http://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2013-05-09T09:06:00ZMicrosoft's Windows 8 update, Windows Blue, must give PC users a more familiar way to work. Microsoft used to manage transitions better.http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-users-see-red-is-microsoft-lis/240154488?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/operating-systems/8-things-microsoft-could-do-to-save-wind/240153124"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/980/Windows-1st-screen_tn.png" alt="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" title="8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">8 Things Microsoft Could Do To Save Windows 8</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span></div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->For more than a month now, the unrelenting flood of news, gossip and opinion surrounding Windows 8 has been focused on Windows Blue, the code name for the upcoming Windows 8 refresh, and what it can do to repair the ailing PC platform. <P> This week, finally, <a href="http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2013/05/06/windows-8-at-6-months-q-amp-a-with-tami-reller.aspx">Microsoft formally acknowledged Windows Blue</a> and confirmed that the Windows 8 follow-on, which comes closer to a service release than an all-new Windows version, will make its way to the market by year's end. <P> Bloggers already have spent weeks combing through the various leaked builds of the upcoming refresh and exposing new features, performance enhancements and UI improvements. Company representatives haven't yet confirmed any of those discoveries, saying only that Microsoft has been listening closely to customer feedback and will be giving a full-on demonstration at Microsoft's Build 2013 developer conference at the end of June. <P> <strong>[ What else can Microsoft do to mollify Windows users? <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-blue-restoring-the-start-button/240153170?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows Blue: Restoring The Start Button Isn't Enough</a>. ]</strong> <P> The tech press has been fixated on discerning just how closely Microsoft has been listening. Indeed, it has written so much lately with so little to go on from Microsoft that the coverage has taken on the tenor of an <em>Access Hollywood</em> report before a Kardashian wedding. <P> I'm making light, but in many ways the onslaught of articles is justifiable. Certainly, it underscores just how much is riding on Windows Blue. With all the hype and glitz surrounding smartphones and tablets, it's easy to lose sight of how critical a role the PC still plays in many of our lives. No, it's not the same role it played last year, or the year before. But for many of us -- certainly for most of us in IT -- a Windows PC is still a go-to device in our quiver of electronics tools. And because of the pace of change in the enterprise segment, Windows is guaranteed to play a central role for several more years at least. <P> In that sense, Microsoft isn't just gambling its own fortunes. It's messing with how many of us get things done every day. <P> That's why the anger over Windows 8 has been so palpable, and why fixing it has become so important. Forcing us to take longer, more circuitous routes to what we do every day feels like starting breakfast one morning only to find that your roommate has rearranged the kitchen. The more often you reach for a fork in what's become the towel drawer, the angrier you get. <P> If Microsoft is really listening to customers, then Windows Blue will give users a way to do things the way they're used to. Microsoft understood that wisdom back in the early days of Windows, when it used a two-step process to woo Lotus users over to Excel. For years, Microsoft gave diehard Lotus fans their old menus and keystroke combos. So those users came over to Excel. And eventually, those users got to know Excel and they dropped their demands for Lotus commands. <P> In the same way, Microsoft needs to let customers do things the way they've always done them if it's ever going to engineer a successful migration to its Modern UI. Apparently, though, that institutional knowledge has been lost at Microsoft. When the incumbent forces customers to change in ways they don't want to, as Microsoft has been doing, it opens the doors to competition. Of course, the Mac is always welcoming frustrated Windows users. Some Linux bundlers, successful in the server space, increasingly are setting their sights on the PC client. And now Google is readying an assault on Windows' turf with a new generation of Chromebooks due out in the second half of the year. <P> A larger desktop tile on the Start screen, as Windows Blue reportedly has, won't placate long-time Windows users. Microsoft will have to give folks who have no use for tiles a way to work the way they do now. If Microsoft doesn't do this, users will keep seeing red -- until, eventually, this issue won't be important to them any more.2013-05-03T11:36:00ZIntel's board sees synergy in replacing outgoing CEO Paul Otellini with two execs. Is the duo up to the formidable challenge ahead?http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/intel-decides-two-heads-better-than-one/240154141?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_When Brian Krzanich and Renee James, the newly appointed CEO and President of Intel, respectively, take over for the retiring Paul Otellini in two weeks, they won't have to look far for things that need tending. Indeed, they will have to hit the ground running to lead Intel through what is arguably the most treacherous patch the company has encountered in its 45-year history. <P> The CEO and President titles were first consolidated under Otellini, and the new appointments reverse that move. In other ways, however, the board is preserving the shape of the Otellini executive suite by appointing Krzanich and James. Otellini, an economics major and an MBA, was the first CEO of the engineering company without a technical background. He was softer spoken, more strategically minded and more of a consensus builder than many others who have succeeded in Intel's in-your-face culture. <P> Krzanich is softer spoken even than Otellini, though he does re-inject an engineering background into the top office. He's also considered a strategic thinker, as is James. And while she doesn't have a technical degree, her role as head of the Software and Services Group has given her insight into the evolving industry direction that complements Krzanich's more traditionally Intel-centric vantage point. <P> Many had expected Krzanich to get the nod for CEO, so his appointment wasn't a surprise. What is surprising is not so much that James was appointed President. Rather, that the board had decided to package the two appointments, a signal that it sees value not only in the two individuals but in the combination. <P> Hopefully for Intel, the duo is up to the formidable challenge ahead. Intel's core PC client and server businesses are increasingly at risk as <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/new-intel-ceo-faces-mobile-battle/240154066">smartphones and tablets re-shape computing</a>. That is forcing Intel to re-design itself and its products while at the same time having to contend with a rush of new competition. <P> The sputtering PC market is making matters even more urgent. Lackluster sales aren't really Intel's fault, but it is Intel's problem. The Ultrabook initiative, which Otellini introduced three years ago, was initially a Windows platform response to the MacBook Air, though the company has deftly adapted the vision to address the rapidly growing threat from tablets. <P> And next month, Haswell, the first Intel processor designed from the ground up for the Ultrabook vision, will be brightening the PC scene. (Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge chips, the second- and third-generation Core processors, respectively, were already well under construction when the initiative was announced, though engineers were able to tune the designs to match better with the strategy of enabling sleeker, sexier notebook PCs.) Haswell, the 4th-generation Core processor family, promises better performance than the previous generation, but with twice the battery life. That's going to yield some pretty impressive systems, which will start coming to market this summer. <P> That's a bright spot, although admittedly not as bright as it could have been had Microsoft not <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-momentum-sputters/240152051">botched the Windows 8 rollout so badly</a>. When a market is under attack, the best thing an incumbent has going for it is inertia. Microsoft shot PC shipments in the foot for the summer of 2012 when it rolled out Windows 8 near Halloween instead of Independence Day. And then it stalled sales ever since by forcing users to adapt to Windows 8's new interface rather than letting them do things the old way and gradually build a taste for Modern UI. <P> Inertia is a double-edged sword, however. Yes, it can provide cash to fund the next move. On the other hand, it can be more difficult to motivate the troops to cultivate new fields when they're still being fed by the last one. So if there's a silver lining to the sorry state of the PC market today, I guess you could say it's that. <P> Krzanich got his start at Intel in 1982, the year after IBM rolled out the first PC. You could argue that he came on during the first chapter in IBM's crash, when it let everyone take from them the PC business that it spawned. It is a story that has become a model for how to botch technology transitions. (Of course, IBM later became a model of how to transition from a hardware focus to a services focus.) You could also say that Krzanich began his ascension at Intel at the start of the Wintel era. <P> If the past year has shown us anything, it is that Microsoft didn't learn from the IBM case study. Has Intel? While you can't categorize every move the company has made as an unqualified success, you can at least say that the company is more aware of the hazards in this evolving environment. And, at least the board believes, it is installing the right combination in the executive suite to make it through.2013-03-29T11:06:00ZThree innovations could help you squeeze a full day's work out of your smartphone battery. Many of us haven't seen that since 2007.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/smartphone-battery-life-back-to-the-futu/240151953?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/apple-iphone-5s-the-hot-rumors/240150387"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/960/iPhone-rumors_tn.png" alt="Apple iPhone 5S: The Hot Rumors" title="Apple iPhone 5S: The Hot Rumors" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Apple iPhone 5S: The Hot Rumors</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> A few months ago, I dug out an old cellphone for a friend to use in a pinch. It was an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_Shine_%28KE970%29">LG Shine</a>, a circa 2007 slider that was one of the glitzier feature phones in its day, albeit nothing to write home about in 2013. <P> Or so I thought. With all that's packed into our smartphones today, it's difficult to imagine the Shine as anything more than a quaint relic, an artifact harkening back to the days when consumers stole music but paid for 15-second ringtones of the same songs. Surprisingly, my friend was thrilled because the Shine lasted all day on a single charge. Many of us haven't seen that since, well, 2007. <P> I scanned a few reviews from when the Shine was first released, and the phone was generally well received -- though poor battery life was a common complaint. Apparently, consumers at the time didn't like having to charge their phones every evening. <P> I guess the smartphone era has worn us down. Most of us these days understand that our devices will have to be plugged in each night. And on the way home from work. And after every meal. Good battery life, it seems, depends on which side of 2007 you're sitting. <P> As it turned out, 2007 was in fact the year that the market began downplaying battery life in exchange for performance, features and flexibility. Of course, the catalyst for the shift was not the LG Shine, but Apple's iPhone -- the device that ushered in the modern-day smartphone era. <P> <strong>[ Need a laugh? Check out <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/software/googles-10-best-gags-pranks-and-easter-e/240151036?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google's 10 Best Gags, Pranks And Easter Eggs</a>. ]</strong> <P> Could 2013 be the year that the tide turns, and battery life becomes more important again? <P> It's possible. There are some display innovations now emerging that, directly or indirectly, should go a long way toward helping us return to the days when we needed to charge our phones only at bedtime. <P> It's good that these new concepts are tied to the screen because when it comes to reducing smartphone power consumption, the display is the branch that bears the low-hanging fruit. And the branch has been edging lower as the market trends toward larger screens. Back in 2007, the iPhone's 3.5-inch display was more than 50% larger than the Shine's. Today, displays on new smartphones are approaching 5 inches, dwarfing the original iPhone screen. <P> I just peeked under the hood of my Samsung Galaxy S3, and the 4.8-inch display has burned 71% of the power used since I pulled the phone off the charger 90 minutes ago. Sometimes, on heavy talk days, the cellular radio rivals the display's power consumption. But the rest of the time, the display in my phone stands alone as the dominant consumer of power. <P> So turning on the display less often is a great way to eke out more battery life. Here are a few advances that enable just that -- and they're coming soon: <P> <strong>-- Smartwatches:</strong> It's starting to sound like everyone who's anyone in the smartphone market is readying one. The suppliers are more interested in selling us yet another device as the smartphone and tablet markets mature. But a side benefit is that a <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/apple-iwatch-vs-smartwatches-past-and-pr/240148629">smartwatch</a> can help extend smartphone battery life by offloading email, text, social networking and other alerts. That way, the big, bright, colorful display only lights up when you need a big, bright, colorful display. <P> <strong>-- Dual-screen phones:</strong> The novel <a href="http://www.yotaphone.com/">YotaPhone</a> turned a lot of heads at Mobile World Congress earlier this year. Designed by Russian mobile products supplier Yota Devices, the phone similarly offloads tasks from the power-hungry color display. But the secondary display isn't strapped to your wrist. It's a very low-power electronic paper display that resides on the back of the phone. <P> <strong>-- Tablets:</strong> A recent survey from Deloitte found that more than one-fourth of U.S. consumers own a smartphone, a tablet and a laptop -- and all that overlapping screen real estate is catching the eye of developers. Most of the work thus far has produced apps that extend the PC desktop to one of the other devices. But once developers see consumers snap up watches and dual-screen phones to save power, watch for apps that offload to the tablet display to gain momentum. <P> There are other ideas being bandied about, such as standalone pocket-able displays. Yes, they'd take up space in our already crowded pockets. But consumers apparently don't mind carrying their personal-device trifecta around -- so why not throw one more into the mix? <P> I'll tell you what: if I'm going to tote a fourth device, it might as well be the Shine. Then after my Galaxy S3 calls it a day, I can slip the SIM card into the feature phone and talk like it's 2007.2013-03-21T11:11:00ZAfter making moves last year right out of a Greek tragedy, Microsoft is finally taking steps to fix its mobile mess and other blunders.http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/4-signs-that-microsoft-finally-gets-it/240151360?