Windows 8 Tablets: The Most Successful Tablets Ever

Spider

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Summary: Are you going to buy a Windows 8 tablet or smart phone? It will be interesting to see who bites first on the coming wave, you or your employer.

By Ken Hess for Consumerization: BYOD | October 16, 2012 -- 03:00 GMT (20:00 PDT)

ballmer-tablets.jpg


Windows 8 and Tablets are a winning combination Soon, you and users around the world will be able to purchase your very own Windows 8 Tablet computers. Though I haven't been lucky enough to review one yet, I feel as if they'll take the market by storm for one single reason alone: Windows 8. Tablets have been around for years. Windows has been around for years. Windows tablets have been around for years. So, what's so special about Windows tablets now? The answer is simply, Windows 8.

But, that's only the answer to the first part of the question. The answer to the second part of the question is, support.

Windows 8 and support. That's what's so special about Windows tablets now.

Why do I feel like Windows 8 is going to push tablet computing into the mainstream including corporate computing in such a big way?

First, Microsoft has many Enterprise-level partner agreements with its customers. That means that Microsoft's own tablet will be available in bulk for those customers, preloaded with Windows 8 that's ready for corporate work. You're looking at millions of units just for corporate use.

Second, it's Windows. Windows, like Mac, has its fans. Windows is familiar, it's well known by users, it's a recognizable brand. Everyone uses Windows. Everyone knows Microsoft will be there tomorrow and the day after that. There's comfort in that stability.

Third, people will use at home what they use at work. How many people will buy technology that they also use at work? A lot. Personal computers users want to become more familiar with the workings of their office environments and will therefore purchase accordingly. Similarly, if you use a Mac at work, you're more likely to purchase one for home use. People love consistency. Millions more units.

Fourth, a lot of consumers will buy into Windows 8 tablets because of its more tablet-friendly interface. Large icons and a swipey interface make it easier for people to use on this hardware. Previous Windows versions were mouse-driven. This one begs for a touch screen. And, it's more user friendly than Apple's iOS. Seriously. It's Windows plus you have the intuitive interface that begs to be swiped and touched. Apple's iOS can leave people a little confused. Task switching in iOS is not intuitive.

Finally, Microsoft's support is going to be long-lived. They still support Windows XP. That means that while your (my) iPad 1 is no longer support just two short years after its release, the Windows tablet will likely be supported by Windows 9, Windows 10 and possibly beyond. Think about it. If you purchased a Windows tablet computer in 2001 (Almost exactly 11 years ago to the day), when Windows XP first hit the market, your tablet would still be supported and it's likely that you could upgrade it to Windows 7 or even Windows 8 with no issues. In fact, it might run better with Windows 8 on it. So, for my $600, I could have a device that's supported for 10+ years instead of two. That's an easy decision for me to make.

And, since Windows is such a versatile platform and uses standard hardware, it's likely that you can run virtual machines on it with a Type 2 Hypervisor or dual boot it with Linux. You aren't limited to a single OS nor are you limited to a single function computer/game system that may well be obsoleted by its manufacturer in two years.*
The best of all worlds indeed.

I've used Windows 8 for a while now with no issues. It works well with all of my services, programs and idiosyncrasies. I haven't had a moment of trouble with it. Honestly.

It's almost as if Microsoft thought about the past and decided not to repeat its mistakes. They put real thought into the next generation of computing and what users really need to operate, to communicate and to transition seamlessly from home to work and back again.

If you've followed my column for long, you know that I didn't buy an Android tablet and I reluctantly purchased an Apple iPad 1 (mistake) but I'm looking forward to my brand new Windows tablet with Windows 8 on it. Yes, I am. I'm going to buy one and I'm going to love it.

What about you? Are you going to buy a Windows 8 tablet or opt for a different one? Would your employer's choice make a difference to you? Talk back and let me know.

*Yes, I'm still angry. No, I won't just get over it.
 

leeshor

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Dec 27, 2011
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No plans here either. I think there are still a lot of questions regarding the apps that will be available. So far they have a limited version of Office and some games.
 

Tom T

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I have no interest in the RT, but I will definately upgrading my windiws notebook soon and will either buy an Ultrbook or a Surface Pro type device.
The main problem with the RT is lack of backwards compatibility, so it really is a new device that will obviously take a long time to catch up with Android or even the iPad.
 

J515OP

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I have no interest in the RT, but I will definately upgrading my windiws notebook soon and will either buy an Ultrbook or a Surface Pro type device.
The main problem with the RT is lack of backwards compatibility, so it really is a new device that will obviously take a long time to catch up with Android or even the iPad.

Except it is tied into Windows 8 going forward and also to Windows Phone. Backwards compatibility is essential for some people but not for many others. Going forward MS has made it easy for apps to be compatible on all three platforms, Windows 8, Windows RT and WP with little to no work to make an app work across the board. This is a huge advantage an not one any other OS can claim.

The WP app store claimed over 100,000 apps on what was essentially a very limited platform (WP7). Now that all three have been tied together it is certain that the app store will do even better. So what exactly is "catching up" to iOS and Android at that point (700k and 600k apps respectively)? RT is less of a whole new OS on its own than it is part of the whole new Windows 8 OS that can also run on ARM.

Here is also a good article by CNET where quality of apps certainly is a large factor rather than all out quantity of apps. Does an app store's size matter if content is the killer app? | Common Sense Tech - CNET News.

It is hard to see how with a compatible three platform system and the most used desktop OS of all time MS will stay behind in the apps category. However, this does not mean sales of Windows RT are guaranteed to go anywhere. RT could very well die but that could be for reasons besides app availability since all signs indicate apps for RT are directly tied to and coming out of Windows 8. More than likely RT will die (if it does) because it is tied to ARM hardware which many people may not see as a reason to buy RT products over Windows 8 x86 products. Throw on top of that RT is slightly gimped in enterprise and backwards compatibility and the case can be made there is no advantage in RT over full Windows 8 tablets, particularly if Intel ups it's power management game and really breaks into the tablet/phone market. To me this is a lot more destructive to the future of RT. Why by a slightly gimped version of Windows 8 (Windows RT) just to have the ability to run ARM hardware, which may or may not be cheaper or more efficient than future x86 offerings?
 

Tom T

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Feb 18, 2011
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The thing for me it is an either or decision. The Pro version will replace a laptop for 99 percent of people, it isn't that much more money than the RT version (hopefully this is the case, I can't see any reason for it to be more than incrementally more, just the hardware cost) and there would appear to be absolutely no reason if you own a Pro surface device to even consider the RT.
For me the issue is more if I get a pro Surface device will I any longer have a use for larger Android devices. The same could apply to Android tablets as to the RT, why? Sure smaller media consumption devices like the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD would have their place.
So has technology advanced to the point where I can carry one tablet sized device that can have the power and compatibility of an Ultra book and the convenience of a tablet? I actually hope so.

......
 

J515OP

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Dawnstar

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Looking at the picture i wouldn't mind a tablet that size but it be heavy,:D I had Windows 8 but didn't like it at all it's slow and ugly, MS can't even fix Windows 7 for the PC god only knows why they want to put on a tablet IMO
 
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