Microsoft’s Cheap Shot At The iPad Actually Points Out Exactly Why Windows 8 Tabs Suck

[apples and oranges]

Being behind in a market sucks, and it’s understandable to want to lash out at the top dog, as Microsoft has shown it’s willing to do with Google in search and email, and now with Apple in tablet computers. A brand new Windows 8 ad pits the iPad against Microsoft’s Windows 8 tablet, in an attempt to show how much more versatile the Asus VivoTab is vs. the iOS device.

Microsoft uses Siri’s voice (which isn’t difficult, given that it’s a fairly generic computer-generated female tone) to highlight what the Windows 8 tablet can do that the iPad can’t, including things like live tiles (it took me a couple views to figure out what “I don’t update like that” even meant), Windows Snap multitasking, and… PowerPoint. Then finally we get a price comparison, showing the much cheaper price tag for the Asus.

The problem is that not only is the Siri construct weak and her actual lines poorly written, but the abilities Microsoft chooses to highlight show exactly why it doesn’t “get” the tablet market. People aren’t looking for multitasking PowerPoint slide deck-creating machines; they have computers for that.

The closing bit here is maybe the worst part; showing that Apple’s iPad can easily provide a remarkably realistic experience for playing Chopsticks on the screen is not the way to trash your competition, especially if you noticeably can’t offer up an equivalent experience on your own hardware. Apple uses that in its own ads for a reason, and that’s to highlight the magical, delightful experiences users can have on its device. Countering that with a bunch of sober (though admittedly useful) features isn’t the way to turn the tide back in your favor.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/23/microsofts-cheap-shot-at-the-ipad-actually-points-out-exactly-why-the-surface-sucks/

[Fearless]

1. They both suck.

[hobbit709]

2. +1

[dballance]

3. MickySoft made their own bed long ago to be a Business system. Then ignored consumers.

MickySoft was perfectly right to take on the business world of computers and build their empire. I can't blame them at all for that. Wish I'd been as smart as Bill Gates.

But, they ignored the consumer market as it emerged and developed and Apple stepped in to take it. Sucks to be the underdog.

I hear people complain that Apple's interface is too old and takes too many clicks to get to anything. These must be non-Apple users who don't know about the docking bar and who don't understand how compelling it is to have your tablet, smartphone, laptop/desktop all work basically the same way.

Windows 8 still looks like something I used to see on PlaySkool tablets for kindergarteners.

[jmowreader]

4. There was a thread yesterday...

...discussing how the worker of the future would never actually be "off." Thanks to Microsoft technology, specifically their strategy of putting Office in everything, that day is closer than you think.

This will doom Microsoft's mobile device business.

You work with Joe. Joe just bought a new phone. It's a Windows Phone."And look. It has Office!"

The boss overhears this.

Three days later, Joe comes in looking like he hasn't slept."New baby?" Yeah. Its name is Windows Phone. Joe stayed up all night reviewing TPS reports.

A week later Joe comes in with a sad expression. Mary in Finance called Joe to have him update the quarterly budget while he and his wife Ellen were in the middle of lovemaking. Ellen threatens to leave him if he doesn't do something about this right now.

A month later, Joe and Ellen take their long-awaited trip to Paris. Hours after landing, Joe is called to review a stack of routine documents. He goes to sleep at 11 am. Shortly after that, Ellen takes Joe's phone off the nightstand. She learns the French words for "1.5kg sledgehammer," makes a purchase at a hardware store, beats Joe's phone flat and throws it in the Seine.

A month after returning from Paris Joe has a job driving a dump truck. Both Joe and Ellen are much happier.

[Posteritatis]

8. Granted, that's not terribly different from how things are right now in the IT world. (nt)

[Shankapotomus]

5. Yes

Basically Microsoft is saying with the ad is its tablet is for you obedient workers and Apple IPad is for those who want to get creative and express themselves.

[MineralMan]

6. I dont use computers. I use applications.

I'm almost completely indifferent to operating systems and hardware, except for keyboards. I insist on a good keyboard that lets me bang out my 100 wpm comfortably.

Beyond that, the rest of the machine is not even an issue. The applications I use are what make the difference for me. That's why I've stuck with Office 2000 for so many years. It finally got the Office environment right, and is fast, streamlined and flexible enough to let me do almost anything in at least three different ways.

Later versions added nothing of use to me, so I'm sticking with Office 2000. It's what I use to make my living. I did have to add conversion capabilities for later Office versions' file formats, but Microsoft was good enough to provide that conversion system at no charge.

Office 2000, however, is not compatible with Windows 8. I dislike the new version that is. So...I won't be using Windows 8. I have an unopened copy of Windows 7 on my shelf. My next PC will get that installed.

Nothing else matters to me. Browsers are browsers. I use Chrome mostly, but have half a dozen others. They're all the same to me.

[Egalitarian Thug]

7. Two thoroughly evil companies fighting each other.

I'm going to call that a win.