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/office-2013-10-questions-to-ask/240150037"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/959/01_Intro_175.jpg" alt="Office 2013: 10 Questions To Ask" title="Office 2013: 10 Questions To Ask" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Office 2013: 10 Questions To Ask</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Few people use the word "tragedy" the way the Greek playwrights intended. Most of us describe floods and plane crashes as tragedies, but the ancients would label such events as disasters or calamities. A tragedy, in the classic sense of the word, is a disaster or calamity that you bring upon yourself. You know, like killing your father so you can marry your mother. That sort of thing. <P> The ancient Greeks would certainly agree that Microsoft's present situation is tragic. The wounds that piled up last year were almost entirely self-inflicted. Like when the company violated the trust of hardware partners by disclosing at the 11th hour that it was planning to build its own-branded tablets. Or by introducing Windows 8 in late October instead of midyear, when the first systems built for the new OS were coming available. Or by taking away the Start button and forcing users to contend with the Start screen, but not doing enough to court developers so that the go-to tablet apps were available for the so-called Modern UI at launch. <P> The year unfolded like a business-school case study for "Shooting Yourself in the Foot 101." Really, if Microsoft had contracted Google and Apple to sketch out the Windows 8 rollout, the plan probably wouldn't have looked much different. <P> I bring this up not to pile on, but to point out some encouraging signs that Microsoft may comprehend the situation it's gotten itself into and is taking steps to right the ship. It had better. Because every quarter that passes with Windows 8 flapping in the breeze is another quarter that Android and iOS tablets become more entrenched in consumer usage patterns. <P> <strong>[ Microsoft has a plan for revitalizing Windows 8. Will it work? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-sales-stall-3-strategies/240150449?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows 8 Sales Stall: 3 Strategies</a>. ]</strong> <P> Last year, I predicted that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-pc-makers-face-touch-trouble/240009261">Windows 8 wouldn't sell well</a> if the marketing message focused on touch because so few Windows 8 systems were being built with the capability. And that's exactly what happened. So reports out of Taiwan that Microsoft has begun discounting Windows 8 licenses for touch-enabled portable PCs are a very good sign. Intel has been doing a lot of work trying to hasten the transition to touch, and it's great to see Microsoft help align available product with the collateral. <P> Finally -- finally -- Microsoft is enticing developers to write for Windows 8 by dangling dollars. It's about time. The new <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/microsoft-seeks-windows-8-app-wave/240151314">"cash for apps" program</a> pays $100 for each piece of software that qualifies for the program. Hopefully the campaign will pepper the shelves of Microsoft's online store with more of the apps that Android and iOS users already depend on. <P> For all the openings that Microsoft left for Apple and Google to gain share, it's nice to see Microsoft poke at a major vulnerability of its nemeses: privacy. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/security/microsoft-finds-people-want-more-privacy/240146932">Privacy is a big concern</a> for consumers. And the more information about their lives that passes through the cloud, the greater the concern will be. Apple and Google have both been cited for flirting with the privacy line, and now Microsoft is countering by cultivating a name for itself as a champion of privacy. Like earlier this year, when the company suggested that people who care about their privacy should dump Gmail for Outlook.com. And when Microsoft supported a bill in the Massachusetts legislature that would curb the use of private data for commercial gain. Well played. <P> Microsoft Office has been a leading cash generator for the company, though Google has been making inroads into the productivity software market. The recent <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/office-2013-10-questions-to-ask/240150037">Office upgrade</a>, paired with more aggressive pricing, hints that Microsoft is aware that Google is creeping onto the beachhead, and doesn't want to cede any more ground. What's good for Office is good for Windows, so put another feather in the cap. <P> To be sure, Microsoft did a lot of damage to the platform and the brand in 2012 -- and these few initiatives won't be able to right the ship by themselves. But if the moves are just the first wave of a larger plan, then maybe the company can give this Greek tragedy one of Hollywood's happy endings.2013-03-08T09:06:00ZI traveled to Mobile World Congress to learn about possible solutions to the looming mobile data capacity crunch. Meet the small cell, for starters.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/wireless-capacity-crunch-answers-at-mwc/240150308?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/mobile-world-congress-2013-9-hot-gadgets/240149064"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/950/SlideOne_TheFira_tn.jpg" alt="Mobile World Congress 2013: 9 Hot Gadgets" title="Mobile World Congress 2013: 9 Hot Gadgets" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Mobile World Congress 2013: 9 Hot Gadgets</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->I have a friend who refuses on principle to pay for SMS service. He thinks it's highway robbery for wireless carriers to charge for a data plan -- and then charge us again for access to an outmoded, inferior network. <P> It's hard to fault him for his logic. But if he'd been at the Mobile World Congress last week in Barcelona, he would have been unreachable for hours at a time. How ironic that for much of the middle two days of the four-day Congress -- the industry's flagship venue for showcasing the world's latest mobile devices, apps and transmission technology -- that the network in the convention center was so taxed attendees were unable to make calls or check email for hours at a time. Playing with any of the cool new apps was out of the question. Heck, calling someone to tell them you'd be late to a meeting was a roll of the dice. <P> Indeed, the only reliable means of communication was going old school with it on the 160-character Dino-Net. <P> Attendees surpassed the amount of data traffic logged during the entire 2011 Congress before 6 p.m. on the first day, according to Jared Headley, director of service provider Mobility at Cisco, which deploys the show's network. <P> <strong>[ What could new laws outlawing locked smartphones do for you? <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/what-unlocked-phones-mean-for-businesses/240150016?itc=edit_in_body_cross">What Unlocked Phones Mean For Businesses</a>. ]</strong> <P> A couple of variables make it difficult to say precisely how much individual data usage has grown. For one thing, there were 20% more attendees this year than in 2011. On the other hand, the crush of attendee foot traffic &#8211; and, presumably, data traffic -- didn't begin until Tuesday. We all enjoyed far more elbow room on Monday. <P> What we can say with some confidence is that the demand for data inside the convention center is growing at least as fast as it is outside. <P> The paucity of bandwidth at the mobile industry's own show underscored the urgency of the looming capacity crunch. I went to MWC, you may recall, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/mobile-world-congress-2013-what-we-want/240149123">in search of answers to a problem</a> that, left unchecked, threatens to spoil the seemingly boundless explosion in mobile. <P> Cisco's Headley, in fact, made his comments at a breakfast hosted by the <a href=http://www.smallcellforum.org/>Small Cell Forum</a> at the start of the show's second day, not long before the throngs gridlocked the network. A small cell is a device that you can plug into the wall, connect it to the Internet and -- boom -- you have coverage. They've been used to expand coverage into areas where the carriers have no cell towers. <P> In densely populated areas, small cells promise to multiply capacity by offloading data traffic from a small space where the carrier already provides coverage. A lot of the work being done right now is finding ways to stretch the number of small cells that can operate effectively within a cell tower's coverage area. <P> There's also a lot of effort going into offloading traffic via Wi-Fi. Carriers tend to prefer small cells, though. The reason: small cells don't share their wireless capacity, so, according to the carriers, they have more control over their customers' experience. Regardless of how true that is, the carriers will have to rely on Wi-Fi offload, at least in the near term. <P> The terrestrial internet infrastructure -- DSL lines, T1 lines and cable -- is far more capable of handling an increase in traffic than the wireless infrastructure. According to <a href="http://www.sandvine.com/">Sandvine</a>, a company that helps carriers manage their scarce data resources, there is "three orders of magnitude times 17" more data traffic on the terrestrial Internet today than cellular. <P> Sandvine isn't the only company focusing on improving network efficiency to help allay the worsening data capacity crunch. There is also, for example, <a href="http://www.affirmednetworks.com/">Affirmed Networks</a>, which helps service providers adjust to changing data demands in real time by virtualizing the purpose-built boxes typically deployed, and <a href="http://www.gigamon.com/">Gigamon</a>, which aims to help carriers understand more about their data traffic faster and more cheaply than they can today. <P> I didn't spend all my time at the show on the capacity conundrum. I saw lots of cool mobile client technology as well. Such as virtual surround sound, for example. It's quickly becoming a point of differentiation in smartphone and tablets. Qualcomm announced that it is embedding into its newest processors technology from both DTS and Dolby to virtualize 7.1 surround sound in a headset. (Qualcomm's customers most likely will activate just one.) That means smartphones and tablets available later this year will be able to stream full 1080p videos with a theater-like surround sound effect. It's very impressive. <P> Of course, we won't be downloading movies on our mobile devices if the carriers don't solve the capacity crunch. Most likely, we'll just be texting. <P> <i>Attend Interop Las Vegas, May 6-10, and attend the most thorough training on Apple Deployment at the NEW Mac & iOS IT Conference. Use Priority Code DIPR03 by March 9 to save up to $500 off the price of Conference Passes. Join us in Las Vegas for access to 125+ workshops and conference classes, 350+ exhibiting companies, and the latest technology. Register for <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?CID=MP_ILV_IWK_Article_TL&_mc=DIPR03">Interop</a> today!</i>2013-02-22T11:06:00ZMobile World Congress 2013 will feature glitzy new hardware and exciting apps. But what I really want to see is technology to keep the wireless data network humming.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/mobile-world-congress-2013-what-we-want/240149123?