This has been a topic of discussion for long. The two giants
have locked horns more than once since their inception. Both have won and lost,
but I think the battle that wages now could be the last one.
For long, Windows has been the operating system that has
grabbed eyeballs. There has been no competitor. Yes, there is the mighty MAC,
but Apple’s creation has always been more popular because of the quality
hardware than the software itself. There have been shortcomings as far as
windows is concerned, Windows Vista certainly made Microsoft rethink their
strategy. But, all in all Windows has been the heart and soul for Desktops.
Windows has always been the OS for all types of people. It
has given the users the ability to personalize it, use it as they like. In a
way, Microsoft has given the users a product which they can mould to fit in
their life. It has become an integral part of their lives. A transition to a
new and different OS seems like a change not everyone wants.
Sensing no space for a new OS in the market, the companies
came up with new devices. Thus began the age of mobile computing.
With the dawn of the century came the Smartphone. Busting
the popular belief that Apple brought smartphones to the world, I would like to
mention here that it was Microsoft along with Blackberry and Nokia that changed
the definition of computing. Alas Microsoft was found short on what it started,
but it certainly gave Apple the opening it was looking for. And boy, did it
utilize this opening! Out rolled the swanky iPhone.
As the world waited with bated breaths, Steve jobs uncovered
what was to be the marvel of the decade. Apple did not stop there. Yes, there
was more to come. Riding high on the iPhone fame, Apple introduced its tablet -
The iPad (The gadget of the future , as many people called it.) Slowly and
steadily Apple has created an ecosystem of its products. Apple has always had
an advantage over Microsoft , being the hardware manufacturer of its products
as well. It has been able to give consumers a wholesome product with better
integration. It has become a brand now , a brand recognized as the creator of
class products . It’s been some years now , and no other tablet has been able
to compete with the iPad as yet. Such has become the situation, that people
have started recognizing all tablets as iPads .
Apple is trying to change the definition of computing,
making people believe that tablets and smartphones are the future and that the
age of PCs is over. With this it plans to put Microsoft’s future in jeopardy,
because if there won’t be any desktops or laptops then there isn’t any Windows.
Whereas, on the other hand Microsoft has started questioning what actually a PC
is . The men at Redmond feel that tablets and smartphones are PCs only, only
in different forms. Apple has given consumers products which it feels the
consumer might want. Its products have had very little scope of
personalization. This is where Microsoft has always beaten Apple ,consisting of
a more effective feedback system ,Microsoft has given people what they want and
not what it wants people to have. With the new metro UI and fresh thinking
Microsoft aims at regaining the ground it has lost .
Following apple’s footsteps Microsoft has started creating
an ecosystem of its own, the Windows phone 7 and the windows 7 showed the first
signs. In its endeavour to prove that smartphones,tablets , laptops and
desktops are all PCs , Microsoft is all set to introduce Windows 8 .Windows 8
is slated for a late 2012 launch, it is supposed to be an OS capable of running
across all form factors .A developer’s preview was released by Microsoft last
year in December , which had some positive reviews . With the windows 8 and
windows phone 8 ( codenamed Apollo ) Microsoft wants to entice people into
using its OS. The advantage being that no matter what form of PC one uses,
there won’t be any difficulty as far as adjusting to a new OS and a new UI is
concerned. The windows 8 will have a traditional windows 7 like UI also which
will help in running not only the windows 7 apps, but applications specifically
designed for the Windows phone. And the best part is consumers will have
variety of hardware, unlike Apple. To add variety and more hardware support to
its software , the Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer announced that windows 8 will
be compatible with ARM architecture based microprocessors , which are
supposedly more power efficient .
Redmond is betting heavily on Windows 8, a failure would
mean , the end of an era .Industry pundits believe that this battle will be
hard fought and Microsoft might just surprise those who feel it’s a dead
company . But Microsoft fans would know that the folk at Redmond are battle
hardened , and give their best during crisis. Being an ardent Microsoft fan
myself, I think the year 2012 will be a great one for Microsoft .
