vista "How Microsoft beat Apple to the Mac App Store by four years - and then dumped it"

[Mr. Gibs 3,865]

What profits though? MS tablet pc didn't sell well at all. As far as profits go it was a failure. The incentive for MS would have been to release a product that actually made money. Or improve upon the existing one. But they didn't and it failed. Not like they released the tablet pc to no competition and raked in the cash. They failed again with the surface.

Microsoft's mobile and devices (and Windows) divisions were making money and profits way back from like 2004-2007. Remember they weren't a hardware company, they were a software company. OEMs were still buying and paying for licenses for Windows Tablet PC and Windows Mobile. That in turns bring in money (and profits) to MS.

[notuptome2004 161]

The  App store set in place  on the iphone was a Direct  formed App store based around a purchasing and usage modle already set  in place by Apple with the itunes music store in 2003  both work nearly the same  Apple made the purchasing of  Music and  Apps painless and easy   but yet made the  UI  very user friendly yet professional looking .  

 

 

While  MS may have had a  Market store App store what ever ya wish to call it in windows  Vista hidden i followed  Vista all the way far back as the first longhorn build and not one time did Microsoft demo anything other then concept  software built around other companies stuff like amazon  and such  using WPF   so because it  was  not known i dont call what Microsoft  did or have had  in windows vista as being   an App store since  99.6% guessing figure .  of us did not know about it until now  

 

 

Apple created a standard Model for the music and App store  m and even Google has followed  it to some  exstent you know and improved there App store  over the years  

[mrp04 379]

Spend less time labelling others and more time arguing. It would make your post seem half educated.

MS tablets were junk before the iPad. It's not like they were selling tons and MS just ignored their users. They were all collecting dust on the shelves and had an unusable OS on them. Apple showed the world how it's done first with the iPod, then with the iPhone and then the iPad. Those are simple facts.

 

Windows tablets weren't junk before the iPad, they were just targeted at completely different users. Windows still contains the functionality that Tablet PC Edition originally targeted but ALSO includes the "app" functionality and good finger support.

 

I'd STILL take a Windows XP Tablet PC Edition tablet over an iPad if I was using it for note taking or writing a document. Simply supporting styli makes it better than the iPad for notes and real cursor support for mice makes it better for other kinds of productivity.

 

Yeah it took until Windows 8 for Microsoft to implement "tablet" functionality, but the iPad STILL isn't a Tablet PC

[Osiris 822]

Certainly you could suggest this appstore concept was half-baked but in terms of tablet's that's just a ridiculous comment.  Microsofts mistake was not targeting the consumer market for tablets and windows mobile which is completely different to not seeing something through.  They spent years targeting business and pushing a niche market (due to the hardware and costs) and they weren't quick enough to react when by 2006 the cost of the technology and hardware had started to come down quite rapidly.  In the absence of this technology being designed for consumers and now at consumer affordable prices others seized on the opportunity.  Nothing half baked about it they just didn't capitalise on an opportunity.

 

The fact is their involvement and promoting of the technology through tablets, mids, orgami and umpc's helped spurn on the technology thats allowed the tablet market to get to where it is today.  I would suspect theres many areas of technology where MS's sharing of its R&D or backing of niche markets has this affect.  The most recent that comes to mind is the surface (table) and Kinect that lit a fire under the NUI community and culture and and whilst rarely seen at the consumer level (for now) a lot of great stuff has come out of that.

 

Anyway all those years later though and MS is still only platform that has tablet pc's (characterised by having a full OS) and the best inking experience and arguably software (one note) on a tablet - in line with Bills original vision.

Tablet PC

 

Someone else who remembers the tablet pc moniker and understands the difference :)

[ctebah 3,161]

Windows tablets weren't junk before the iPad, they were just targeted at completely different users. Windows still contains the functionality that Tablet PC Edition originally targeted but ALSO includes the "app" functionality and good finger support.

 

I'd STILL take a Windows XP Tablet PC Edition tablet over an iPad if I was using it for note taking or writing a document. Simply supporting styli makes it better than the iPad for notes and real cursor support for mice makes it better for other kinds of productivity.

 

Yeah it took until Windows 8 for Microsoft to implement "tablet" functionality, but the iPad STILL isn't a Tablet PC

A tablet is a type of portable PC with a "slate" form factor.

I didn't bother reading the rest after I saw the last line.

[PGHammer 1,496]

No it does not.

Tablet? MS was ahead of it's time, the hardware required just wasn't there. It was never a half baked implementation, they just forgot / couldn't care enough to keep it updated. And that's something that's an issue with all companies that are in a dominant position. There was really no threat to the MS tablet or Windows Mobile for a long time. They got complacent because "well no competition, why bother spending the money on it." Then when another company poised a threat, they were left like a deer in the headlights. It happened with IE, it happened with Windows Mobile, and that's just from Microsoft products. Any product that has no real competition will eventually end up becoming stagnant because the motivation to innovate gets lost. Competition drives innovation.