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_En route to CES last month, I wrote about a <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/ces-2013-what-we-want-to-see/240145481">handful of technologies I planned to check out at the show</a>. To name a few: gesture control, wireless power and audio quality enhancements. My goal was to get a better feel for which of those emerging features for mobile devices were ready for prime time. <P> I'm packing now for Mobile World Congress. I'll be lugging a bigger bag to Barcelona than I dragged to Las Vegas for CES. And inside is a bigger laundry list of technologies I plan to examine while I'm there. I'll be taking another look at all the new mobile device features I studied at CES, as well as a couple of new ones -- like augmented reality. But my number one priority at MWC won't be any of the cool new features for smartphones, tablets and PCs. Rather, it will be the alternatives for expanding wireless data capacity. <P> So why is a guy who makes a living analyzing mobile client technology trends paying such close attention to carrier deployment issues? It's simple, really. Most of the eye-popping new technologies depend on the flow of data to function. So if the carriers can't keep up, then prices for wireless data plans will climb, or service will degrade. Or both. And the worse it gets, the less we'll depend on the new features. <P> <strong>[ Attend Interop Las Vegas, May 6-10, and attend the most thorough training on Apple Deployment at the NEW Mac & iOS IT Conference. Use Priority Code DIPR02 by March 2 to save up to $500. Register for <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?CID=MP_ILV_IWK_Article_TL&_mc=DIPR02">Interop</a> today! ]</strong> <P> Take a moment to think about what sort of hunting-and-gathering tasks you take on when you're armed with nothing more than your smartphone. And also make note of what you don't bother to tackle. Now, compare that to what you would do -- and wouldn't do -- with your smartphone a year ago. Your answer is constantly changing, because the decision is driven by how compelling the information is to you and how easy it is to obtain at the time. <P> We've been giving our smartphones an ever-larger share of the load as new hardware becomes more capable, as creative new apps tap new information and as wireless networks grow more capable of delivering the content. It's all part of why smartphone users' data demands are doubling every year. <P> Combine that with the fact that subscribers with feature phones -- which consume far less data -- are migrating to smartphones, and we've got a recipe for an explosion in capacity demand. In a <a href=" http://www.feibustech.com/home/2012/5/14/tyranny-of-numbers-ii-why-4g-wont-fix-wireless-data-crunch.html">white paper</a> written after Mobile World Congress last year, I show that in 2016 data demand will mushroom to nearly 30 times what it is today. <P> Everyone sees LTE as the next big thing, but the fact is that LTE won't be able to stop the data crunch from worsening. According to Ofcom, which monitors wireless networks in the U.K., spectrum efficiency gains from LTE deployment are only expected to triple effective capacity by 2016. <P> So 30x more demand and just 3x more supply. The math makes things painfully clear. The industry needs to get creative if it hopes to keep the trajectory for new devices and new apps going strong. At Mobile World Congress, I'll be meeting with companies offering options for solving the capacity crunch. Most of the alternatives center on WiFi offload and small-cell deployments. Both seem to have their champions, so we'll see. <P> When I return, I'll tell you what I have learned about augmented reality and all the other cool new technologies -- and whether there will be enough capacity for us to enjoy them. <P> <em>Attend Interop Las Vegas, May 6-10, and attend the most thorough training on Apple Deployment at the NEW Mac & iOS IT Conference. Use Priority Code DIPR02 by March 2 to save up to $500 off the price of Conference Passes. Join us in Las Vegas for access to 125+ workshops and conference classes, 350+ exhibiting companies, and the latest technology. Register for <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?CID=MP_ILV_IWK_Article_TL&_mc=DIPR02">Interop</a> today!</em> <P>2013-02-12T09:06:00ZYou might not want to buy this almost-a-PC, overstuffed-tablet hybrid. But your boss might buy one for you.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/microsoft-surface-pro-too-much-tablet/240148261?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_People who have monkeys for pets should just go ahead and have kids, Jerry Seinfeld years ago joked in a standup bit about pet ownership. "If you need a pet that can roller skate and smoke cigars, it's time to think about a family." <P> When you boil it down, that's why Microsoft's new Surface Pro, which went on sale over the weekend, won't rack up much in the way of sales volumes. It comes across as a computer stuffed into a media tablet. That it is a tablet-first device is underscored by a display that is in the 10-inch range. It does boast the full Windows 8 OS, however, not the abbreviated Windows RT found on the original Surface tablet. So it will run all Windows 7 and Windows 8 applications, and connect to any and all of the peripherals you already have. And it's built around a full-fledged PC processor, a Core i5 from Intel. <P> All that capability in such a small package comes with tradeoffs on both ends, however. Battery life is far below tablet standards, and the weight is far above. The base configuration costs $899, which is out of sight for a tablet. To make it worse, the Surface Pro comes without a keyboard and affords <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/microsoft-surface-pro-storage-snafu-does/240147419">less capacity for your data</a> than what many MP3 players today offer. (The entry-level Surface Pro model comes with 64 GB, but the OS leaves only 30 GB for data.) <P> <strong>[ Is Surface Pro for you? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/microsoft-surface-pro-7-questions-to-ask/240148258?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Microsoft Surface Pro: 7 Questions To Ask</a>. ]</strong> <P> With apologies to Seinfeld, if you're thinking about Surface Pro ownership, then you're <em>so</em> close. Just go out and get a real computer. <P> Most will, I predict. There are plenty of sleek new Ultrabook models available in the same price range. Many of them are designed as touch tablets. Acer's Iconia W700, for example, is available in the same price range, but with a larger display, superior battery life and better I/O options. Oh, and the detachable keyboard is included. <P> As poorly as the original Surface (now called Surface RT) sold, expect the Surface Pro to do worse. <a href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130130PD209.html"</a>News out of Taiwan</a> suggests that even Microsoft expects Pro shipments to be lower, with orders to manufacturing that reportedly are a fraction of what they were for the Surface RT. <P> Hopefully we can all agree by now that the Surface Pro won't sell well. So let's move on to why it will be successful. <P> The reason: enterprise buyers like it. <P> Last week, <em>InformationWeek</em> associate editor Michael Endler wrote about a <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/surface-pro-demand-dont-believe-the-hype/240148182">new Forrester survey</a>, which found that more information workers want a Windows tablet than an iOS or Android device. Whether that translates into Surface Pro sales is another matter entirely, he pointed out. True enough. <P> It's also true that Microsoft is well entrenched in the enterprise, and that is helping the Surface Pro get attention from IT buyers. They're ordering small lots today as proof-of-concept devices for their Windows 8 tablet software development programs. <P> So the sales numbers may be trivial in the near term. But today's pilot programs hold promise for higher volumes once they blossom into companywide deployments. Maybe that doesn't mean quite as much as it used to, in the days before BYOD crept into the IT vernacular. <P> (I prefer to call it IBMODD, BTW. It's short for "I'm Bringing My Own Device, Dammit!" I think it better reflects the tenor of the BYOD movement, which arose when execs started bringing their iPhones to work and ordered IT to integrate them.) <P> Regardless, the potential for a windfall in the enterprise exists for Microsoft with the Surface Pro, although that's a bit further down the road. In the meantime, Microsoft could improve on the appeal of the Pro line by bifurcating it into a clear tablet-first model and a computer-centric offering. With that approach, the company just might end up leaving the monkey business to Seinfeld.2013-02-01T09:06:00ZPC vendors, are you tired of losing sales to the cool new tablets? Take a page from the auto industry's playbook and introduce model years.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/desktop/pc-makers-learn-from-car-makers-use-mode/240147559?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/reviews/top-10-tech-fails-of-2012/240145329"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/932/TechFail1stslide_tn.png" alt="Top 10 Tech Fails Of 2012 " title="Top 10 Tech Fails Of 2012 " class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Top 10 Tech Fails Of 2012 </div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->In my last column, I offered PC vendors some advice on how to position <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/what-pc-makers-must-do-now/240146507">Windows 8 systems</a>. That's not a miracle cure for solving PC players' woes. All that will do is pry from the industry's hand the pistol it's using to shoot itself in the foot. PC vendors will need to do more if they want to re-inject excitement into their products and get their business back on a growth trajectory. <P> Let me get right to the point: PC vendors need to incorporate model years into their product positioning. You know, like the automobile makers do. I know this isn't something they want to hear. (I know they don't want to hear it because I've been telling them for years. And they tell me that it isn't something they want to hear.) <P> I'll take my own advice here and call this my Model Year 2013 column. Years ago, long before the first iPad shipped, I suggested employing model years as a way to combat saturation in maturing markets. That's why automobile suppliers implemented model years some 90 years ago. Most people who wanted a car already had one. And a six-year-old vehicle could do 35 mph as well as a new one. <P> <strong>[ Wondering if the next Windows operating system is for you? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-why-i-wont-upgrade/240008430?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows 8: Why I Won't Upgrade</a>. ]</strong> <P> Model years helped remind consumers that their automobiles were aging. That, as well as styling and performance upgrades, gradually convinced consumers that it was time for a new car even though the old one still worked. The primary objection I hear from PC vendors is that model years would complicate manufacturing plans and inventory management up and down the supply chain. That used to be a valid argument. But it's not any more. <P> That's because they're already being forced to deal with those headaches. Consumers have been adjusting their purchasing behavior to account for the PCs' annual rollout schedule. For a few years now, consumers have held off buying last year's models just as PC vendors were trying to clear inventory to make way for new systems. So PC vendors are enduring all the pain of a model-year marketing model, but enjoying none of the benefit. <P> Smartphones and tablets -- the devices that are eating the PC's lunch -- exploit the model-year concept. Suppliers leverage their annual rollouts to generate pull from consumers, and consumers respond. PC vendors, meanwhile, continue to manage new releases like it's 1999. <P> There are positive pieces of the model-year mentality that are already in place, as well. Intel's Core lineup gets a facelift once a year, for example. And it's beginning to look as though the Ultrabook spec will be refreshed at a similar pace. If Microsoft would get on board, then PC vendors could really update the entire platform annually. <P> Another hesitation I hear is this: What if there's a delay? What if we can't deliver when it's time to roll out the new model year? <P> Good point. But there are ways to ease that burden. Intel, for example, releases a new generation of its Core-series processors every year. But the company tackles major architectural enhancements only every other year as part of what it calls its "tick-tock" cadence. <P> PC vendors could take on a lighter load than that. The auto makers execute a major overhaul only every four years. The changes to their offerings during the other three years are cosmetic by comparison. Call it a tick-tick-tick-tock schedule. <P> Although I'm recommending a model-year marketing mentality, there's really no need to differentiate by years. Distinguishing a new model with '4,' for example, instead of '2013' would leave some room for schedule slop. Microsoft, the unofficial schedule-slop champ, abandoned the year designation on Windows releases more than a decade ago and eventually settled on a generation numbering scheme. Combine that with the tick-tick-tick-tock concept, and you'd expect systems rolling out this summer to bundle Windows 8.1 followed by Windows 8.2 next year. <P> Remember, the point of all of this is to etch into the product a milestone, so people don't just think they have a Core i5-based PC, but a three-year-old Core i5 system. It will serve as a gentle reminder each time a new generation is released. <P> And if PC vendors don't fix the problem this year, then keep an eye out for my all-new Model Year 2014 column next winter. <P> <em>Mike Feibus is principal analyst at TechKnowledge Strategies, a Scottsdale, Ariz., market research firm focusing on client technologies. You can reach him at mikef@feibustech.com.</em> <P> <em>InformationWeek is surveying IT executives on global IT strategies. Upon completion of our survey, you will be eligible to enter a drawing to receive an Apple 32-GB iPad mini. Take our <a href="http://informationweek.2013globalCIO.sgizmo.com/s3/?iwid=ol">2013 Global CIO Survey</a> now. Survey ends Feb. 8. </em>2013-01-18T09:06:00ZPC makers, licking their wounds after a poor start to the Windows 8 era and still under siege from tablets and smartphones, must re-tool for the new normal.http://www.informationweek.com/software/operating-systems/what-pc-makers-must-do-now/240146507?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/10-great-windows-8-apps/240142227"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/906/01_Windows_Stor_Apps_1st_slide_tn.jpg" alt="10 Great Windows 8 Apps" title="10 Great Windows 8 Apps" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Great Windows 8 Apps</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->The early returns are quantifying what most of us already knew: that Windows 8's coming-out was no party. Gartner reports that PC shipments declined nearly 5% in the fourth quarter from the same period last year. IDC estimates that sales fell more than 6%. <P> So, time to dust off and figure out where to go from here. Three months ago, I pointed to a problem that would hold back fourth-quarter sales: Windows 8's new UI is touch-centric, but there aren't very many systems <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-pc-makers-face-touch-trouble/240009261">available with touch</a>. I don't point this out to say I told you so. (Although I did tell you so.) I mention it because it's still a problem. <P> The percentage of touch-enabled laptops that were shipped in the fourth quarter was miniscule -- less than 1%, according to Digitimes Research. That number is forecasted to grow only to about 10% in 2013. <P> <strong>[ What's the best strategy for Microsoft? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/5-ways-microsoft-can-save-windows-8/240142960?itc=edit_in_body_cross">5 Ways Microsoft Can Save Windows 8</a>. ]</strong> <P> The flip side is that 90% of laptops won't match well with Windows 8. Which means that more disappointing sales are on the horizon. <P> As I see it, that leaves the PC ecosystem two options if it wants a shot at salvaging 2013: 1) Find a way to reverse that 90:10 ratio, so that the vast majority of systems are <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/desktop-pc/windows-8-upgrade-no-touch-no-good/240012625">touch-enabled</a>, or 2) start marketing non-touch systems to end users. <P> The sooner the market transitions to touch-enabled displays, the sooner this thorny problem will be behind us. PC makers are still a bit shell-shocked from 2012, so they're understandably gun-shy about investing in 2013. So don't expect them to force the transition to all-touch displays this year. <P> That leaves us with option number two: showcasing non-touch Windows 8 systems. That might be the right way to go regardless, because there are a lot of end users who are resisting the Modern UI, Windows' new front software interface. They're pining for the good old days of the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-8-why-i-wont-upgrade/240008430">Start button</a>. <P> So give it to them. <P> Windows 8 should default to the Start button on non-touch systems. I know that Microsoft wants to hurry the transition to the Modern UI, but the company needs to accept the fact that it's an annoyance on non-touch systems. Showcase the fact that, Modern UI aside, Windows 8 is better than Windows 7. The PC industry would be well served if that message got out. <P> Microsoft could still plant a Modern UI icon on the system tray of non-touch PCs. Eventually, consumers will play with it. And as compelling apps emerge, they'll find themselves spending more and more time in the Modern UI. Letting demand grow organically for Modern UI makes much more sense than shoving it down consumers' throats, as Microsoft has been doing. Thus far, consumers have responded to the tactic by spending their money on other things, right? So what is there to lose? <P> None of this is to say that PC makers should stop designing sexy new systems. Keep the sleek, power-efficient, responsive ultrabooks coming. And make them all touch-enabled. <P> What's needed now is a two-pronged approach to the market. Keep showing us how cool the touch-enabled systems are. But also show us why we would want a non-touch Windows 8 system. <P> Up to now, the unspoken message in all the Windows 8 marketing is that there's no reason to buy the non-touch systems. As we've seen thus far, consumers have received that message loud and clear. <P> <em>Mike Feibus is principal analyst at TechKnowledge Strategies, a Scottsdale, Ariz., market research firm focusing on client technologies. You can reach him at mikef@feibustech.com.</em>2013-01-04T08:46:00ZForget 500-inch, green smart 3-D TVs. Here are a few exciting new trends I'll be examining at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/ces-2013-what-we-want-to-see/240145481?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_Why does the consumer electronics industry choose to kick off CES, the annual four-day cavalcade of new toys, smack in the middle of the BCS National Championship game? If representatives really wanted to tie the show to a major sporting event, then maybe they should consider March Madness in -- that's right -- March. Seriously, can you think of a better way to depress your customers than to show them all your cool new stuff during the first full week of January, barely two weeks after they finished unwrapping your old stuff? <P> I'll never understand that. But here are a few things I do hope to have a handle on by the time I leave Vegas: <P> <strong>Pen interface.</strong> Pen computing has gotten a bad rap over the past decade, and deservedly so. But the technology has come a long way since then, and a lot of brainpower is focused on making it feel just like pen on paper. It's not there yet. But it is far enough along that you don't have to adjust the way you write. Today, the technology is sophisticated enough that you can rest your wrist on the display without e-smudging, for example. <P> Pen computing is going to be huge. It is to the keyboard what touch is to the mouse: a more natural, intuitive way to interact with the PC. (Just so we're clear: they'll <a href="http://betanews.com/2012/04/09/touchscreens-are-our-friends/">complement the keyboard and mouse</a>, not replace them.) Systems vendors like Fujitsu, Lenovo, Samsung and Sony are starting to make it available in laptops and tablets. Is this the year it finally takes off? <P> <strong>[ CES isn't only about consumer toys. For more on the show's relevance to IT, see <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/10-ces-trends-that-matter-to-business/240145408?itc=edit_in_body_cross">10 CES Trends That Matter To Business</a>. ]</strong> <P> <strong>The return of hi-fi.</strong> No, that's not a typo. I mean hi-fi, as in high fidelity. Back in the day, you bought nice audio equipment for a quality sound experience. For more than a decade, though, quality has taken a back seat to portability: How much can you carry with you, and in how small a package? <P> The pendulum is starting to swing the other way now. Consumers increasingly are paying more for headphones and speakers that enhance playback of MP3s and other compressed audio codecs. (Notice I didn't say iTunes? It's like I always say: there's no 'i' in MP3 ...) <P> Flash storage capacities are to the point that high-quality media players supporting lossless audio codecs like FLAC are becoming viable. Are they ready for prime time? How long will it take before the whole family wants one? <P> <strong>Wireless power.</strong> Wouldn't it be cool if you could just drop your smartphone onto your car console or desk and it would start charging? Who wouldn't want to shed all the power cords? <P> A year ago, this concept seemed more like a science project than product development. But it's advanced very quickly. Already there is a selection of high-end smartphones from suppliers like HTC, LG and Nokia that support wireless charging. <P> <strong>Emerging UI enhancements.</strong> Speaking of science projects, the industry is always developing new ways to interact with our electronics devices. Touch is now commonplace on phones and tablets, and is now migrating to personal computers. Next on tap is voice and gesture control. The state of each is improving, though they're probably not ready to bust out in 2013. But give me a week and I might change my mind! <P> <strong>Really smart phones.</strong> Contextual awareness -- that is, the ability to understand you and to anticipate your needs -- is an <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/siri-and-rivals-prep-next-trick-mind-rea/240006252">exciting new area</a> with great promise. There are a lot of great hardware and software minds focusing on this, and I can't wait to see what they have to show off, both in booths and behind closed doors. <P> <strong>The state of CES.</strong> For the first time this century, the opening keynote -- remember, the one that's scheduled to begin right around halftime of the Alabama-Notre Dame game -- is not being delivered by a Microsoft CEO. Microsoft has abandoned its presence at the show, along with many other players in the PC ecosystem. Instead, Paul Jacobs, Qualcomm's CEO, will kick off the show. <P> It probably makes sense for Qualcomm to step in, at least for this year. But Ground Zero for the smartphone and tablet world, Qualcomm's wheelhouse, is migrating quickly to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February. So who knows? By this time next year, Qualcomm may have decided to convert its marketing dollars into euros and spend them in Spain. <P> And then what for CES? The show will need to reinvent itself if it wants to be relevant in three years. Maybe a change in the schedule to March wouldn't be a bad first step? Just saying&#8230; <P> <i>Cloud computing, virtualization and the mobile explosion create computing demands that today&#8217;s servers may not meet. Join Dell executives to get an in-depth look at how next-generation servers meet the evolving demands of enterprise computing, while adapting to the next wave of IT challenges. <a href="https://www.techwebonlineevents.com/ars/eventregistration.do?mode=eventreg&F=1005372&K=EOA">Register for this Dell-sponsored webcast now</a>.</i>2012-12-18T09:06:00ZHear me out on this one, tablet shoppers: You should buy a 7-inch tablet <em>and</em> a 10-inch tablet.http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/should-you-buy-a-7-inch-or-10-inch-table/240144532?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_The battle lines between tablet vendors were so clear a year ago. Heading into the holiday season, suppliers for the most part believed that consumers wanted either a 7-inch tablet or a 10-inch tablet. This year, though, they're offering one of each. <P> Apple and Amazon, two of the more visible champions for 10-inch and 7-inch devices, respectively, have since come to appreciate the other's perspective, as they've rounded out their 2012 holiday lineups with tablets targeting the other's wheelhouse. But why? Do they view size as a matter of taste, as it is with mobile phones and motor vehicles? Or do they think that the same consumers want both? <P> I'm here to tell you that before long, you'll want one of each -- even if you don't right now. And tablet makers who don't understand that emerging dynamic today will figure it out soon enough. <P> Now wait a minute, you may be saying. Aren't you the guy who preaches that the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/intels-plan-to-make-laptops-sexy-again-u/240005911">natural number of personal electronics devices is two</a>? What about that? Huh? <P> Just let it go, OK? Nobody likes a smart aleck. <P> In all seriousness, holding yourself to two portable systems remains a valid use-case model. A tweener phone like Samsung's Galaxy Note series paired with a chameleon-like Ultrabook such as Lenovo's Thinkpad Twist or Asus' Taichi can make the two-device model compelling for consumers who want to travel light. <P> <strong>[ There are plenty of tablets and smartphones on the market. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/does-microsoft-really-need-to-make-its-o/240143953?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Does Microsoft Really Need To Make Its Own Hardware?</a> ]</strong> <P> If you buy into the logic behind limiting yourself to two devices -- I still do -- then doubling the number may seem counterintuitive. But it's not. You can still lighten the load with four devices in your quiver. Remember, tablets are siphoning activities from a swath that's far wider than just our smartphones and laptops. They're pulling in books and magazines. Portable gaming systems and DVD players. Camcorders and point-and-shoot cameras. Oh yes, and pads of paper. <P> Think of it this way: what would you say to someone who asked which you prefer: smaller 5 x 8 pads of paper or 8.5 x 11 pads? You'd likely say, prefer for what? Right? <P> <!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <!-- GLOBAL CIO GLOBE --> <div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 15px; width:244px; float:right;"> <div style="margin:0; border-top:1px solid black; border-bottom:1px solid black; padding:6px;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/"><img src="http://twimgs.com/infoweek/1217/217ID_GlobalCIO_75.jpg" width="75" height="75" border="0" align="right" alt="Global CIO" style="margin:0 0 6px 6px;"></a> <div style="margin:0 0 6px 0; font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#113e53;">Global CIOs: A Site Just For You</div> <span style="font-size:.9em; font-weight:bold;">Visit <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/">InformationWeek's Global CIO</a> -- our online community and information resource for CIOs operating in the global economy.</span> </div> </div> <!-- /GLOBAL CIO GLOBE --> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> We can do the same tasks on either size. But most of us would rather jot notes -- shopping lists, agenda items and other reminders -- on smaller pads, and turn to the letterhead-sized pads for more comprehensive tasks, such as meeting notes and design ideas. <P> It's the same for our battery-powered devices. We can browse the Web on our smartphones -- and we'll turn to them for quick fact-finding searches around town. But we're far more likely to hop onto the laptop if we're doing more complex, detail-oriented activities. <P> Google released a study in August which found exactly that: When consumers have a choice, they're more likely to turn to the display that most closely meets their needs. I know I'd rather read a book on a 7-inch tablet than a 10-inch device. Interestingly, the study's publication was sandwiched between the release of Google's two branded tablets: the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. <P> I invariably hear a couple of objections to the four-device model. The first comes from people who suffer from device overload. They just refuse to lug all those devices around with them. That's fine, don't. The 7-inch tablet, loaded with a book or two, would tide you over for a weekend escape. <P> The second issue has to do with cost. It's a valid point. I could argue that, from a TCO point of view, a 7-inch tablet is a whole lot more cost-effective than a wall full of books. But if money's tight, that argument falls on deaf ears. Buying a tablet demands too much of an upfront investment, like paying for the paper today for all the books you'll read in the future. <P> Here's an argument that plays better: buy used devices. The market for second-hand tablets is vibrant. If you can force yourself to get by with a last-generation tablet, you can pick a pair up for less than you'd spend on one new device. Consumers who have to have the latest thing are replacing their tablets more quickly than even their smartphones, so there's plenty of supply. And a bonus: Consumers typically treat their tablets with more care than their smartphones, so they're usually in pretty good shape. <P> However you decide to overcome these issues, it's important that you do, even if you don't intend to buy two tablets today. Because you will want two. Soon. You'll see.2012-11-26T12:30:00ZDuring the first week, I wanted to throw Microsoft's Surface tablet out the window. Now, my opinion has changed.http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/microsoft-surface-my-first-month/240142567?