Tag Archives: Microsoft

Windows 7 returns fast thanks to cloud

Nothing illustrates the value of personal cloud computing better than my move from Windows 8 to Windows 7.

While there are benefits from Microsoft’s new operating system, I suspect my productivity is lower. Update: I checked this. It turns out Windows 8 is more productive.

Third-party tools can make Windows 8 look like Windows 7. I’ve used overlays before and found them not practical over the long-term. Sooner or later something comes along that breaks them.

However, memory of past Windows installations made me wary of jumping back to Windows 7 until I realised the job would be easier: cloud computing removes much pain.

In the past a fresh Windows install could take a day. That was when software and operating systems came on discs. Restoring my desktop PC to its pre Windows 8 state took around an hour. It could have been less with better planning.

Recovery involved:

  • Formatting the system drive – a SSD,
  • Installing Windows 7,
  • Downloading and installing the latest updates,
  • Fixing the links between the default libraries and the data drive – a conventional hard drive
  • Reinstalling applications

There are a dozen or so must-have applications on my work machine. Of these nine are essentially cloud apps. Some, like Xero, need no installation. Others like Office 365 and Google Talk take a few clicks. What would have been an afternoon of swapping discs, entering product codes and continual reboots took 15 minutes.

The hardest part was finding overlooked drivers. If I planned ahead in that department the entire job would have been well under an hour.

Two other advances speed the reinstall. SSD means reboot take seconds. This saved 15 minutes.

I’ve installed Windows from a USB disc image since XP days, today the process is made easier thanks to Microsoft’s Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool. 

Moving back to Windows 7 took an hour.

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Windows 8: What would you do next?

My last post called it: Windows 8 is a flop. What is the best way forward from here for someone who installed Windows 8 and is struggling to make it work?

I’m looking for your advice on this. Moving to another operating system, Linux or Mac OSX, isn’t an option at the moment – although that may come at my next technology refresh.

It comes down to three choices:

Stick with Windows 8. Grit your teeth through the annoyances and hold out for Windows 9 or whatever comes along next. This presupposes Microsoft will see the light and either kill or hide the awful Metro user interface.

Revert to Windows 7. after all nothing was broken, what problem was solved by moving to Windows 8? This option will require a few hours work backing up key data, doing the reinstall and then reinstalling the apps. Mind you all that is trivial these days compared with a decade ago. Update: I tested this, it is not worth the effort.

Dual boot Windows 8 and 7. This would be quicker and easier than reverting to 7. It has the added advantage of keeping Windows 8 in place should Microsoft see the light and fix the user interface.

There is another option: keep Windows 8 and install third party fixes that workaround the annoyances. I’m not keen to go there, my past experience with this type of software isn’t good. Or am I being unfair here?

So over to you, what’s your suggested way of dealing with Windows 8 disappointment?

Windows 8 is a flop

Windows 8 StartThinking of upgrading your computers to Windows 8? Read this first. It may save time, money and heartache.

The numbers don’t lie. Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system is officially a bigger flop than Windows Vista. And everyone knows Vista was a dog.

Things looked dire in January. They got worse in February. Windows has never looked this bad. If Windows was a horse Microsoft would be walking to the gun cupboard.

Hurting PC sales

Windows 8 launched at the end of October 2012. Usually when a new version of Windows hits, PC sales get a boost. That didn’t happen.

It more than didn’t happen. Some commentators says Windows 8 harms PC sales. IDC expected a post-Windows 8 launch bump in PC sales. It now forecasts a downturn.

While the PC buyer response to Windows 8 is lacklustre from PC buyers, it also isn’t a hit with upgraders.

Microsoft’s cunning plan

Microsoft’s idea of a single user interface for smartphones, tablets and PCs is far from stupid. It just doesn’t work in practice. Users don’t like it and that’s what matters.

Windows Phone 8 is at least as good as Android and iOS on Nokia’s Lumia hardware and other smartphones. The market hasn’t jumped. Microsoft’s overall share of smartphone sales dropped after Windows Phone 8 appeared.

While tablets using Microsoft’s Windows RT are impressive, there’s little evidence of surging sales. Some brands, like Toshiba, shelved Windows tablet plans. Others, including Samsung retreated from key markets admitting there’s a lack of interest in Windows tablets.

Windows simply doesn’t register when researchers ask customers which tablet brands they plan to buy.

My experience seems typical

I picked up the Pro version of the software online for NZ$50 on the launch day – it seemed a bargain.

At first I thought I’d get used to the clumsy dual user interface and learn to love Windows 8′s wacky ways. I don’t. As soon as I can spare the time I’m going back to Windows 7.

It says something terrible about Windows 8 that I’ll be more productive moving back to the older OS. Update: It turns out that was a dumb idea. See downgrading from Window 8 to 7 is no answer.

What’s sad about this is I like Windows Phone 8. I still think Nokia’s Lumia 920 is one of the best smartphones on sale - although that may change when I see the new Samsung Galaxy. The Windows tablets I’ve seen, particularly when working with Paul Spain on the NZ Tech Podcast, look great.

