Yesterday, I ranted about how Windows 7 might be Microsoft's last chance to keep and get more users. Today, I'd like to talk about the type of things that Microsoft should do to make Vienna something that others would want to buy.
Dear Microsoft,
Here are a couple of thing you'll want to do if you want people to buy Windows Vienna.
Don't rush. It's alright. We'll wait a few more years for Vienna to come us. Just promise us that Vienna will be compatible with everything, and that it works great. Please. Take your time. I don't care if Apple released a new operating system every year. Take things nice a slow, and remember to make sure that the operating system works. We'll wait. Don't worry. Just don't disappoint us.
Stability over user interface. Work on the stability. Pretty please? If your operating is stable, and works wonderfully, I swear I'll buy it and tell everyone else to buy it. I don't care if it looks like something from 1960. I don't care if the user interface looks like a 3 year old got crazy with a crayon. I don't care about that stuff. Give me a good solid operating system, and we can worry about the user interface later. Besides, I can skin it whatever what I want.
Don't get caught up in what others are doing. I don't care if Apple has Time Machine. I don't care if they have Spaces. I don't care if you can get Compiz for Linux. You don't need to waste valuable time working on things like that. Work on compatibility and stability. I'll install some programs later on that makes up for the lack of a Windows Time Machine function. No offense, but you guys aren't in much of a position to compete with others. Get a solid fan base. Then compete with Apple. There is no point in copying Apple software if you can't get it right. Just stick with the fundamentals of the operating system and we'll progress from there.
Trash the UAC. I don't know if you've caught onto this yet...but the User Account Control is the most annoying thing ever devised. This pops up on just about everything. Don't make me click more then once if I want to delete something. I know I want to delete it. You don't need to challenge my intellectual competence by making me confirm the same thing over and over again. If you guys don't want to trash the system completely, then at least make it easier to disable the UAC for certain applications. What is this? It takes eleven steps and the command prompt? No thank you.
Forget Vista. Forget about the mistakes you make with Vista. Pretend it was Windows 2.0. Pretend Vista never existed. Please, whatever you do, don't make Vienna look exactly like Vista. It would only bring back horrible memories of compatibility and driver issues. No one wants to revisit that horrid land. No one. Start off fresh. Work on the important things.
Don't create so many Versions. Don't confuse us. Most people don't know whether or not they should get Home Basic for the cheap price, Home Premium for the Media Center and Aero, Business for Shadow Copy, or Ultimate for everything else. This isn't supposed to be a hard thing. Just create one operating system with everything that you're going to give out. Don't split it up into 10 different versions in hopes of earning more money. Let's not be greedy alright?
DRM? Don't even think about it. No one likes DRM. Just get rid of it. Besides, with Amazon and Yahoo! (Hopefully) jumping on the DRM free bandwagon, it's time for you guys to hitch up those slacks and jump on. DRM music is dead. Incorporating DRM into the operating system is only going to encourage users to crack it. Why waste our time? Just take it out. Take it out, and watch the sale numbers rise...
This isn't Crysis. We aren't all hardcore gamers. Windows Vienna should not be something that requires a high end computer to run. It should not be something that eats up half my RAM when I boot up. It is not something in which we are on a mission to snipe the Emperor of China. This is supposed to be a piece of software that everyone is supposed to use.
If you guys do all these things, Microsoft will no longer be a laughingstock. People will no longer believe that the inner workings of Microsoft is being carried out by a bunch of monkeys with vests. Do these things, and you'll have many users happy. This will save your company.
Recently, images and a video of Windows 7 had been released on a Chinese Website. It depicted Windows 7 (Vienna) in build 6519, and many people have been talking about how things are going for Microsoft. The images of Windows 7 look exactly like Vista, which is making a lot of people hesitate, because it doesn't look like Microsoft has made any revolutions to its current operating system. Is Microsoft doomed? Find out more after the jump.
I believe that this is Microsoft's last chance to impress its users and save the company. Everything could rely on whether or not users are satisfied with Vienna. At the moment, Microsoft still has many supporters; most of which are using Windows XP. They are still loyal to Microsoft because they believe at after the fumble with Vista, Microsoft still might make a comeback with Vienna. But if Vienna fails, most if not all the users of Windows would move onto other operating systems. Linux is only getting better. Leopard couldn't seem any hotter. There are many choices for a different operating system, and if Microsoft just can't satisfy its users, the users won't hesitate to move on.
Windows is no longer the only Gaming machine. Both Apple and Linux programmers understand that their operating systems have a small game deficiency , and they are working on fixing it. Plus, game developers also know that there is a huge number of fans who are using Linux and Leopard. They will be working on game compatibility between operating systems. Windows also isn't the easiest to use, nor the most secure operating system out there. Leopard and Linux(s) are only getting easier to use, and not only are they quite secure; they look beautiful. You might think that Aero looks great, but once you see Compiz for Linux, you'll be blown away.