Marketplace? Oh you mean something that was similar to the repository that Linux had? Or Steam? Or Direct2Drive? It was never something MS, Apple or Google created or perfected for that matter.

Passport? Since when did Apple or Google ever have something similar to Passport?

And Tablet PC Edition targeted businesses and enterprises - not consumers.

 

Let's face facts - during the XP era, OEMs basically led Microsoft around by the nose still - target what we build in the way of hardware - which was still, by and large, driven by the business/enterprise market.  (In fact, even today, how much of Microsoft's product base targets consumers to any large degree other than the XBOX group?)

 

Apple and Google, on the other hand, are nichelike in terms of business and enterprise marketshare - both are actually freer to target consumers than Microsoft is.

 

The difference between Microsoft today and Microsoft of XP's heyday is that Microsoft today IS more focussed on consumers - however, the business/enterprise customer resents the heck out of that.  It's understandable - businesses and enterprises have been supplying most of the earnings, revenues and - egads - profits of Microsoft from the beginning; a change of focus away from them will naturally be resented.

 

The business or enterprise customer IS different from the consumer customer - that has always been true when it comes to computing.   In the main, software/OS migration has been from the business/enterprise to the consumer - that has been certainly been true of Windows.  Apple and Google are gaining share in the business and enterprise markets because of expense-shedding, by and large - especially things like BYOD.  BYOD stands things on their head by bringing consumer devices into the business/enterprise.

 

Microsoft must deal with that trend - by either countering it or following it; however, those selfsame businesses that are embracing BYOD are, paradoxically, resenting ANY change in Microsoft strategy because they are used to being kissed up to.  They may be responsible FOR Microsoft's change in stretegic, or even tactical vision - however, they are still largely in denial about the impact on Microsoft itself. 

 

In short, they resent MIcrosoft following the trend, while conveniently forgetting that they ARE the trend (with BYOD and consumer devices used in business).

 

That's the real conflict in computing today.

[elenarie 830]

Compared to App Stores that were out before and after. Apple iOs store redefined the marketplace

 

Sure it did. :rolleyes:

[The_Observer 293]

i remember this but for some reason i didn't like it. Maybe it wasn't the right time or Microsoft didn't push it out enough.

[PGHammer 1,496]

i remember this but for some reason i didn't like it. Maybe it wasn't the right time or Microsoft didn't push it out enough.

Again, it was more targeting the wrong audience.

 

Tablet PC Edition targeted businesses and enterprises - the iPad and Android tablets targeted consumers.  (One early targeted customer for Tablet PC Edition was the United States Air Force - specifically, the 89th Civil Engineering Squadron at Joint Forces Base Andrews in Camp Springs, MD.  Engineers (of the military sort) do lots of the same things their civilian counterparts do - in terms of military installations, it is building and operation of the installation's physical plant - buildings, water, sewer, HVAC, etc.  Contrary to popular belief, they don't ALWAYS farm the work out to contractors, even in the United States.)

 

Segue to today - the vast majority of tablets in businesses still aren't owned by the business - they are employee-owned; this is regardless of whether the business - or government agency - has a BYOD policy in place.  It wasn't that Microsoft didn't try pushing it out - it got a ton of pushback from business - especially enterprise - IT departments.  Amazingly, the concern then - as it is now with BYOD - was security.  (If anything, the BYOD issues have gotten worse with regulatory schema such as HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley.)  Hence the conflict about tablets - especially in IT departments in business - vs. the employees.

[Dashel 542]

I didn't bother reading the rest after I saw the last line.

Enjoy that RDF.  The only thing Apple has done is provide a 'widget store'.

[+Eternal Tempest 805]

I do remember that, vaguely, I used it to upgrade my version of vista to ultimate. 

[ctebah 3,161]

Enjoy that RDF. The only thing Apple has done is provide a 'widget store'.

Amazing reply. Just as good as "sure they did"

[Tailwind 329]

Microsoft also had touchscreen phone and tablet technology before Apple did but just sucked at actually bringing them to market in the same way.

[McKay 3,696]

Am I the only one that knew Marketplace was there? :/

 

I don't remember seeing it on my copy of Vista.

[Dashel 542]

Amazing reply. Just as good as "sure they did"

You are the one that keeps comparing unlike things.  Slates aren't PCs and device specific widget stores aren't application marketplaces.

[ctebah 3,161]

You are the one that keeps comparing unlike things. Slates aren't PCs and device specific widget stores aren't application marketplaces.

You're wrong on both accounts. Look up the meaning of an application and PC.

[techbeck 6,925]

, which I believe provides another example of how Microsoft is ahead of its competition.

 

Another example on how MS dropped the ball and dropped behind the competition.  MS has a lot of great ideas, like tablets/Courier, before a lot of others.  But either they lack the cajones or the cabability to make it happen first.

[Dashel 542]

MS dropped nothing.  Until recently, they weren't a 'devices' company so comparing them to Apple or Samsung's consumer 'revolution' is laughable.