So has Microsoft failed?

Whatever else happens, however Microsoft spins it, Windows 8 is not a success. Flop is not too strong a word.

Microsoft gets another chance later this year – the company promises a new version of Windows. Will the company admit defeat and fix the awful user interface then? Maybe it will fix Windows 8 with a service pack. There’s no question it needs fixing.

Sales may be improving for Windows Phone 8 – lord knows Microsoft deserves to be rewarded for building a decent smartphone OS. It is still too early to call the company’s tablet strategy. Maybe corporate sales will kick in, maybe a lower price will fix things. But yes, I think we can say it out loud: Windows 8 is a flop.

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Why I’m ‘no religion’ on the technology census

"And thou shall install Thunderbolt cables on thine kit"

“And thou shall install Thunderbolt cables on thine kit”

New Zealand had a census earlier this week. It asked citizens to nominate their religion. For atheists and others who can’t tick one of the boxes there’s a choice of ‘no religion’.

That’s the box I’d choose if the census asked me about technology choices.

Others get religious about technology. Apple is obviously a cult. There are those who believe Microsoft has all the answers and then there’s the tech equivalent of Scientology: Linux. Those people with their furry penguin god can be scary at times.

Likewise there are people who hold mystical beliefs in the power of fibre to solve all of mankind’s problems.

Cast me out into the wilderness if you will, but I refuse to sign up for any techo religion. Apart from anything else, technology changes at such a pace it doesn’t make sense to nail yourself to any particular cross.

There’s a reason why people who sell technology use words like ‘guru’ and ‘evangelist’ to describe their work. I’m not sucked in.

In technology, those two job titles are just fancy ways of saying ‘sales’. And some of those sales critters are peddling snake oil.

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Google’s difficult vertical journey

tower_of_babel_2_s

Google learns building a vertical stack isn’t easy

Google wants to build a vertical business. The search company wants to be more Apple-like and own a complete technology stack where it can use own brand gadgets to leverage its software and services.

Going vertical is a smart strategy – look what it did for Apple. At first sight Google looks better placed than Microsoft to build a full technology stack to tackle Apple head-on.

Google has a credible position in smartphones. Phones using its Android operating system outsell Apple’s iPhone by a considerable margin. Android is well behind Apple in the tablet space, but catching up. The company’s business model and multiple partners mean its market share could go past Apple later this year.

True, Google is nowhere in the PC sector. In sales terms the Chromebook is a freak show – a mere rounding error in industry statistics. It is hard to see that improving in the immediate future.

Chrome shines

Google’s Trojan Horse in the PC market is the Chrome browser. ChromeOS may be just a blip on the radar when counting operating systems. If we count screen instead – which are arguably just as important these days – then Google has a significant PC market share.

Likewise Gmail looms large in the mail sector and when it comes to search no-one comes close. Factor these into Google’s vertical market strategy and we’re looking at something potentially powerful.

Still nowhere in hardware

Google’s problem is that it really doesn’t register in hardware. The company depends almost entirely on Samsung for its share of tablets and smartphones. Google may own Motorola and by all accounts the latest phones are great: they just don’t figure in market share statistics.

Despite an impressive technology stack, Google remains dependent on its partners. If the bigger names defect to Windows or another OS, the company’s bigger ambitions could be dashed. Google has rivers of gold coming from search and advertising revenue, but the company seems unable to parlay this money into hardware and therefore build a complete vertical stack.

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Who challenges Apple’s technology stack: Microsoft or Google?

Technology stacks rated by market share

Microsoft and Google both want to build vertical businesses. They want to follow Apple and own a complete technology stack including hardware, core software and services like app stores and cloud storage.

Who is best placed to join Apple?

Let’s start by looking at the current state of the market for the three companies.

The chart at the top of the page shows the relative position of Apple, Microsoft and Google in the three key personal technology markets. I’ve simplified matters by identifying which company is market leader in each sector.

Microsoft leads the traditional PC market. Apple follows with roughly one tenth of Microsoft’s market share. Google lags in this space. Google’s market share isn’t even one tenth of Apple’s.

Apple is clear leader in tablets

Google’s Android OS commands a smaller market share while Microsoft trails. Things are similar in smartphones despite Android phones outselling iPhones. That’s partly because Apple owns hardware and software while Google’s brand has a lower profile.

Microsoft has its own tablet hardware, while Google has its own-brand phone and PC hardware.

Just to confuse matters, Microsoft earns licence revenue from Android sales. It is possible the company makes more money from Android phones than from Windows Phones.

At first sight it looks like Microsoft and Google are on level-pegging. Yet Microsoft is strongest in the declining traditional PC space while Google is ahead in the fast-growing mobile sectors. At this stage of the analysis it looks as if Google is better placed than Microsoft to build its own Apple-like vertical technology stack. However, there are other matters to consider. We’ll cover them in another post.

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