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/8-cool-windows-8-tablets-for-home-and-of/240010621"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/889/01_Intro_tn.jpg" alt="8 Cool Windows 8 Tablets For Home And Office" title="8 Cool Windows 8 Tablets For Home And Office" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Cool Windows 8 Tablets For Home And Office</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> When my pre-ordered Surface tablet arrived, as promised, on October 26th, my editor suggested I journal my first week with the new device. <P> Great idea. Unfortunately for her, it was me she chose to run with it. <P> I told myself that if she liked the idea of one week with Microsoft's new tablet, then she'd love a column about my first two weeks with Surface. Right? <P> Then I saw Eric Zeman's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/apple-ipad-mini-one-week-in/240077508">Apple iPad Mini: One Week In</a> post. Ah, the "one week in" thing was supposed to be a theme. Oops. <P> So now I've spent a month on the Surface. My editor may not be too thrilled that I deviated from the "one week in" concept -- but Microsoft should be. Because during the first week, I wanted to throw the tablet out the window. And now I kind of like it. <P> <strong>[ Is Microsoft taking a page from Apple's book? And if so, will the strategy work? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/the-apple-ization-of-microsoft/240009719?itc=edit_in_body_cross">The Apple-ization Of Microsoft</a>. ]</strong> <P> Why the huge swing in perception? Two reasons: The machine is getting more capable by the day. And I've become more tolerant of what it can't do. <P> While I slept, Microsoft has been busy fixing things on my Surface. The company's been repairing bugs in the Windows RT OS, improving the built-in apps and adding to the store some of the apps that I couldn't believe weren't there to begin with -- like Evernote, the this-and-that clipper/organizer, and Pulse, the news reader. <P> The app store is still kind of bare, though. And I'm not talking about the raw number of apps. I don't care if there are 5,000 apps or 500,000. I only need one version of Solitaire. <P> There are a lot of go-to apps that still aren't there. Microsoft's SkyDrive was the only cloud storage service available on day one, though DropBox was added shortly after. Others, like Google Drive and Carbonite, still aren't available. There's still no dedicated YouTube app. Social media staples like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are absent, though they're covered by a built-in app called "People," which blends feeds from all the networks to compile sort of a friend-by-friend dossier. It's an interesting concept -- and it works, from a contact management point of view. But when you want to browse what's happening on your Facebook network, a dedicated app would be less cumbersome. <P> The 16:9 display is great for watching video. I've been frustrated, though, with spotty support for video file formats. I've had the best luck, ironically, with the .mp4 file format favored by Apple -- and the most trouble with .wmv files. (Yes, the 'w' in .wmv does, in fact, stand for Windows.) The built-in player did not recognize a pile of .wmv files, all of which I was able to view on Android and Windows devices around the house. I tried downloading a few third-party video players from the store, but with the same result. <P> The tablet itself is a sturdy, handsome piece of hardware. Mine came with the optional touch cover, which features a lean Windows PC keyboard and touchpad. I'm a touch typist, and a fast one at that. I've found that the keys don't have enough definition to keep my fingers from roaming out of position. But I've watched and talked to other touch-typists who had no trouble adapting to the keyboard. So maybe it's just me. <P> The cover pairs well with the tablet, folding neatly over the display. Unfold it, flip out the kickstand on the rear of the tablet, and you can use it like a clamshell-style laptop. It quickly became the most natural way to interact with the wide-screen tablet. And that irked me. I paid for a tablet, dammit, and it wants me to use it like a PC. Sometimes I yank off the cover just to force myself to use the Surface like a tablet. <P> Really, it's the device's quirky half-tablet, half-PC persona that, after a full month, keeps me from fully embracing the Surface. The built-in Office apps are a great asset. (I've run into a few issues while transferring heavily formatted files between my PC and the Surface. But the incompatibilities seem to be of the Office upgrade variety rather than due to any Windows RT or Surface failure.) <P> When you tap on the tile for an Office app, you get whisked over to the desktop, and the sudden scene change is unsettling. It's a very different sensation than the feeling you get when you switch UI's on a Windows 8 PC, where most of your time is spent on the desktop. <P> When the desktop shows up on the Surface, it seems out of place. The elements are far too small for a smooth touch experience. Right-clicking without the touchpad on the cover is hit and miss. Literally. <P> The presence of the desktop also sets expectations higher than Windows RT is prepared to deliver. If it looks like a PC, shouldn't it act like one too? It's why I got so annoyed when the system let me download a driver for my HP OfficeJet, only to tell me that it was incompatible when I tried to install it. I don't have that same set of demands from Android devices, because they present themselves as the companion devices that they are. <P> With the benefit of a month, I've been able to re-set those expectations. There is a lot to like about this tablet, and it's going to keep getting better. I'd even be ready to embrace it as my companion device -- if only it would stop trying to be my PC. <P> <i>Upgrading isn't the easy decision that Win 7 was. We take a close look at Server 2012, changes to mobility and security, and more in the new <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/092412/?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">Here Comes Windows 8</a> issue of InformationWeek. Also in this issue: Why you should have the difficult conversations about the value of OS and PC upgrades before discussing Windows 8. (Free registration required.)</i>2012-10-31T11:42:00ZAs Microsoft plays catch-up in smartphones and tablets, it woos developers at its Build conference this week to write apps that work on all of its platforms.http://www.informationweek.com/news/240012572?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-phone-8-star-features/240012582"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/892/1_tn.jpg" alt="Windows Phone 8: Star Features" title="Windows Phone 8: Star Features" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle"> Windows Phone 8: Star Features</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->One Microsoft Way. The irony dripping from the address of the technology giant's headquarters never fails to tease a smile out of me. <P> In days gone by, the second entendre was more a commentary on the company's heavy-handed reign over the software world. You know, like One Microsoft Way or the highway. <P> That's a stark contrast to the scene today at One Microsoft Way. The company is playing catch-up in the two crucial personal electronic device markets, and must now court developers to write apps that work on its platforms. <P> Toward that end, the company is pitching One Microsoft Way as a benefit to developers. With so much commonality across the new Windows platforms, developers can leverage their investment by stretching apps across Windows smartphones, tablets and PCs. <P> <strong>[ Have you seen Windows 8 Phone? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/windows-phone-8-first-impressions-snappy/240012504">Windows Phone 8 First Impressions: Snappy Redesign</a>. ]</strong> <P> That's the message the company is serving to developers at the company's <a href="http://www.buildwindows.com">Build conference</a>, which is being held this week on campus at One Microsoft Way. During his keynote address, CEO Steve Ballmer signed into his own SkyDrive account and ran all his own demos as he tried to convince developers how great life can be for consumers who opt for an all-Windows quiver of devices. <P> And, of course, he underscored how profitable things could be for developers who exploit the write-once-sell-thrice opportunity. <P> It's a huge opportunity, Ballmer asserted. Of course, that's only if developers buy into the One Microsoft Way pitch. If they don't, then Microsoft will have a classic chicken-and-egg problem on its hands. <P> The PC market may have stalled, but it's the only appreciable base of systems Microsoft can point to as its own. By Ballmer's accounting, there are 670 million Windows systems now in use that could be upgraded to Windows 8, and another 400 million Windows 8 PCs he says will ship next year. Build apps for Windows, he told developers, and the owners of all those systems could be your customers. <P> Without those units, then Windows barely registers. Windows' share lags far behind the leaders in the smartphone segment. And it hasn't even finished its first week in the tablet market. <P> So how viable, then, is the One Microsoft Way model? <P> For starters, I should say that it's not entirely true that an application written for, say, a Windows Phone 8 device will just work on Windows 8 PCs and RT tablets. But there are enough common building blocks underneath each OS that the promise not too far off. <P> Second, and more important, there is a growing body of analysis that says consumers are amassing a collection of displays because they do different things on each of them. Yes, there is overlap. If you want to watch a full-length movie on an airplane, you'll probably pull out your tablet or laptop. But if you're home, you'd more likely turn to the 50-incher. <P> I like to call smartphones the first responders, because they're most likely with you when you want to connect. But it's rarely the device used for more detailed work or play. <P> There are opportunities for those who understand the inter-relationships between the information in our lives and how we interact with it across our growing collection of devices. And while the One Microsoft Way isn't perfect, it is a more complete picture than what Apple and Google are serving up at the moment. <P> So for now, at least, developers are listening. Maybe it's because there's enough substance behind the pitch to draw them in. Maybe it's due to their recent frustrations with the other two guys. Or maybe it's because Microsoft is loading them all up with free Surface tablets, Lumia 920 smartphones and 100 GB SkyDrive accounts. (Reporters and analysts didn't get the gifts.) <P> Whatever the reason, there's enough here to believe that, for now at least, One Microsoft Way isn't the Wrong Way. <P>2012-10-25T09:06:00ZAs Microsoft prepares to launch Windows 8, the hardware world faces a big question. Is going it alone exactly what Microsoft wants?http://www.informationweek.com/news/240009719?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/hardware/handheld/240002490"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/820/11_Screen_tn.jpg" alt="Microsoft Surface Tablet: 10 Coolest Features" title="Microsoft Surface Tablet: 10 Coolest Features" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Microsoft Surface Tablet: 10 Coolest Features</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Is Microsoft really planning to sell a branded smartphone? I'd be surprised to hear otherwise. <P> Indeed, as the company prepares for what might be the most critical series of announcements in its 37-year history, the question isn't whether it's planning its own Windows Phone. Rather, it's what Microsoft hopes to gain by releasing it. <P> I should clarify at this point that the company hasn't actually disclosed that a Microsoft-branded smartphone is in the works. But there were numerous leaks of the phone's existence at the start of October. And then CEO Steve Ballmer's Oct. 9 letter to shareholders, which explained that the software conglomerate is transforming into a "devices and services" company, seemed to seal the deal--at least as far as the court of blogospheric opinion is concerned. <P> All the smartphone fuss hit while some PC vendors were still trying to digest the four-month-old news that Microsoft was readying <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/microsoft-reveals-surface-tablet-pricing/240009143">Surface</a>, its own family of tablets built around Windows RT, the iterant of Windows 8 for ARM processors. Many of the PC suppliers were also producing Windows RT tablets, and the thought that Microsoft would be competing with them was tough to swallow. The Surface tablets--as well as many of the other RT devices--will be available on Friday, which is also the first day that consumers can take home Windows 8-based PCs from Microsoft's hardware partners. <P> Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 devices, assuming they exist, similarly would compete with smartphones produced by Microsoft's hardware partners. So after decades of producing either peripherals that complement its partners' products or proprietary platforms in non-PC markets--such as Xbox and Zune--Microsoft's hardware portfolio soon will sport two devices that battle its partners' offerings. The burning question: Why has the company decided to cross that line? <P> The way I see it, there are two possible answers: That Microsoft wants to be more like <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/apple-reveals-ipad-mini-new-macs/240009600">Apple</a>. Or that it wants to be more like <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/google-looks-to-steal-microsofts-windows/240009233">Google</a>. <P> The difference between the two approaches should be obvious, but for the sake of completeness: Apple retains total control of the hardware that showcases its platforms, and produces the only systems available. Google, on the other hand, maintains a stable of hardware partners even though it does occasionally develop own-brand devices or work with a single hardware vendor to produce a shining-star device for the latest Android spin. <P> Certainly, there are advantages to both tacks--as well as pitfalls. Producing the only hardware for Windows Phone would afford Microsoft much finer control over how the hardware works with the OS. This is particularly valuable these days, as the company is speeding up not only the pace of platform development, but also how the platforms coexist. And as I've written before, Apple, Google and Microsoft all are assembling competing content and services to lure consumers to their respective tablet and phone platforms--and Apple's closed approach affords the company more opportunities to tie it all together. That would benefit Microsoft, as well. In fact, I've been speculating that Google likewise may be motivated to migrate to the Apple model. <P> For the time being, at least, Google's model of selectively producing best-of-breed devices should serve Microsoft. Home-spun devices can act as models for how to exploit new features, which in turn can light a fire under partners' design teams. If the fire lighting isn't managed correctly, though, it could send the hardware partners packing in search of another platform to serve. <P> Standing here at the doorway of the inaugural Windows RT and Windows Phone 8 device sales, hardware vendors are trying to decipher exactly what it is that a "devices and services" company does, and whether it makes sense for them to hang around. That won't hurt sales in the short term, though a partner exodus could upset platform development going forward. Unless, of course, going it alone is exactly what Microsoft wants to do.2012-10-18T09:06:00ZTouch has a big role in Microsoft's marketing blitz for Windows 8. But many Ultrabooks set to go on sale this fall aren't touch-enabled.http://www.informationweek.com/news/240009261?