Well, I'm sure eventually there will be something to chew on. But for now... Reading about the ribbon feels like reading that the next Cadillac will have chromed tail fins again. Intensely interesting if you're thinking about buying one, but not particularly actionable.
Which is an interesting counter-point to the Windows of so many years ago: The entire industry worked on a calendar dominated by Windows releases. Apps would be upgraded on that schedule. PC purchases would spike on that schedule. Hordes of apps would become extinct overnight as Microsoft built their features into new releases of Windows.
But now? As a developer, what does a new release of Windows mean to me? What does a new release of Windows mean to startups? Come to think of it, what does a new release of Windows mean to Microsoft?
Can Microsoft count on taxing their existing customer base in the form of upgrade revenues? Specifically, incremental upgrade revenues (people upgrading to Windows 8 that wouldn't upgraded to Windows)?
Obviously the thing will sell to OEMs and so on, and Microsoft will claim huge wins from corporate customers upgrading, but are we going to see another bit of sales jiggery-pokery where most of the revenue would be money Microsoft would have made anyways?
Which is an interesting counter-point to the Windows of so many years ago: The entire industry worked on a calendar dominated by Windows releases. Apps would be upgraded on that schedule. PC purchases would spike on that schedule. Hordes of apps would become extinct overnight as Microsoft built their features into new releases of Windows.
But now? As a developer, what does a new release of Windows mean to me? What does a new release of Windows mean to startups? Come to think of it, what does a new release of Windows mean to Microsoft?
Can Microsoft count on taxing their existing customer base in the form of upgrade revenues? Specifically, incremental upgrade revenues (people upgrading to Windows 8 that wouldn't upgraded to Windows)?
Obviously the thing will sell to OEMs and so on, and Microsoft will claim huge wins from corporate customers upgrading, but are we going to see another bit of sales jiggery-pokery where most of the revenue would be money Microsoft would have made anyways?