Microsoft was once an unstoppable force when it came to its OS sales, but that changed after Vista. While Windows 7 has done well, many people are worried about what would happen to Microsoft if Windows 8 isn’t successful. It seems that Microsoft learned from the Vista experience, but only time will tell if the new OS is successful.
Problems with Vista
People were buying the new Windows OSs like mad until Vista came out, and for good reason. While Windows Vista looked better and had more functions, there were some major problems that kept it from selling.
Let’s look at Windows before Vista. Windows was made to create functional OSs that both consumers and businesses used, and the features presented by their systems were more out of necessity. Vista, on the other hand, came with many features that were a little fun, but not really useful.
Windows also changed a lot when it came to Vista. The XP system was made to marry Windows NT and Windows 98. The former was strong and stable, while the latter was full of useful drivers and programs. Windows XP was successful in this venture. They were able to bring the two together, and XP was largely compatible with all the programs for the former systems.
Windows Vista placed emphasis on graphics, and seemingly nothing else. The system looked great, but there were compatibility and software bloating issues. Vista required much more RAM than XP to support the extra graphics, and many of the programs that worked for XP and earlier systems did not work for Vista. This would force most Vista users to get new software, and few liked this expensive alternative.
Vista was also complicated. Windows XP had many security programs that functioned in the background. Users rarely had to work with the machine to make programs do their job, and people got used to that. Vista forced users to interact more with the computer, and this was difficult for both casual and many business users.
Windows 8 and Success
Microsoft is relying on the sales of Windows 8 to increase their revenue. While Windows 7 has done very well, and great things are expected for Windows 8, another failure could send Microsoft reeling. In fact, many analysts are saying that if Microsoft fails at this launch, then they may fail as a company.
Microsoft 8 may or may not be successful in mobile sales. The biggest saving grace for Windows 8 is the shared user experience. Windows 8 is going to be the same on tablets, desktop and smartphones. This is unlike Mac OS X and iOS, which has some slight differences.
This is also one of its biggest problems. The Metro interface is great for touch-based devices, but many are wondering if traditional mouse and keyboard users will respond to Windows 8 on a desktop.
Some are saying that Windows 8 will largely change the market, but others are saying that this is the second Vista. Those who are comfortable with using the Windows 7 OS will find the Metro style too different, and they will opt to stay with Windows 7.
The Windows 8 consumer preview had a great response, but the intended changes between the preview and the actual launch could be either good or bad for Microsoft.
Conclusion
Windows Vista created a large hole in Microsoft that caused them to hemorrhage money. While Windows 7 was able to patch the hole, many are wondering what will happen to Microsoft if Windows 8 fails. They might be able to rely on continued Windows 7 sales, or we might see the end to Microsoft.