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/reviews/8-key-differences-between-windows-8-and/240006106"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/855/01_Intro_WindowsRT_tn.jpg" alt="8 Key Differences Between Windows 8 And Windows RT" title="8 Key Differences Between Windows 8 And Windows RT" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Key Differences Between Windows 8 And Windows RT</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> The first Windows 8 advertisement danced its way across television screens across America during breaks in NFL football action on Sunday, and guess what? The ad was all about touch. Touch and tiles. <P> That should shock no one. Touch and tiles, that's the essence of Windows 8's new user interface. Swap out the new UI--Microsoft now calls it the "Modern UI"--with the Windows 7 "Start" menu and all you'd be left with are a few cosmetic changes along with some minor improvements under the hood. So if Windows 8 compels people to run out and buy PCs this holiday season, it will be because Modern UI is a hit. And Modern UI is all about--I'll say it again--touch and tiles. <P> Pretty simple. And yet a surprising number of the Windows 8 PCs now making their way to store shelves in preparation for the October 26 launch date aren't touch enabled. PC makers are worried that most buyers won't be willing to shell out the money for a new laptop with touch, which adds about $100 to the price of a system. <P> <strong> [Is it suddenly Apple's turn to catch up? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/windows-8-beats-the-mac-appsolutely/240009093?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows 8 Beats The Mac, Appsolutely</a>. ]</strong> <P> It's hard to fault them entirely for that line of reasoning. While there will be some Windows 8-based Ultrabooks available at mainstream, high-volume price points, many of the coolest, most lust-inducing models will be priced north of $1,000. Which means vendors won't sell that many of them. <P> So the PC vendors are caught in bit of a Catch 22: They can build Windows 8 systems at prices that most consumers are willing to pay. Or they can build Windows 8 systems that most consumers will really want to buy. But they're having trouble compressing both into the same systems--at least for this holiday season. <P> That should be much easier for vendors to achieve by this time next year. In the meantime, though, they've got a problem. During Intel's earnings call Tuesday, CEO Paul Otellini boasted that the company is tracking more than 140 Ultrabook designs, and more than 40 of them are touch-enabled systems. Which means that about 70% of the Ultrabook models don't include touch. When you adjust for the fact that the touch-enabled systems lean toward the higher end of the price spectrum, the raw number of no-touch Ultrabook units being produced is undoubtedly higher than that. <P> Lots of no-touch systems for a touch-centric new UI? Really, when you get right down to it, it wouldn't change anything if Microsoft kept mum about the new Windows capabilities. Windows 8 on a no-touch PC can be downright aggravating. Using a mouse to navigate Modern UI instead of your finger feels a little like trying to grab a prize with a mechanical claw in an arcade game. <P> But Microsoft is highlighting touch in its commercials. And if Intel has any money left over from the "hundreds of millions" that it allocated for Ultrabook advertising in 2012, I wouldn't be surprised to see the chip supplier do the same thing. <P> If you're a PC vendor, that would be great air cover for your fall lineup of Windows 8 Ultrabooks. At least, it would be if your new models aligned with the hype. But they don't. Which suggests that come New Year's, the sleek touch-enabled systems will be in short supply and the PC vendors will be discounting the no-touch laptops to clear them out of inventory. <P> On the bright side, the industry will have learned its lesson. And once they've dusted themselves off and re-grouped, the PC suppliers can focus on how they can fit touch capability into the high-volume tiers of their product lines. And by the time the 2013 selling season rolls around, their offerings will align with the Microsoft and Intel hype. <P> The hype from the 2012 selling season, that is. <P> <i>Upgrading isn't the easy decision that Win 7 was. We take a close look at Server 2012, changes to mobility and security, and more in the new <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/092412/?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">Here Comes Windows 8</a> issue of InformationWeek. Also in this issue: Why you should have the difficult conversations about the value of OS and PC upgrades before discussing Windows 8. (Free registration required.)</i> <P>2012-10-04T09:06:00ZWindows 8, paired with ultra-thin laptops, could add sorely-needed excitement to the PC market this holiday season. But Microsoft has a marketing problem.http://www.informationweek.com/news/240008420?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/reviews/8-key-differences-between-windows-8-and/240006106"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/855/01_Intro_WindowsRT_tn.jpg" alt="8 Key Differences Between Windows 8 And Windows RT" title="8 Key Differences Between Windows 8 And Windows RT" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Key Differences Between Windows 8 And Windows RT</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> In a few short weeks, buyers will get their first glimpse of this holiday season's PCs. By most any measure, it's an exceptional vintage of sleek, ultra-thin laptops running Windows 8. Indeed, the upcoming models represent the biggest leap over the prior year's harvest than we've seen in a long time--maybe ever. <P> So if you set aside all the other variables that sway how consumers apportion their electronics budgets, you'd expect PC sales to swell this quarter. That's what happened three years ago, when <a href="http://betanews.com/2011/12/01/dont-blames-tablets-for-slow-pc-sales/">Microsoft replaced a dreadful OS, Windows Vista, with Windows 7</a>. PC sales grew 22.1 percent that quarter, sharply higher than the 0.5 percent growth logged in the prior period, according to Gartner data. <P> Of course, you can't set aside all the other variables. The economy has been pinching consumers' wallets for four years now. At the same time, other exciting devices like HDTVs, smartphones, and tablets have been taking a bigger slice of those budgets. <P> <strong> [ Get expert guidance on Microsoft Windows 8. InformationWeek's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/windows8/232700509?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows 8 Super Guide</a> rounds up the key news, analysis, and reviews that you need. ]</strong> <P> As we head into the year's final period, HDTV's pull is waning; most of us here in the U.S. have already made the transition. Likewise, the domestic market for smartphones is maturing--<a href="http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/two-thirds-of-new-mobile-buyers-now-opting-for-smartphones/">more than half of this country's mobile subscribers now have smartphones</a>--and the pace of platform innovation has slowed, at least for now. All rays of good news for the PC vendors as they reinvigorate their offerings. <P> The threat level from the tablet side of the aisle is a bit more difficult to gauge. On the one hand, the good news continues: <a href="http://www.idc.com/"> U.S. tablet shipments have slowed dramatically</a> as many Americans who've craved a companion device now have one. Also, the lines have been drawn between Amazon and Apple, the two successful players thus far, and consumers now comprehend their market models and react accordingly. The other tablet suppliers, by and large, have yet to find a formula to compel consumers. <P> On the other hand sits a potentially disruptive new platform. And ironically, it's from Microsoft--the same company that's bringing you Windows 8. The software giant plans to release what it calls Windows RT, a tablet version of Windows 8 for ARM processors, in concert with the PC version of the new OS. Conventional Windows 8, like all previous versions of Windows, runs on x86 processors. <P> More precisely, Windows RT is a tablet platform--complete with its own programming model and app store (which one day, presumably, will feature a broad selection of apps). If you're buying a tablet, which most people use to watch videos, play games, read books, scan social media, and flip through messages, the new touch-centric user interface (UI) works just fine. Just press a tile--that's what icons are called on the "Modern UI," Microsoft's go-to-market name--and sit back. <P> On a Windows 8 PC, you can download and make use of those apps too, because Modern UI is built in. But when you want to use a Windows 8 PC like you're doing today on a previous version of Windows, Modern UI can be downright annoying. For your bread-and-butter programs, Modern UI is a poor replacement for the old Start Menu. Unlike the Start Menu, which lay quietly in the corner of the desktop until you summoned it, Modern UI takes up the entire display, blocking your view of the desktop--and all the windows you've got open--until you click the desktop tile again. It's like the boss' nephew: a bit player elevated far beyond its capabilities. <P> Pardon my rant about Modern UI. This column isn't about whether the UI makes Windows better. It's about whether identical UI's on disparate platforms will confuse the market, and what that might do to holiday sales. <P> The potential for confusion certainly exists. And the problem comes to the fore when you consider these points: <P> --Microsoft plans to include the desktop tile from Windows 8--the one that takes over your PC and all the applications you've come to rely upon--on Windows RT. On an RT media tablet, though, it's a window to nowhere, because the lion's share of those programs don't work. At least you can admire the lovely wallpaper image. So there's that. <P> --Microsoft will bundle a no-frills version of Office for Windows RT tablets. It's good enough for consumers, by most accounts. But here's the thing: Office tiles will appear on the RT home screen. That's a confusing signal to buyers that RT is a capable replacement for Windows 8. <P> --Some of the more innovative Windows 8 Ultrabook designs--I'll point to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/pcs-tell-tablets-were-not-dead-yet/240001933">Acer's Iconia W700</a> as an example--sport the performance of a PC in the shape of a tablet. You can convert them into clamshell laptops and even desktops with keyboard-attached covers, docking stations, and other accessories. <P> With that as a backdrop, picture this: a consumer walks into the store looking for a new laptop and checks out the new Acer model. It looks like a tablet. Interesting. The salesperson explains that it's a do-everything machine. Lean back and watch movies or play games like a tablet. Plus, you can hook it up to a keyboard or a dock and turn it into a powerful laptop, capable of doing all the things your computer does. Wow. Sounds great!And then the potential buyer spies a Windows RT tablet across the aisle. It's a little smaller than the Acer. And it costs less. But when the buyer touches the display, the home screen looks the same as the one on the pricier Windows 8 system. There's even that desktop tile, the one that takes you to the Land of Windows Past. <P> What does the salesperson say? <P> That's not an easy question to answer, particularly for Microsoft. The company has a long-term goal of enabling ARM processor suppliers to compete with Intel and AMD in the Windows PC market. That's likely why there's a desktop tile on the Windows RT home screen. That's also why the UI plays so prominently in Windows 8. <P> So the company would like to give RT every chance to succeed. Fair enough. But as it dials in the positioning for the present, Microsoft had better not lose sight of the fact that neither RT nor the ARM players are ready to compete with x86 in the PC market. Otherwise, a lot of consumers who need new PCs may find themselves buying Windows RT tablets that don't do what they need. <P> And when they go to return the tablets, do you think they'll trust Microsoft enough to buy a Windows 8 PC? It's possible, I suppose. <P> More likely, they'll just go out and buy Macs. <P> <i>Upgrading isn't the easy decision that Win 7 was. We take a close look at Server 2012, changes to mobility and security, and more in the new <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/092412/?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">Here Comes Windows 8</a> issue of InformationWeek. Also in this issue: Why you should have the difficult conversations about the value of OS and PC upgrades before discussing Windows 8. (Free registration required.)</i>2012-09-21T09:02:00ZPC vendors expect Windows 8 Ultrabooks to reverse PC sales that are eroding to tablets. So why didn't Intel rally the developer troops to start placing component orders at IDF?http://www.informationweek.com/news/240007701?