Introduction

The Mobile Revolution

According to Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer, Windows 8 was the company’s “riskiest bet.” It came in a time when the iPad had more than proven that tablets would be a huge part of the computing world, and PC sales had begun to see stagnation. For Microsoft’s core business to stay afloat, Windows didn’t just need an update, it needed a revolution. Unfortunately, while the products that came out of this upheaval completely departed from their predecessors, they did so in a way that was not only inelegant, it was also debilitatingly confusing.

There are currently five versions of Windows. Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Enterprise, Windows RT, and Windows Phone. No regular person who hasn’t read the several Windows FAQs on Microsoft’s website would be able to explain the differences between these products. Let me give it a shot.

Two Kinds of Processors; Two Kinds of Apps

As far as Windows is concerned, there are two different kinds of processors. There are processors that work in phones and tablets that use the ARM architecture (think Qualcomm). There is another type of processor that works in desktop PCs, notebook computers, and servers that use the x64 architecture (think Intel). Of course there is a ton of crossover, but that’s the basic picture as things stand in 2013. In the past, Microsoft only made products that worked on Intel chips. But with the mobile computing revolution, they needed to make their software capable of running on lower powered processors. So when Microsoft set out to create their next operating system, they knew they needed it to run on ARM. But they also needed to support the more powerful processors. So they made two products (actually four but for the sake of an easy explanation, bear with me): Windows 8 and Windows RT.

In order to really understand the differences between Windows 8 and Windows RT, you have to understand something about programming: applications that were made for one type of processor don’t work on operating systems running on a different kind of processor. If you made an application meant to manage your music for Windows 7 (which was designed for Intel), it wouldn't work on Windows RT (which is designed for ARM). Microsoft had a pretty big problem: if someone went out on a limb and made an application for Windows RT, it wouldn't work on all the computers running Windows 8. So Microsoft had to make a whole new application architecture called Windows Runtime (Or WinRT for short. Also don't confuse this with Windows RT, the operating system). This application architecture can run on both Intel and ARM processors and therefore both Windows 8 and Windows RT. But WinRT apps can only be found in the Windows Store and, importantly, they are only optimized for touch. Remember, the mobile revolution in computing is centered on lightweight devices that have long lasting battery life, touch screens, and mobile broadband connectivity. That is what a Windows RT device is supposed to be, but not necessarily a Windows 8 device.

At the same time, Microsoft wanted to make it easier for developers to make apps for Windows RT and Windows Phone, so they upgraded Windows Phone’s app architecture to WinRT.

But There’s A Catch

But there’s a catch: if regular old Intel based Windows 8 is going along for the WinRT ride, its user interface is going to get really messed up.

Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 Enterprise essentially have two operating systems within them. They have the “old” operating system which is optimized for a cursor based navigation. It requires a mouse and keyboard. It uses windows based applications and a taskbar. Click targets are small, and screen space is used efficiently. The other “new” operating system is optimized for touch. It uses full-screen apps that can be “snapped” next to each other if needed. Sliding your finger across the sides of the screen brings up menus for the system or for the app you’re using, depending on the side of the screen you swipe.

This probably doesn’t sound all bad. In fact, if you have a touchscreen laptop, this probably sounds like a halfway decent setup. But the problem is that the number of people with a touch screen Intel based computer is dwarfed by the number of people who have a simple mouse and keyboard setup.

On the other end of the spectrum, Windows RT has an even more severe problem: its desktop can’t run any apps besides Microsoft Office. Because desktop apps are not under the new WinRT application architecture, and Windows RT doesn’t work on Intel processors, it’s impossible to run desktop applications on your Windows RT desktop.

Confused Customers, Slow Sales

Windows 8 is a confusing product. So what, who cares? Well Microsoft should, because their Surface RT tablet cost them $900 million and recently ASUS’ CEO declared they would no longer be selling Windows RT devices. Additionally, Windows 8 has been facing some tough criticism, and Microsoft is backtracking on some of its UI decisions with the upcoming 8.1 update.

I find it really difficult to blame Microsoft for the decisions that they’ve made. Steve Ballmer seems to be making a strong effort to realign his company so that it can challenge the competition, rather than attempt to keep up with it. And that should make a huge difference. But right now, Microsoft is struggling to show that it is a true competitor to Apple and Google when it comes to its Windows Products. That’s why I think Microsoft needs to adjust its OS products - again.