Microsoft eyes October Windows 8 launch amid growing competition
As Microsoft scrambles to finish its next generation Windows 8 tablet and desktop operating system, some analysts say that the Redmond, Wash., company must launch by October to avoid being overrun by mounting competition from Apple and Google's Android.
Citing sources with inside knowledge of Microsoft's 2012 roadmap, Bloomberg reports that the company is looking to complete Windows 8 by summer and plans to launch the OS on a variety of tablets and PCs before the holiday season in October.
In respect to tablet sales, Gartner Inc. analyst Michael Gartenberg notes that a pre-holiday shipment is necessary for Microsoft to fend off the fierce competition presented by Apple's iOS and Android.
“If they miss the September-October time frame, they’re going to be stuck without being able to ship anything in 2012,” Gartenberg said. “The last thing Microsoft wants to have is a situation where there are no compelling Windows tablets at a time when the new iPad looks like it’s going to be a good seller for the holidays.”
Windows 8 Consumer Preview. | Source: Microsoft
Gartner estimates that over 103 million tablets will be sold in 2012, with the number more than tripling to 326.3 million by 2015. Apple will take a majority of those sales, however growing competition from devices running Google's Android and, to a lesser extent, Microsoft will eat into the iPad's market share.
Since its introduction in 2010, the iPad has enjoyed the lion's share of tablet sales and moved over 15 million units in the last quarter of 2011 alone. At the end of January, the iPad accounted for 58 percent of the market while Android held a 39 percent share. Microsoft came in a distant third with 1.5 percent.
Demand for Apple's tablet has not waned, as the recently-released third-generation iPad sold a record-breaking 3 million units over its launch weekend.
Gartner expects that a flood of Android and Windows devices will dilute the iPad's market share to 46 percent in 2015, however that number is contingent on Microsoft meeting a 2012 Windows 8 launch date.
In addition to over 40 traditional Intel-based machines, Microsoft is looking to rollout devices based on the ARM platform when Windows 8 is eventually released. The number of devices running on ARM chips at launch will be limited to fewer than five, three of which are reported to be tablets.
Although no official date has been set for the Windows 8 rollout, insiders say that Microsoft will be holding a special event for industry partners in April to announce release timing and marketing.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
The number of devices running on ARM chips at launch will be limited to fewer than five, three of which are reported to be tablets.
What is the other device?
When will Intel Windows 8 Tablets be available?
Will Windows 8 ARM tablet success be dependent on Office on ARM?
Will there be a reasonable library of apps available... When?
Will consumers have any interest in these devices?
Will enterprise have any interest in these devices?
When do most enterprise departments go through their budget/approval cycle?
If MS releases Windows 8 ARM tablets in October... will it matter?
Sounds like Redmond is about as committed to them as they were to the Kins too.
And then Microsoft goes and actually creates their own interface for the first time ever (something of which I GREATLY approve), but it's to their detriment as people hate it?
I think Microsoft might actually want to stop making consumer OS'?
I've been playing with both the DP and CP versions recently, and it feels very unfinished (OK, it's a preview) and awfully clunky. If things don't change much between now and the sales date, it'll be Vista v.2. The Metro/desktop situation is confusing at first - a lot of people are going to feel unhappy and lost.
I helped my dad through the transition from XP to 7 this week, remembering the video of Chris Pirillo's dad and thinking "if he's lost now, he'll never figure out 8."
Hey, didn't Ballmer say that Windows 8 might be the last version of Windows if people don't take to it?
And then Microsoft goes and actually creates their own interface for the first time ever (something of which I GREATLY approve), but it's to their detriment as people hate it?
I think Microsoft might actually want to stop making consumer OS'?
Windows 9... Anywhere?
- Microsoft will announce a roadmap to release, Their clown CEO will call it the greatest evolution of the OS since Windows NT (Neanderthal Technology)
- Poor Indians will scramble to finish it on time, and they will fail miserable, but Windows 8 will be released anyway, despite warnings from their QA departments not to do so
- Tens of thousands of bugs reclassified as "non critical" will make it into the first release, with two or three massive updates in the next 6 month following the release
- Despite the horrible bugs in the first release, Many windows developers and users will feel Microsoft finally did something "right" with Windows 8... (It's like getting a car with the nylon covers still on the seats, and that new car smell)
- New versions of the Developer Tools will be released, infuriating many Microsoft Developers (Many of the things they learned, they now have to learn to forget, and learn new things that will again change in 6 month)
- 6 month later, Both consumers and developers will all wake up from their illusion to discover they have all been fed the same old crap (They discover that there indeed was a new car smell, and there was nylon covers on the seats, but the car is actually an old 1977 Chevy Nova)
- Horrible security exploits will be discovered that compromise consumer machines and allow for theft of identity and resources (some will be made public, most won't), as well as used for bot nets and spam nets.