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/intels-world-changing-vision-on-display/240007078"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/870/1_tn.jpg" alt="Intel's Tech Roadmap: Visual Tour" title="Intel's Tech Roadmap: Visual Tour" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Intel's Tech Roadmap: Visual Tour</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> This is normally a nerve-wracking time of year for PC makers, because they have to place their bets on the upcoming holiday selling season. Bet too much, and they'll have to shed the overstock in January with profit-bleeding promotions. Bet too little, and their competitors will gladly fill the orders they can't. <P> Unlike last year, the PC vendors have some cool, innovative new systems lined up for this holiday season. As a group, the sleek, sexy Ultrabooks and all-in-one desktops--many of them touch-enabled for Windows 8--are far more compelling than last year's holiday lineup. In fact, the year-on-year improvement is greater this year than we've seen in a very long time. <P> With such alluring new products, you'd think that the PC vendors would be betting big on this year's holiday season. That's what they've done in years past. But this year, they're not. Many component vendors, that have been bracing since July for a rush of orders, say they are still waiting to hear from their customers. But the PC companies are holding off until the last possible minute to get the most time to gauge demand. <P> Indeed, the jitters are on steroids this year. Not too surprising, given the streak of lackluster sales and dire prophecies foretelling the death of the PC. There are confounding variables that make it difficult to say for sure just how much PC shipments have been weakened by the torrent of tablets. The teetering global economy is a major factor. Add to the list Microsoft's brain-dead decision to roll out Windows 8 in late October, which effectively quashed back-to-school sales as anyone who could wait to buy a new PC held off. <P> So we don't know how much tablets have been cannibalizing PC sales. What we do know is the new kids on the block are stealing revenue from the old guard. <P> With that as a backdrop, you would have expected Intel CEO Paul Otellini to deliver the pep talk of his career at <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/intel-showcases-new-chips-big-vision/240007237">this year's Intel Developer Forum</a> (IDF). Maybe something like this: "Now, finally, we've got systems that address many of the shortcomings that the tablet phenomenon has exposed. So let's go out there and take back our market!" That might have helped. <P> But Otellini didn't say that. He didn't say anything at all. In fact, he didn't even kick off the conference as he normally does. He was sitting in the audience during the opening keynote. <P> Huh? What? <P> <strong>[ For another take, see <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/processors/intels-search-for-relevance-on-display-a/240007304?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Intel's Search For Relevance On Display At IDF</a>. ]</strong> <P> Intel said that the decision to sit Otellini for the keynotes came a year ago. It is a developer conference, the company said, and the developers complained after last year's gathering that the agenda needed a reverse makeover. Lose the glitz and glamor, the surveys said, and get back to the nuts-and-bolts roots. <P> True, it's a technical conference. And it's always smart to give your audience what it wants. So if attendees want more nuts and bolts, then give them more nuts and bolts. But scratch the CEO from the lineup at this critical juncture? That's not nuts and bolts. <P> That's just nuts.2012-09-10T09:32:00ZIt's currently a two-horse race in the smartphone market: Android on Samsung and iOS on Apple. The nation's wireless carriers can help Microsoft gain ground on the market leaders.http://www.informationweek.com/news/240006985?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_Microsoft may never have a better opportunity to gain share in the hotly competitive smartphone market than it does right now with Windows Phone 8. And it's not because the upcoming Microsoft platform is good enough to compete against Apple and Google, although it is. Nor is it because the just-unveiled smartphones from Nokia and Samsung are competitive, which they seem to be. <P> All else being equal, those two things are enough to give Windows Phone 8 a place in the race. But they're not enough to change the standings. The momentum for the smartphone juggernauts is far too great. <P> To move the market-share needle, Microsoft will have to fix something that bothers us about the platforms we're carrying around today. They'll also have to solve something the carriers don't like about Android and iOS. <P> If Microsoft understands those hurdles--and I sense that it does--then we'll see Windows Phone snag share in the coming quarters. <P> Barring an unexpectedly large leap forward this week by the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/iphone-5-10-things-to-expect-from-apple/240006891">iPhone</a>, what we've seen thus far of the upcoming Windows Phone 8 hardware lineup is good enough to be competitive. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/personal-tech/smart-phones/240006499">Samsung's Ativ S</a> takes to the next level what the company does best in the smartphone market--beautiful displays and muscular processors, crowbarred into impossibly lean devices. And the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/nokia-lumia-920-pureview-lumia-820-color/240006552">Lumia 920</a>, introduced last week by Nokia as its flagship offering, features some very compelling camera capabilities. <P> <strong>[ They're here, but does anyone care? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/nokia-windows-phone-8-devices-arrive-wit/240006853?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Nokia Windows Phone 8 Devices Arrive With Thud</a>. ]</strong> <P> If Microsoft really wants to grab market share, though, it will need to address something that bothers us about our existing platforms. In that regard, the area with the most low-hanging fruit is personal privacy. I won't belabor the point now. (That's because I've already <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/siri-and-rivals-prep-next-trick-mind-rea/240006252">belabored the point</a>.) I'll just say that consumers generally are queasy about how much personal information passes through their smartphones, and would prefer that their platform <a href="http://www.feibustech.com/home/2012/5/27/google-apple-beware-privacy-revolt-threatens-your-dominance.html">providers know less</a> about them than they do. Microsoft could really make inroads in the smartphone market by taking the high road on privacy. Just a few features sprinkled here and there would send the message that Microsoft is going the extra mile to keep your personal information confidential. <P> Microsoft hasn't exposed enough of its upcoming phone OS to gauge whether it intends to exploit the gift that the market leaders have laid at its feet. There are signs that Microsoft comprehends the opportunity, though. On the new Outlook.com, for example, the company pledges not to push targeted ads, which some smartphone users find invasive. <P> Wooing us is important, but don't forget: we're not the only important constituents here. In fact, we're arguably not even the most important. If the phones and the OS are good enough, the carriers have the heft and influence to change the market landscape. It's a major reason why Android enjoys the share it commands today. <P> Recall that in late 2009, Verizon was uncomfortable enough with Apple's market clout that it invested heavily to neutralize it. It introduced the Droid line and backed it with a $100 million marketing campaign. In the third quarter of 2009, 30% of U.S. smartphones shipped were iPhones, compared to 5.4% for all Android smartphones combined. (Market figures courtesy of Gartner.) <P> The following quarter, Android's U.S. share nearly quadrupled to 20.4%. And a full year after the Droid campaign began, Android owned 51.6% of all U.S. smartphones shipped, while iOS share fell to 20.1%. <P> Windows Phone won't be able to replicate that success story because there's not enough play left in the smartphone market. Android snatched a lot of its share from declining platforms like BlackBerry and Symbian, while Windows Phone would need to take it from the incumbents. Still, there's enough room for the carriers to elevate Windows Phone into a viable contender if they wanted to. <P> And many of them do want to, as it turns out. <P> Verizon has already signaled that it is uncomfortable with how much control Apple and Google have over the smartphone market and intends to feature Windows Phone 8 this holiday season. Reports are that Nokia is having some success courting European operators with exclusive arrangements. <P> Microsoft would do well to build on those efforts, offering carriers a stronger voice than they have in their dealings with Apple and Google. The software giant can also lean on its handset partners to provide preferential pricing to the carriers. The partners will listen. <P> Samsung is still smarting from the sting of a $1 billion judgment in the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/apple-wins-105-billion-in-samsung-patent/240006230">Apple patent suit</a>, so it's probably especially flexible. But others are anxious for another, potentially more profitable OS alternative to Android, and one that would also be open to taking better care of the carriers. <P> After decades of watching Microsoft scorch the competitive landscape in the PC arena, it's surreal to think of the PC platform colossus as the underdog in a market in which the consumers and the channel both feel exploited by the incumbents. If Rip Van Winkle woke up today after a 20-year slumber he'd probably have an easier time coming to grips with the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse "The Body" Ventura had each served as governor. <P> Strange or not, that's the situation now confronting Microsoft. It has a viable platform in Windows Phone 8 and a competitive stable of handsets. So all that's left for Microsoft to win share is to listen to its constituents and give them what the market leaders aren't giving us. <P> That's a gap wide enough for even Microsoft to push through.2012-08-27T11:06:00ZMove over KITT from Knight Rider, Apple and Google have smartphone companions that will offer helpful information before you ask. But the creepiness factor must be kept in check.http://www.informationweek.com/news/240006252?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_Think your smartphone's smart now? Sure, it can tap the resources of the internet to answer virtually anything you ask. But what if it could predict what information you needed? Better yet, what if your phone understood you well enough that it could offer up information you didn't even know you needed. Now that would be a smart phone! You'll have one someday--and sooner than you might think. <P> Consider this: There's arguably no single person, no one thing that spends more time with you than your smartphone. Hell, you're more apt to notice that you left your smartphone behind than your wallet! Because of all our time together, these devices have a unique opportunity to get to know us better--maybe even better than we know ourselves. Up to now, though, they haven't really tried. <P> Why not? A flood of personal information surges through our phones every day. They store our phone books and our calendars. They keep records of our phone calls, texts, and emails. They have access to our social networks. They can see which smartphone apps we use, and how we use them. They house a stable of radios and sensors that could offer perspective on our whereabouts, our movements, and other environmental data. And they have at their disposal the web, to make sense of it all. <P> Armed with all that data, our phones should be able to piece together our business and personal routines, and discern what it might mean when we're not following those routines. They should be able to deduce what we like and what we don't. And they should be able to glean some insight about our inter-personal relationships, and decode how those relationships impact our routines. <P> What our phones lack is contextual awareness, an ability to identify and filter the salient information from that data storm and present it to us, unprompted, at a time we'll find it useful. Give our smartphones a way to track all that data and a set of tools to analyze it and we'll be well on the way to realizing the dream of truly smart phones. <P> Oh, and our phones also will have to earn our trust so we allow them access to all our data. But let's come back to that later. <P> The dream of an electronic assistant has been around for decades, and Hollywood has been fleshing out the fantasy for nearly as long. There was the robot companion in Lost in Space, C3PO in Star Wars and KITT in Knight Rider, just to name a few. <P> <!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <!-- GLOBAL CIO GLOBE --> <div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 15px; width:244px; float:right;"> <div style="margin:0; border-top:1px solid black; border-bottom:1px solid black; padding:6px;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/"><img src="http://twimgs.com/infoweek/1217/217ID_GlobalCIO_75.jpg" width="75" height="75" border="0" align="right" alt="Global CIO" style="margin:0 0 6px 6px;"></a> <div style="margin:0 0 6px 0; font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#113e53;">Global CIOs: A Site Just For You</div> <span style="font-size:.9em; font-weight:bold;">Visit <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/">InformationWeek's Global CIO</a> -- our online community and information resource for CIOs operating in the global economy.</span> </div> </div> <!