14 DAY TRIAL // The closer we get to the public launch of Windows 9 preview, the more speculation emerges on the changes that Microsoft could make to its operating system.
There’s no doubt that this was quite a busy week for Microsoft enthusiasts and despite the avalanche of phones that came out at IFA 2014, more information on Windows 9 made some wonder whether the software giant is indeed heading in the right direction or not.
In addition to feature changes, new additions, improvements for the desktop and for the Modern UI, a revised look, and others, Microsoft is also pondering a change supposed to make things simpler for customers across the world.
The company might drop its numbering system for new Windows releases, and instead of Windows 9, Microsoft might instead go for just “Windows.”
The idea behind this significant change is the confusion created by the existing Windows 8 versions that are at this point on the market and which reportedly caused quite a lot of trouble for those who wanted to purchase a new device running the modern operating system.
Back in October 2012, Microsoft rolled out two operating systems aimed at similar devices and based on the same core, but offering different features. Windows 8 was designed for PCs and tablets with x86 and x64 processors, while Windows RT was only aimed at tablets with ARM units.
Due to the fact that it was called “Windows,” the RT flavor, which was installed from the very beginning on the Surface RT and then on several other tablets, tricked people into believing that they could get full Windows functionality at a very affordable price. This obviously happened despite Microsoft’s efforts to emphasize the differences between an RT and a Windows 8 device, but many were still disappointed with the fact that they purchased a Windows tablet which wasn’t able to run Windows software.
Samsung saw this coming
Samsung was one of the companies that quickly noticed the confusion that Windows RT devices could cause and decided to drop plans to sell devices powered by this OS version in the United States, where most customers were expecting a full-featured Windows tablet.
“When we did some tests and studies on how we could go to market with a Windows RT device, we determined there was a lot of heavy lifting we still needed to do to educate the customer on what Windows RT was,” Samsung Executive Mike Abary said in early 2013.
There’s no doubt that both Windows 8 and Windows RT caused quite a lot of headaches to Microsoft and sources said that the company itself is trying to get over this particular operating system as soon as possible and fully focus on Windows 9. That’s one of the reasons why Windows 9 is coming out so quickly, they said, with a preview build expected this month and a full release in April 2015.
But in what seems to be a revamp of the “Windows everywhere” campaign started by Microsoft in 2013, the company is now trying to bring all Windows versions on the market together and instead of picking different names for each of them, it’s simply referring to them as “Windows.”
In recent Windows Phone commercials, Microsoft calls its smartphone operating system “Windows,” while some Cortana ads that were rolled out this week use the same designation for a software that was aggressively promoted as Windows Phone.
Microsoft appears to be making a sudden change to its numbering system for future Windows versions, and the upcoming Windows 9 could be the very first to test the waters. Instead of choosing different names for each release, Microsoft could launch the operating systems as just “Windows,” no matter if they are designed to run on PCs, tablets, or smartphones.
No stand-alone release after Windows 9
One of the reasons behind this decision is Microsoft’s plan to stop releasing new Windows versions every once in a while, but instead focus on bringing new features and options to the market through Windows 9. Basically, the company is trying a strategy that’s very similar to what Apple is doing right now with OS X: instead of bringing full releases, it rolls out large updates adding new functionality to an existing version of the operating system.
If Microsoft does not, a numbering system might not be necessary, but sources say that the company could still use one internally.
The biggest problem in all of this is the confusion that such a change could actually create.
Just think of this. Someone not too tech-savvy sees a commercial for a Windows RT tablet that’s powered by what Microsoft calls “Windows.” Since it’s Windows, it should run all desktop applications, just like his computer. He, of course, goes to his closest store, buys a Windows RT tablet running “Windows” and then discovers that it’s actually a tablet-oriented version of the operating system that only sticks to the touch-optimized Modern UI.
The outcome could easily be predicted. Buyers will get more confused, criticism will again come from everywhere and Microsoft would again have to deal with frustrated customers.
There are rumors that Microsoft might actually merge Windows RT and Windows Phone in a single OS powering both tablets and phones. If it does that, the company needs to make it very clear that these devices aren’t powered by the full version of its flagship OS, and a “Windows” designation wouldn’t help.
As far as things seem to be right now, calling the tablet-oriented operating system Windows RT was a much better choice. At least, customers had the RT flag to make them ask more questions, but changing its name to just “Windows” could clearly lead to more problems.
In the end, it all comes down to marketing and although calling all OS versions “Windows” is a really smart strategy to capitalize on the popularity of your flagship software in all markets, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones, it’s critical for the company to play its cards right to make sure that customers know what they’re buying.