And what even happened to windows 4, 5 & 6 I never even heard of them.
I think Microsoft might actually want to stop making consumer OS'…
They'll always have Office...and Paris.
I don't know if rushing Win8 to market will do MS any good.
I've been playing with both the DP and CP versions recently, and it feels very unfinished (OK, it's a preview) and awfully clunky. If things don't change much between now and the sales date, it'll be Vista v.2. The Metro/desktop situation is confusing at first - a lot of people are going to feel unhappy and lost.
I helped my dad through the transition from XP to 7 this week, remembering the video of Chris Pirillo's dad and thinking "if he's lost now, he'll never figure out 8."
Isn't Windows 8 Desktop -- just Windows 7 with an [impervious] Metro Wall around it?
Some people just hate Microsoft, I think people are underestimating how well these will do. Apple will be approaching 100 million iPads sold by the time these are released but I really predict Windows tablets will be taking the number 2 spot eventually.
I don't think the Metro interface is bad on a tablet. I think it's a HORRIBLE idea for a desktop.
This. Ive been playing around with windows 8 on an old desktop and while there are some positives, I mainly stick to the old school desktop when trying to do anything substantial. Unfortunately I don't have a touchscreen to try it out on, but I think it is a mistake to force a touchscreen interface on a desktop device. I think they would be better served to allow apps to have one install that works as both a desktop app and then maybe a simplified metro app, but it seems like they are keeping it segregated. You really see the issue in IE in metro. If you come across a website with a plug in in IE, you can click a link to open it in IE(yes, in IE you click a link to open IE), but it s the desktop version. Maybe they can get it sorted by October, but its hardly a seamless UI.
As Microsoft scrambles to finish its next generation Windows 8 tablet and desktop operating system, some analysts say that the Redmond, Wash., company must launch by October to avoid being overrun by mounting competition from Apple and Google's Android.
Can anybody tell me, how they can be overrun by android or iOS. As far as I know M$ on tablets doesn't really exist yet. This is one kind of a silly report.
My prophecy for the whole Windows 8 effort:
- Microsoft will announce a roadmap to release, Their clown CEO will call it the greatest evolution of the OS since Windows NT (Neanderthal Technology)
- Poor Indians will scramble to finish it on time, and they will fail miserable, but Windows 8 will be released anyway, despite warnings from their QA departments not to do so
- Tens of thousands of bugs reclassified as "non critical" will make it into the first release, with two or three massive updates in the next 6 month following the release
- Despite the horrible bugs in the first release, Many windows developers and users will feel Microsoft finally did something "right" with Windows 8... (It's like getting a car with the nylon covers still on the seats, and that new car smell)
- New versions of the Developer Tools will be released, infuriating many Microsoft Developers (Many of the things they learned, they now have to learn to forget, and learn new things that will again change in 6 month)
- 6 month later, Both consumers and developers will all wake up from their illusion to discover they have all been fed the same old crap (They discover that there indeed was a new car smell, and there was nylon covers on the seats, but the car is actually an old 1977 Chevy Nova)
- Horrible security exploits will be discovered that compromise consumer machines and allow for theft of identity and resources (some will be made public, most won't), as well as used for bot nets and spam nets.
you're disparaging the 77 Chevy Nova.
The Metro UI is pretty nice, at least it's original compared to the route Android took. I like that you can switch to the classic Windows view too if for some reason you hate Metro. To be honest I'm a bit intrigued by these Windows 8 Intel tablets because I have specific programs that can ONLY run on Windows. Legacy support really appeals to me, I can be much more productive on one of these.
Some people just hate Microsoft, I think people are underestimating how well these will do. Apple will be approaching 100 million iPads sold by the time these are released but I really predict Windows tablets will be taking the number 2 spot eventually.
When do you think Windows 8 Intel tablets will be generally available and:
1) have Acceptable power to run legacy apps
2) have An acceptable touch interface for legacy apps
3) have Acceptable battery life?
4) provide a viable cost/function alternative to a Windows 8 Laptop
From what I understand, there will be no viable Windows 8 Intel tablets before mid 2013 -- if ever.
And, no legacy desktop apps will run on Windows 8 ARM tablets.
I suspect that the iPad will hit 100 million users sometime before Dec 31, 2012.