Stephen Withers
Friday, 25 July 2008 12:21
Opinion and Analysis
Page 3 of 5
It seems to me that Microsoft will have its work cut out making sure Vista continues to run smoothly on all standard configurations (to the extent that such a thing exists) from these five manufacturers throughout all future patches and driver updates, even if much of the work is hived off to the OEMs.
Even Apple's relatively small product line sees the occasional hiccup with OS updates and patches.
Much of Microsoft's success is due to its symbiotic relationship with third-party developers, so it is harder for the company to deliver the kind of integration between applications and online services that Apple can.
Where Apple can go ahead and connect iTunes with the iTunes Store, or the iLife applications with its MobileMe Internet service, Microsoft needs to gently encourage its developer community to build support for Windows Live into their products.
Microsoft's huge market share means it draws attention from regulatory agencies, as we saw with the bundling of Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, so going it alone can be dangerous.
"We'll do the same with phones—providing choice as we work to create great end-to-end experiences."
Good thinking. There's probably three things to be learned from the success of the iPhone. Whatever you think of its shortcomings (eg, the lack of cut and paste), the iPhone shows that users are keen for a better user interface, and better integration with their computers and the Internet.
What's the third point? Find out on the
next page.