Microsoft is getting looked down more and more, and most of it is due to Vista. I'm not saying that Vista is completely horrible, because it is alright but the problem is that there are many people out there who do hate Vista, including PC World. These people who are bad mouthing Vista are the ones who hurt the company the most. Not everyone is tech savy, and even those who aren't tech savy know that 'Vista Sucks' because of the large number of times they hear it. They might have heard it from their friends, they might have heard it on the radio. But they know that there are people who don't like Vista, so they don't want to buy Vista. They have never tried it themselves, and probably never will try it due to the influence of others. Microsoft is losing so many potential customers when companies as well as popular tech journalists say things about Vista.
Because people are already sad at the sorry state Vista is in, there won't be many who actually stick around to see if Vienna is any better. Microsoft still has a year to go on this project, but from the way things look; it doesn't seem too good for Vienna. Vienna was supposed to be released in 2010, but it seems that Microsoft had been rushed by the amount of unhappy users to push the release date back. I think that was a big mistake. There is no point trying to finish something sooner then you would normally do; just to please the users.
Trust us. We aren't going to be happy if you release Vienna early and it sucks. We're not going to be happy that we need to stay with Vista until Windows 8 comes out. We'd be less happy if we needed to stay with XP for another 5 years while you get Windows 8 ready. This is your last chance Microsoft. Let's get it right this time.
Microsoft, I do hope you get Vienna right. This is your last chance, so get it right.
Many people have talked about this subject, but the matter isn't over until a nobody talks about it.
Google knows everything about you. If you have used their search engine, they know everything you searched. They know what you're interested in. If you use their calender or docs web applications; Google knows about all sorts of things that are going on in your life. The more you use Google, they more they know about you, which is what many users are worried about. Is Google secretly selling your information to some organization that is out to get you because you honked your car horn at them during a traffic jam? Should Google be keeping your personal information private? (For those of you who don't know, many companies do a Google search about you when you decide to apply. What sort of things are they going to find?) There are so many people out there who are afraid of the things Google is capable of doing because they have all this information in their hands.
I don't think Google is going to try and do something that would screw everyone over. They are a very large company, but they are not the only company. They there is still some competition with Yahoo!, and if Google does something wrong with our personal information, Yahoo! is going to get a huge boost of users. Which bring me to my second point. There are other places to search for information. There are tons of other places that could potentially screw you over. Every single time you submit anything on the internet, it could be used against you. If you broke the law, and the police get a warrant; they could get all that information from Google as well as any other site that has your personal information (Facebook, Twitter, your Blog, etc.). It's not like Google is just there handing out your information for free because they try to keep it private.
Google keeping all your information isn't exactly bad. With more information about the popular searches, Google could add different functions which would allow you to find sites that you're more interested in. Besides, it's not like you could force Google to get rid of your information. The only way you could keep your private information a secret is if you boycott the internet, and that's not something you'd want to do.
So, Google isn't all that bad. If they did do something, you'd be sure to hear about it because thousands upon thousands of users would be complaining. Google isn't a bad company. They do so many things for you, and only want to make your browsing experience the best it can be. Conclusion? If you're going to break the law, don't do something stupid like searching "How to Make Bombs" on Google. Other than that; Google on.
I enjoyed almost everything I read over at Engadget about the Keynote earlier today. However, the thing that made me think Apple was out of their mind was when they announced that they would be charging $20 for five 'new' applications (which include Mail, Maps, Notes, Stocks, and Weather) on the iPod Touch. What an idiotic idea.
1. Apple must have hired someone from Microsoft because this is going to screw them over. Charging money for applications when people can get it for free by jailbreaking it? Please. I own an iPod Touch, and I wasn't planning to Jailbreak it because of the SDK coming in February. If the SDK has a catch like this, then I'm going to jailbreak my iPod in a blink of an eye. You're just steering people away from official Apple programs with this. Jailbreaking looks like the brighter side of the moon compared to this. Charging $20 dollars isn't going to make people buy it. Maybe 5 dollars. Maybe 99 cents. But $20? Way to steal candy from the kids Steve. This is just going to encourage people to jailbreak their iPods so they can get better features. Not only would jailbreaking the iPod give the user a larger variety of applications, it's free. Seriously. Steve Ballmer must have a mask on, and is an undercover Apple employee.