[notuptome2004 161]

MS dropped nothing.  Until recently, they weren't a 'devices' company so comparing them to Apple or Samsung's consumer 'revolution' is laughable.

 

 

 

 we are not talking about Devices  in that way we  are talking about   App store and weather or not Ms did  or did not have the first real App store before  Apple and Google for that matter. but in my eyes  NO they did not because very few people knew it existed and  MS never officially announced it or shown it off   and it is just now it was discover  in windows Vista as a Add-on extra  only  so my stance is NO MS did not have one .

 

 

Apple  defined the  user model around the App store/musicv store   and  really standardized how  you purchases Apps and or music  and videos.  Google is  nearly the same as Apple  now in this line as  it is a more comment idea  on how  this  usage model should work so Apple really paved the way for other and other are  trying to follow  just as  the same way Apple changed how  we smartphone works and looks and other followed  

[Active. 1,697]

MS has a lot of great ideas, like tablets/Courier, before a lot of others.   

Seems to me we don't know very much about what kind of ideas companies like Apple have at a certain point in time. They usually start talking about it only right before (or after) they go to market with an idea, unlike MS... 

[Astra.Xtreme 2,809]

Why are people so obsessed with who did something first?  Oh right, it's because the Apple haters can't bear to see them credited with something.

 

Edison is renowned for "perfecting" the light bulb, and nobody cares about the actual inventors.  Must mean he's a schmuck though, right?

 

Glory deservedly goes to the ones who get things right.  Get over it, people...  :rofl:

[techbeck 6,925]

MS dropped nothing.  Until recently, they weren't a 'devices' company so comparing them to Apple or Samsung's consumer 'revolution' is laughable.

 

They had the money and power to become more than what they were, which they didnt until years later when others blew past them.  So they dropped the ball

[Clirion 148]

 we are not talking about Devices  in that way we  are talking about   App store and weather or not Ms did  or did not have the first real App store before  Apple and Google for that matter. but in my eyes  NO they did not because very few people knew it existed and  MS never officially announced it or shown it off   and it is just now it was discover  in windows Vista as a Add-on extra  only  so my stance is NO MS did not have one .

 

 

Apple  defined the  user model around the App store/musicv store   and  really standardized how  you purchases Apps and or music  and videos.  Google is  nearly the same as Apple  now in this line as  it is a more comment idea  on how  this  usage model should work so Apple really paved the way for other and other are  trying to follow  just as  the same way Apple changed how  we smartphone works and looks and other followed  

 

Nope sorry,  they had it first.  You can say, no they did not.  Because you did not see it, does not mean it did not exist.

 

 

But where you are right is,  They did it right 1st.  That is very very very true.  They got the App Store up and running with people using it day to day. 

They took the risk of lock in, and the public bought into it.  They got this right.

 

The reason why it is an important distinction is, Apple has attempted to Copyright "App Store".  If they go after someone again, like they did Amazon, this becomes even more important. 

[notuptome2004 161]

Nope sorry,  they had it first.  You can say, no they did not.  Because you did not see it, does not mean it did not exist.

 

 

But where you are right is,  They did it right 1st.  That is very very very true.  They got the App Store up and running with people using it day to day. 

They took the risk of lock in, and the public bought into it.  They got this right.

 

The reason why it is an important distinction is, Apple has attempted to Copyright "App Store".  If they go after someone again, like they did Amazon, this becomes even more important. 

 

 

 

Sorry but  Microsoft  market store or what ever that  has now been found  was not the first Since agian it did not really exist because  no one barely if at all knew about it. .  that is the point  . i had been running windows  vista since the longhorn days   from the late 3000 builds up till vista with SP1 and i did  not ever see it in ther   so this means it did not really exsist   least not on my ultimate edition skus  or anything .  while it may have been ther guess what  i highly doubt  it was used if found .

 

 

Apple created  the first  App store that defined what an App store  was and is to this day and not  only that  they already had  the purchase sing  Model and usabilty model in place when they created the itunes music store. they set a standard that everyone now tries to Follow  Googles  play store works  so simular  to the  App store and itunes store because  Apple set the Tone  .  

[Alera 185]

Why are people so obsessed with who did something first?  Oh right, it's because the Apple haters can't bear to see them credited with something.

 

Edison is renowned for "perfecting" the light bulb, and nobody cares about the actual inventors.  Must mean he's a schmuck though, right?

 

Glory deservedly goes to the ones who get things right.  Get over it, people...  :rofl:

 

Yes actually, Edison was...

 

The problem is the attitude people have over Apple "getting things right", they act as if Apple invented the Universe and where would we be without them? :rolleyes:

 

Apple fanboys need to get over themselves and their stupid company, just like all other fanboys need to stop themselves too.

 

Why people need to prostrate themselves in front of a corporation and give themselves over to them I will never know, want to be part of a cult? Go right ahead. :D