Windows 8 And The Consumerization of PCs

Windows is going to go through another refresh later this year. Windows 8 will bring the “Metro” interface that Microsoft has used on their Windows Phone OS (which I really liked using) and lately their Xbox to the PC. Some have decried this as a mistake. Largely, this is the same reaction that happens whenever a change happens on Facebook, or anything else in life – we react negatively to the unfamiliar, even if it is better. I’m going to examine why I believe this is the right move for Microsoft.

The PC market has gone from completely nerd dominated to widely adopted by the mainstream. No longer something the common person feels intimidated to use, computers are how many of us get our news, entertainment and communicate. As such, more and more of what is done on a computer is not what is traditionally “computing” but more like using an appliance or consumer device: browsing the web, playing music, etc.

As this change happened, the focus of the market for computers has shifted from businesses and their IT departments to consumers. More and more attention is paid to enticing the home user to purchase a new piece of hardware or software. This is a problem for Microsoft because their strength has always been enterprise customers – from their Office software to how their Windows software could interface with all kinds of interchangeable hardware.

Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying that while some people need trucks, most of us can get by with just a car. Sure, some people need to haul lumber or tow something – the real world equivalent of photoshop or programming but most of us only need a “computing device” in a limited capacity, to consume. Browsing the web, listening to music, etc. We are just driving around. Apple realizes this and thinks that most users can get by with an iPad instead of a full fledged Mac computer.

Microsoft lost a lot of home consumers to Apple when people made the switch for the easier to use systems that Apple makes. Microsoft realizes this, and is now in the process of making its PC software more consumer friendly. Bigger brighter icons, touch friendly interface hiding all the ugliness. Plus, their new Windows 8 operating system will be able to be used on both Tablets and PCs, avoiding the issue of developers having to develop a tablet app and a desktop app – like they have to with iOS and Mac OS.

But what about those truck drivers who actually need to use a Windows device to do something? Well, Microsoft is handling this much better than they did in the past. Instead of forking their systems for Home and Business users (like they did with 95 and NT), they treat the Metro Interface as a “skin” on top of traditional Windows. You can exit out of Metro and get to the desktop if you need a more familiar Windows look and feel. This is similar to how Windows users could always get to the DOS terminal or Mac users can pull up a Unix Command Line. So, they avoid alienating users who wouldn’t upgrade for fear of not liking the new system and being stuck.

photo credit: gynti_46 via photopin cc