Noble has not done that and as a result, making a change for them would be far easier. And therefore the rumor mill has started with the possibility they are considering a move to use the Windows 8 OS to power their next tablet.

Much of the rumors about Windows 8 running on a future tablet from Barnes and Noble come from the investment of $605 million in the company by Microsoft. It seems logical to move to the next step of Windows 8 running on the Nook Tablet. Rumors are going around that the next Microsoft OS will show up on the next tablet which could be announced towards the end of the month. More than likely, it will be released in October. If it does, it will have an impact on the market and be very positive for Barnes and Noble.

If the Nook tablet does launch after Microsoft releases Windows 8, they are going to be able to tap into all the marketing which will be promoting the launch. And it the rumors are correct, the Nook tablet will take a leap up in its market share in the 7 inch tablet market. A big question we have not seen is how this might be viewed in comparison to Microsoft's coming surface tablet? Microsoft is going to put a lot behind that new tablet.

Given that all of this is a rumor, it is hard to know until things are set in concrete and officially announced. We will have to wait and see.

Would you be more interested in a Nook tablet running Windows 8?