With its Surface tablet now a few hours away from launch, Microsoft has expressed its dissatisfaction with consumers carrying around both a tablet and laptop.
Microsoft's vice president of Windows web services, Anthony LeBlonde, said the desktop division is not being killed by touch UIs. In reality, the firm disagrees with carrying around both a tablet and a laptop as opposed to a single device, such as the Surface, which offers balance between the two.
"I'm going to be blunt about it, you just have to look at the amount of people who are walking around with multiple PCs today and that's because the world is cleaved in two. We're walking around with [a tablet] and we're walking around with a laptop and there's no reason [for that]," he said.
"There are the same components inside these things, it is just a software choice someone made on your behalf. A fundamental point of view we have is that you don't need to have multiple devices like this to do what you need to be doing - whether it's sitting on couch watching a movie or taking notes."
LeBlonde goes on to say that he doesn't believe the desktop is dead because there are so many great apps for the desktop that a lot of people consider important. He also stressed that owning a desktop and a more touch friendly modern UI contained within the same operating system is key to the current lineup of computer systems and tablets. His comment, of course, is solidified by the fact that Acer, Asustek Computer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, ZTE, among others are releasing their own Windows 8-powered tablets/laptops/ultrabooks. Elsewhere, HP CEO Meg Whitman has criticized Microsoft's Surface, saying it "doesn't function like a laptop" and "lacks a keyboard you can do real work on."
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Zak Islam is a freelance writer focusing on security, networking, and general computing. His work also appears at Digital Trends and Tom's Guide.
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Estix I think that if we truly live in a society whose most terrifying plight is that we obligate ourselves to carry a laptop and a tablet (and a smartphone), then we don't need a solution; we need to change our habits and decide what we want, especially since, for 99% of users, the usage scenario is "facebook, email, and the occasional youtube video".Reply
All that said, I still cringe when I read "apps for the desktop". I do not have a phone nailed to my tower. I do not get fingerprints all over my monitor by touching and swiping it. It's a desktop, and it runs "programs". -
spartanmk2 The only use i would have for a tablet is to watch youtube or The Big Bang Theory episodes in bed. Other than that, tablets do not have the necessities or power a home built rig (desktop) has for me.Reply -
Marcus52 LeBlonde didn't mention that the people carrying both will have a smart phone stuffed in a pocket, too.Reply
Makes no sense to me that someone would actually carry both (and I have no doubt there are many who do), and it totally flies in the face of those people who think having a tiny computing device is a necessity.
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boyabunda Just one at a time. So that the other arm could do more productive work other than just carrying laptops or tablets.Reply -
bystander EstixAll that said, I still cringe when I read "apps for the desktop". I do not have a phone nailed to my tower. I do not get fingerprints all over my monitor by touching and swiping it. It's a desktop, and it runs "programs".You realize that the term application has been around a lot longer than smartphones and tablets. I realize you use app a lot in relation to those, but many IT people have called what you consider a program, an application for decades.Reply -
I carry both so what. I have my 17" gaming laptop in my backpack and I keep my asus prime in there too. It depends what you use your tablet for. I take it to work and use it for work orders and at home I plug in the hdmi to my tv and stream movies and my laptop is free to use. Sometimes I don't want to take my laptop out to just check email or read the news and then I have my tablet.Reply
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Estix bystanderYou realize that the term application has been around a lot longer than smartphones and tablets. I realize you use app a lot in relation to those, but many IT people have called what you consider a program, an application for decades.Reply
I do realize that, of course.
"Application" has been around for decades, but "app" started with the iPhone. The point is that the term is now back-ported from phones, hence "apps for the desktop". Essentially, the phone term now has preference, and "apps for the desktop" implies that "A desktop can be as useful and fun as a phone!", which most of us would find a rather ridiculous (or even insulting) statement, but is exactly the intent of the phrase. -
bystander BigMack70Of course you don't need a laptop and a tablet... that's why I don't understand why tablets exist at all outside of the iFlock.I can understand your view. I see the tablet as more of an entertainment device, though it does have some decent applications in the professional world as well, but I do see some real potential in these hybrids, that have an attachable keyboard. You can detach it and use it for reading and browsing, then attach a keyboard and use it for work.Reply