2. It's not fair for the early adopters. Apple said that the newer iPods were coming out with these. Why punish the early adopters? We should be awarded for being so loyal to the company that we would wait in lines for hours just to get one of your new products. You should be giving us flowers, not taking more money from us. Why can't you just give these things out for free like all those iPhone updates? And what about all those people who got their iPods on Christmas or during the New Year? Are you going to penalize them too? It just isn't fair that the early adopters should have to pay for something you can get for free when you buy an iPod now. I have a feeling this is going to end up like the thing with the iPhone price drop. Apple's going to get tons of complaints and end up free giving out these applications for free. 3. These aren't the exactly revolutionary applications. You can find all five of these applications in the iPhone already. It's not new. I wouldn't mind paying $20 to get an application which would let me play flash games on the iPod, but this isn't anywhere near that. These applications are things that we can all live without. We can all survive without buying the applications, and I doubt that people would really buy it. Again, it's $20. With that money, I could get Far Cry, Half-Life, Counter-Strike as well as other great games. I could buy twenty songs from the iTunes Store. I could rent over 8 movies from the iTunes store. I could be doing so much more with my money. Why should anyone have to spend money buying something that isn't even going to 'Wow' them?
4. You guys don't even need to charge $20! This technology isn't new. You already have it on the iPhone, and the new iPods are going to come out with it. What's with this $20 price tag you've put on it? This just makes it seem like you're not just thinking up of ways to take money. You don't need to charge us $20, you want to charge us $20. Keep this up, and you'll be losing customers...
5. I've usually liked all your products Apple. But this? Are you guys all giddy on all that booze you drank after hearing about Bill Gate's last day or is there really a Microsoft worker amid you. You know what, I think I'm going to take my twenty dollars and buy used underwear on eBay because that's a better way of spending $20.
I'm going to warn people to hold off your urge to buy these applications (as if there were actually people who would. This is a "just in case" sort of thing). Mix the lack of purchases along with the number of complaints, and within three weeks, all these applications are going to be free. Complain on.
Everyone has been making predictions about what technologies they will see in 2008, but I wanted to do something different. Instead of making a list of the things I'm looking forward to in this year, I'll be making a list of the things I don't want to see. With every year, there are some things we all want to see, but there are also that make you cringe and hope it never comes out.
1. Vista SP1 This is supposed to be good thing for all the Vista users, but I'm just not looking forward to it. I know that Vista SP1 is going to be a big disappointment, and because of that, I just don't want to see it released. I don't want to download a Service Pack if it's not going to really fix anything. I've read numerous reviews about Vista SP1 Release Candidate, and although there seems to be a few changes in speed issues, many people just don't notice anything new. And that Anti-Pirate-Nag system? No thanks. Nagging is never good. The worse thing about SP1 Microsoft only has a few more months to work on this, and at the rate they are currently working, it doesn't seem like they can improve SP1 a lot. By the time Microsoft releases SP2, most users would have given up hope and left for Leopard or Linux. I can't wait to be disappointed.
2. RIAA Lawsuits Seems that the workers at the RIAA are still drunk from the party celebrating their victory against Jammie Thomas. They seem to be under the delusion that everyone who uploads or downloads something on the internet should be looked at as a target. The RIAA is going to be hated by every pirate out there. Perhaps they'll even be hated by those who are legit downloaders, because I doubt anyone wants to be pursed by the RIAA because they downloaded an MP3 that was copied from a CD. The RIAA is going to be cracking down on everyone in 2008, so enjoy knowing that you're going to be watched, and possibly rope you into another lawsuit. Too bad they don't have the brains to make you pay.
3. Facebook and Beyond 2006 went to MySpace. 2007 went to Facebook. What's next? Is there going to be a new social site called 'MyBook' or 'FaceSpace'? I don't care if there is just one social site that everyone is on, but migrating every year is the dumbest thing ever. Not looking forward to a new Social Network at all. Besides, it's going to be the same thing all over again.
1. A few people discover the new social site, and begin to use it because it's 'wonderful' 2. New spreads, and the new site flourishes. 3. Those people from Facebook begin to migrate, and the founder of the site becomes famous. 4. Some people get tired of the newer members who are spamming and ruining their experience. 5. They leave and discover a new site. 6. Rinse and Repeat.
Seriously. Find one. Stick to it. And stop being overly dramatic about the information you posted on it.
4. Chris Crocker I hate this guy.
Because of his overly emotional act, he's now famous on the internet. There have been many parodies about the guy, and hundreds of imitations of him on YouTube. Thanks for infesting the internet with "Leave Britney Alone".
I expect we'll be seeing more of Mister Crocker, due to Jamie Lynn's pregnancy. Hooray. 5. 'I'm a Mac' Ad I don't really care if Apple decides to advertise another way, but making fun of PC and Windows isn't exactly the best way to advertise. Every single 'I'm a Mac' ad is the same.
1. PC and Mac say "Hi" 2. PC says a problem, Mac tries to console 3. Mac says something about being good at 'Videos and Movies' 4. Makes fun of Vista 5. End
It's the same thing every single time. The entire point of the ads is to make Microsoft look bad. In fact, the best parody I've seen is the one by South Park, which pokes fun of both Operating Systems.
Yesterday, I ranted about how Windows 7 might be Microsoft's last chance to keep and get more users. Today, I'd like to talk about the type of things that Microsoft should do to make Vienna something that others would want to buy.
