[dba-Tech] Windows 8

My thoughts on why Windows 8. 

Everyone or at least most are saying the Microsoft is killing themselves but
not really. They are just trying to resolve a number of problems and W8 is
the ticket. For years they have provided a cheap OS on every PC but have
reaped little in benefits (no as much as they would like) and now is the
chance to turn things around. They are going for the long pass.

1. Their new system will not support other browsers than IE. No more
challengers. Now they will have complete control of not only IE development
but all other products running through their system. Bing will be the
default search engine of course and MS will have undivided sales revenues.

2. Google would be not be gone of course but it dominance on the MS
platforms will be dramatically reduced. One enemy slowed.

3. Backward compatibility is always been an expensive issue and takes lots
of additional programming to support with no apparent reaping of benefits.
W8 clients, if they want application will have to buy new MS
applications...more profit.

4. All application that will go on the system will have to be vetted through
Microsoft. Rest assured applications that are competing with MS applications
will have a hard time finding a good place and they will have to adhere to
very strict MS policies. More chances that clients will just purchase or
lease through the cloud, MS products.

5. Far less chances for viruses as Microsoft will control all internet
access and that's good for business.

6. Another thorn in their side has been the Open Source community and with a
combination of the new extended BIOS and careful vigilance their impact can
be slowed and maybe even halted. This will mean stopping defectors and that
mean more sales of MS products.

7. Being able to easily detect and eliminate any installed products suspect
of a patent violation or writes infringements now can be easily detected and
crippled. Of course if you anti-up those issues can be solved.

8. By limiting the number of developers on their new platforms a greater
profit can be made from those and by those adding extra features. Much like
Oracle who only provide support to their certified techs...certification
that costs a fair dollar.

9. Of course any applications will be able to run on the system but only
when installed in a virtual PC interface. Then the new applications will not
perform as well as they are not running in native mode. Such abominations as
VirtulBox will have to find another home of course.

10. Goodbye VB and any direct support of it. Time for all programmers to
learn .Net products and pay for the development tools instead getting them
for free. 

There are probably many other good business reasons for Microsoft to move to
W8 but these are high-lights. 

Will MS loss many customers? Yes and no. Most customers will have to just
languish using Windows 7 as slowly over a few years, like XP it will be
phased out. By then the fear of W8 will be over and they will have little
choice but to migrate as all new PCs will come with W8 on them. (I am sure
there will be some great migration tools available by then and they will be
very reasonabily priced) In the meantime, all users that have moved will
have paid a handsome amount in purchasing and supporting new MS
software....not all at once but slowly and steadily. Most of the riffraff
developer will have gone, Google, FF etc revenue streams will be
dramatically down and the Open Source world will have to find other OSs on
which to run their evil products. 

Will there be a mass movement to such systems like Apple or Linux or even
some new Android platform? Not likely, as few businesses have the resources
to go Apple, there are too few Apple techs to do any major migrations or
have the skills needed to attach to backend servers, most users are totally
freaked with Linux distros and no other Operating systems are there yet to
challenge.

In summary, Microsoft has placed a bold new plan in place which allow them
to regain virtually absolute control of the market and they might just as
likely succeed. Their profits may be dramatically down but in the next five
years they may again rival those of Apple.

Resistance is futile.

Jim