Windows8 is a spare tire? Analyze Microsoft's mobile market strategy

As we all know, Microsoft's next-generation operating system will be divided into two categories, Windows 8 for traditional desktop platforms and Windows RT for mobile products. The biggest difference between the two operating systems is the different operating processor environments. Windows 8 It is for Intel X86 architecture processors, while Windows RT is for ARM architecture processor platforms. Microsoft's move made Intel and ARM a direct competitor. Now that the official product has not been released, the two slobbers have already started.
RT is the abbreviation of Real-Time in Windows RT

The first problem is Intel CEO Paul · Otellini, who publicly claims that the ARM architecture processor is weak on Windows, for The Windows RT is also a "casting" system that is quite versatile. The ARM version of the Windows tablet is not even sampled, and Intel's partners have developed as many as 20 new products. In a word, ARM The Windows tablet with the architecture processor has failed. So, is the Windows RT related product really dead before the teacher? not necessarily.
Windows RT and Windows 8 are completely independent and have no inheritance relationship with the old version of Windows (images come from the network)

If we study Microsoft's next-generation operating system carefully, we will be surprised to find that Windows RT is the future of Microsoft. At the core of the strategy, this operating system is completely independent of Windows and is supported by Microsoft. Windows 8 is more like a supplement to connect PC and mobile to meet traditional partners and high-end markets. In fact, Microsoft has never been a vendor who is good at hiding its strategic intentions. Its intention to establish Windows RT as a future banner is very obvious and manifests itself in many aspects.

Microsoft has never been a vendor who is good at hiding strategic intent. Its intention to establish Windows RT for the future is very obvious and is manifested in several ways:

Actively communicating with ARM processor vendors X86 version of the platform computer and the ARM version of the tablet simultaneously listed

Microsoft on the mobile side and Intel do not look good to each other has long been no secret, Intel is close to Google's Android, and Microsoft is moving closer to ARM architecture processor manufacturers . At present, Microsoft has a very close relationship with ARM architecture processor vendors, and even participated in the design of the product. In addition to strictly limiting the ARM architecture processor manufacturers (NVIDIA, TI, Qualcomm) that produce processors for Windows RT, Optimizing and developing drivers for the three processors one by one, the industry giants are so close to product manufacturing that was almost unthinkable in the past.
Tablet PCs with built-in Intel X86 architecture processors have been shown numerous times

Another noteworthy detail is that Microsoft publicly claims that Windows RT will be available at the same time as Windows 8, which is not too tricky. Because the Intel processor and the Windows operating system are perfectly matched, and the ARM architecture processor has many technical obstacles for Windows, the X86 and ARM platform tablets can be simultaneously listed. It is hard to say that this is not intended by Microsoft.

Strictly limit the number of Windows RT product brands to ensure user experience.

In order to prove how popular their own processors are in the tablet market, Intel CEO said that there are more than 20 OEMs of 10 OEMs. The X86 version of the Windows 8 tablet is under development, and the ARM version does not even have a prototype. The implication is that the ARM version of the Windows 8 tablet has been abandoned by the market. But the real situation is that the manufacturers want to develop Windows RT tablets, but can not get the authorization of Microsoft and ARM.
Windows RT is Microsoft's product to compete with Apple's iOS

Apple's use of an iPad to dominate the tablet market tells Microsoft that the number of brands and product form are not important, the key is to give User's superior experience. Therefore, Microsoft only authorized several OEMs who have good communication with upstream processor manufacturers to launch Windows RT tablets, which ensures the uniformity of the product experience. Through the Android tablet, everyone has seen how terrible the disorderly competition of products. The severely differentiated system version and the chaotic terminal product form finally scared off the developers and became the biggest problem limiting the further development of the Android system.

Cut Redundancy Windows RT to iOS and Android

No one will deny the power of Windows, but such an operating system can't be applied to mobile devices at all, huge size, The poor touch experience, the cumbersome setup, and the high hardware requirements all plagued the development of Windows, which is why Windows 7 was in the tablet market. Based on the above reasons, Microsoft finally launched Windows RT, which is fully transformed into the mobile market. Windows RT has greatly reduced the requirements for both capacity and hardware specifications, and some of its functions have been weakened. This is what Intel calls Windows RT. The reason for the complete “.

But the other way of saying "incomplete" is to eliminate redundancy, and even Windows RT, which cuts some features, is more powerful than Apple's iOS and Google Android. Compared to Microsoft's Windows 8 for X86 processors, Windows RT is a more competitive product in the mobile market.

Learn from Apple to build an app store build ecosystem

Apple's iPad and iPhone sell well, relying on the iOS operating system, the iOS operating system is popular, relying on the AppStore Representing the entire apple ecosystem. Microsoft has clearly absorbed Apple's experience. On Windows RT, Micro will follow Apple's new business model. Windows RT is strictly closed, all programs must be installed through the app store, and must be strictly reviewed by Microsoft. By strictly restricting the import and export of programs, Microsoft can not only solve software piracy problems once and for all, but also from developers. Draw it, why not.
Microsoft wants to build its own ecosystem through the Windows App Store

For Microsoft, it is not difficult to build an ecosystem, although it blocks the possibility of software applications being directly installed into Windows RT. However, the development language and environment are still the same. The original Windows system program can be easily promoted to the Windows RT platform after touch optimization. No matter how you look at the Windows RT tablet, it is a product worth looking forward to.

Integrating the Touch Edition of 15 Office Suite

The last factor that can't be ignored is that Microsoft integrated the Office 15 office suite in Windows RT, while in the traditional Windows 8, Office 15 will need to be purchased separately, and Microsoft is currently optimizing touch operations for Office 365, which is likely to be a key factor in the success of Windows RT.
The Office 15 office suite optimized for touch may be a magic weapon to defeat the iPad

Finally, let us summarize, Microsoft's two operating systems for future generations —— Windows 8 and Windows RT is aimed at different markets. The former is aimed at the traditional PC market, maintaining the high-performance pursuit of hardware and having good compatibility. The latter is aimed at the mobile market and is more in line with the needs of mobile products. Apple's iOS and Google Android are very similar. However, because the general trend of the mobile market to annex traditional industries cannot be reversed, Microsoft's future strategy is definitely more inclined to the mobile end represented by Windows RT. Therefore, in a sense, in the mobile market, Windows 8 is only a spare tire for Windows RT. .