-- /GLOBAL CIO GLOBE --> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <P> Late last year, Apple provided a new pretext for keeping the fantasy alive when it unveiled Siri. In reality, Siri wasn't much more than a collection of voice-based apps like a search engine and a dialer. But its natural-sounding female voice and its quirky database of answers to oddball questions supported the illusion that Siri had a gender and a personality. <P> <strong>Google's Answer To Siri</strong> <P> Google Now, Android's answer to Siri, is trickling out this summer on Android 4.1. It one-ups Siri by adding context-aware capabilities for a small set of use cases. For example, Google Now will automatically provide you with train schedules if it senses that you've entered a subway station. <P> In many ways, Google Now marks the beginning of the context-aware era. It's a modest beginning, especially in light of what's possible. But it is a beginning nonetheless. <P> A growing set of companies are fueling the transition, providing components and software development tools to enable software developers. And the developers are responding with a flood of context-aware apps that should begin rolling out over the coming quarters. <P> Like Google Now, the early apps will be pretty parochial, offering assistance from the perspective of their own little sandboxes. For example, a grocery store app might deduce from your purchase cadence that you're running low on fruit, but it adds a smaller-than-usual amount of fruit to your shopping list because you're scheduled to fly to Cleveland in a few days. <P> That example gives you an idea of just how many context-aware apps we'll have to download if we want to take advantage of the capability. Over time, though, the herd will thin down--ultimately to just one app that handles everything. In keeping with the grocery store example: an all-seeing app wouldn't add any fruit to your shopping list because it knows that you bought some yesterday at Kroger's--something the Safeway app couldn't possibly know. <P> All at once, you can see that an omniscient app would be far more helpful to you than a host of myopic apps that can't see over the walls of their cubicles. You also start to get a feel for just how much of your life that app could access. <P> Remember that trust issue I brought up earlier? Let's talk about it now. <P> Consumers generally don't have a problem handing over personal information if they know precisely what they're sharing, what the information will be used for, and what they get in return. That's why some people are <a href="http://www.feibustech.com/home/2012/5/27/google-apple-beware-privacy-revolt-threatens-your-dominance.html">suspicious of their smartphones</a>, which--as we've been discussing--have a courtside seat to our lives. <P> There are ways to ease consumers' misgivings. In general, the more it appears that the smartphone is behaving in an advocacy role as opposed to an exploitive role, the better the relationship will be. One way to do that is to keep as much of the data and analysis as possible resident on the smartphone. Another way to do that is to avoid pushing coupons; instead, fetch coupons only after it's determined that the consumer needs the product in question. <P> Some of this may fly in the face of the way software developers maximize profits in the smartphone age. But they'll have to adapt, and leave some of the data-mining dollars behind. Because if they don't find a way to build trust with consumers, then context-aware technology won't ever get off the ground. <P> And that just wouldn't be smart now, would it? <P> <i>Mobile employees' data and apps need protecting. Here are 10 ways to get the job done. Also in the new, all-digital <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/drdigital/082712drs/?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">10 Steps To E-Commerce Security</a> special issue of Dark Reading: Mobile technology is forcing businesses to rethink the fundamentals of how their networks work. (Free registration required.)</i>2012-08-21T11:06:00ZIntel's ultrabook initiative has reinvigorated mobile PC design. But will ultrabooks steal some momentum from tablets, or are they too little, too late?http://www.informationweek.com/news/240005911?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/tablet-vs-ultrabook-pros-and-cons/240005440"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/851/01_tablet-and-ultrabook-1st-slide_tn.png" alt="Tablet Vs. Ultrabook: 10 Ways To Choose" title="Tablet Vs. Ultrabook: 10 Ways To Choose" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Tablet Vs. Ultrabook: 10 Ways To Choose</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> When people are on the go, they don't want to carry more than two personal electronic devices: one in the pocket and one in the bag. When a third device crops up, it's because it addresses a shortcoming in one or both primary devices. <P> I've been saying this for more than a decade, as <em>InformationWeek</em>'s Patrick Houston noted in his recent <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/pcs-tell-tablets-were-not-dead-yet/240001933">ode to the not-dead-yet PC</a>. I believed in the two-device maxim when PDAs thrust their way onto the scene. I believed it when portable navigation devices began selling. And I <a href="http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4087886/Mobile-gadgets-Three-s-a-crowd">still believed it</a> as Apple prepared to bring the first media tablet to market. <P> These days, though, amidst the persistent flood of tablet shipments and pessimistic PC forecasts, I've had to defend my little two-device maxim like never before. Are we temporarily out of balance? Or is this the start of a new normal? <P> I'll spare you the suspense and cut right to the chase: We are out of balance. Personal device equilibrium still stands at two. That said, though, there's a distinct possibility that laptops and tablets will coexist for years, jostling for elbow room in over-crowded backpacks and briefcases across the globe. Whether they do--and for how long--hinges on the success or failure of Windows 8-based ultrabooks, which debut this fall. <P> Yes, I know that sounds like a cop-out. But it's not. Remember, devices show up to address a need that the two existing devices aren't serving. And we won't get back down to equilibrium before two devices can once again serve all of our needs. <P> Consider device equilibrium in the pocket, which has been out of whack for years. Many of us carry both smartphones and MP3 players (some of you may call these iPods), even though smartphones can bang out a playlist with the best of them. The reason: smartphones are power-hungry. If we let them take on all the functions they're capable of handling, their batteries would be dead by lunchtime. And then we wouldn't be able to use our telephones for, you know, telephony. <P> We'll keep carrying MP3 players until our smartphones can replace them--and still have some juice left when we're ready to call it a day. <P> Inside the bag, insufficient battery life was one of the biggest opportunities afforded to the tablet as well. There were others, though. Tablets are lighter than laptops, and the form factor is more conducive to lean-back activities like watching a video or reading a book. Tablets are generally more responsive than laptops, which makes them more accessible for in-and-out actions like checking an appointment or settling a debate with a quick Internet search. <P> To be sure, the PC ecosystem is responding. The combination of Intel's ultrabook initiative, Windows 8, touch, and other tablet-like benefits is sparking a blaze of design innovation that's bound to rekindle PC sales growth in the coming quarters. <P> <!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <!-- GLOBAL CIO GLOBE --> <div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 15px; width:244px; float:right;"> <div style="margin:0; border-top:1px solid black; border-bottom:1px solid black; padding:6px;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/"><img src="http://twimgs.com/infoweek/1217/217ID_GlobalCIO_75.jpg" width="75" height="75" border="0" align="right" alt="Global CIO" style="margin:0 0 6px 6px;"></a> <div style="margin:0 0 6px 0; font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#113e53;">Global CIOs: A Site Just For You</div> <span style="font-size:.9em; font-weight:bold;">Visit <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/">InformationWeek's Global CIO</a> -- our online community and information resource for CIOs operating in the global economy.</span> </div> </div> <!-- /GLOBAL CIO GLOBE --> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <P> In the meantime, the march continues. Users are adopting tablets quickly, and that's changing behavior. The Consumer Electronics Association reported that <a href="http://www.ce.org/News/News-Releases/Press-Releases/2012-Press-Releases/U-S-Ownership-for-Tablet-Computers-Increases,-Acco.aspx">29% of connected consumers in the U.S. owned a media tablet</a> at the end of the second quarter, compared to 20% just three months earlier. And according to a survey published in June, <a href="http://www.inmobi.com/press-releases/2012/06/28/connected-devices-surge-in-the-u-s-transforming-shopping-and-media-consumption">online purchases now happen more often on smartphones and tablets</a> than on PCs. <P> Tablets are also changing user tastes, and that may be the biggest threat of all to the PC. (See <em>InformationWeek</em>'s recent comparison of the rivals: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/tablet-vs-ultrabook-10-ways-to-choose/240005440">Tablet Vs. Ultrabook: 10 Ways To Choose</a>.) Indeed, tablets are conditioning users to demand more from their systems. And the PC ecosystem is responding. Laptops for sale this holiday season will be much more compelling than they were last year. Their batteries will last longer. The machines will be more responsive. And they'll be thinner and sleeker. <P> But will the holiday laptops be sleek, responsive, and power-miserly to an eye-popping degree? We'll see. One thing's for sure: laptops won't match tablets on any of those features. <P> That could backfire if the PC vendors aren't careful about how they market their ultrabooks. The holiday systems will need to be positioned as better laptops, not tablet competitors. If they take the latter road, they'll risk unfavorable comparisons in increasingly important areas. <P> Trust me: the last thing the PC vendors need at this point is to have their products viewed as fat iPads. <P> <i>Android and Apple devices make backup a challenge for IT. Look to smart policy, cloud services, and MDM for answers. Also in the new, all-digital <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/073012s/?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">Mobile Device Backup</a> issue of InformationWeek: Take advantage of advances that simplify the process of backing up virtual machines. (Free with registration.) </i> <P>2012-07-31T08:30:00ZApple controls everything from your hands to your head. Google and Microsoft are moving in that direction, too. Here's what the end of tech populism means for the mobile ecosystem.http://www.informationweek.com/news/240004588?cid=SBX_iwk_related_slideshow_Policy_When this century's platform war first flared up, it had all the trappings of a sequel to the epic battle between Macs and PCs. <P> But don't get sucked in. The current struggle between Apple, Google, and Microsoft is nothing like the quaint conflict between an open and a closed system. On the contrary. In this war between the smartphone and tablet platforms, it appears that all comers agree on that issue: It is better to have a closed platform. <P> That plops a lot of power into just a few hands. On a closed system, the platform provider takes on the role of middleman, lodged between us and the content we consume and the stuff we buy. At a time when Internet usage is shifting rapidly to smartphones and tablets--combined, they've already overtaken the PC in the United States, <a href=" http://www.inmobi.com/press-releases/2012/06/28/connected-devices-surge-in-the-u-s-transforming-shopping-and-media-consumption/">according to a recent survey</a>--this has wide-sweeping ramifications. For consumers, it might mean fewer choices and higher prices. For Internet shopping outlets, it could translate into lost sales as the hardware hinders the direct line of communication you have with your customers. For Intel, Nvidia, QualComm, TI, and other mobile silicon providers, it means you will need to offer an entire platform solution to compete. <P> Amazon, are you listening? Obviously, you are. That's why you have your own line of tablets. And why you're expected to come out with your own <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/240003528">branded smartphones</a>. It's not a stretch to think that Amazon is developing its own OS. If I was Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, I'd already have signed the check for that investment. <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/240004353?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Apple Vs. Samsung Trial: What's At Stake</a>. ]</strong> <P> The titanic platform battle now underway more closely resembles the early days of consumer Internet connectivity than the decades-old conflict between Mac and PC. Indeed, the playing field looks more like the arena that hosted the battle for our eyeballs--that's what they called page views in those days--between companies like AOL, Yahoo, and Prodigy. <P> They sold proprietary, prepackaged Internet experiences. And it worked for a little while. But as the Internet matured--and consumers along with it--they got left behind. In a sense, the old guard was peddling peepholes through a three-foot-high wall. Consumers quickly learned that they could just look over the wall without them. So they did. In retrospect, it's astounding that they remained relevant for as long as they did. <P> <!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <!-- GLOBAL CIO GLOBE --> <div style="margin:0; padding:0 0 10px 15px; width:244px; float:right;"> <div style="margin:0; border-top:1px solid black; border-bottom:1px solid black; padding:6px;"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/"><img src="http://twimgs.com/infoweek/1217/217ID_GlobalCIO_75.jpg" width="75" height="75" border="0" align="right" alt="Global CIO" style="margin:0 0 6px 6px;"></a> <div style="margin:0 0 6px 0; font-size:1.3em; font-weight:bold; color:#113e53;">Global CIOs: A Site Just For You</div> <span style="font-size:.9em; font-weight:bold;">Visit <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/">InformationWeek's Global CIO</a> -- our online community and information resource for CIOs operating in the global economy.</span> </div> </div> <!-- /GLOBAL CIO GLOBE --> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> This century's combatants have a far better chance of succeeding because they have much more control over your portal to the Internet. You couldn't buy an AOL computer. Now, though, you can buy an iPad, with a crafted Internet experience that includes a direct line to the music Apple sells, for example. <P> Indeed, Apple isn't really a hardware supplier anymore. Today, Apple is a content distributor. And the hardware is just a means of delivering the content. <P> In that sense, Apple has leapfrogged the level of power and control that record labels once enjoyed. Imagine what Columbia Records, EMI, or Elektra could have accomplished if they also designed and sold us our stereo equipment. <P> So the issue of open versus closed has been settled. Open lost. <P> Increasingly, the big players are adapting to this new world order. It helps explain why Microsoft isn't allowing competing browsers on Windows RT tablets. And why the company is developing <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/handheld/240004409">Surface</a>, its own line of branded RT tablets. And why it's only allowing a few system vendors into the fold. <P> It also lends credence to the speculation that Google may begin to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/productivity_apps/240004068">focus future Android development</a> on Motorola Mobility now that that acquisition is consummated. <P> For all their newfound power, though, there are limits to how much Apple, Google, Microsoft, and--one day, maybe--Amazon can exploit it. They are still operating on the World Wide Web, after all, the same wide-open connected platform that proved to be AOL's undoing. <P> Consumers will pay a premium for convenience, and that's the opportunity that smartphones and tablets afford the platform gods. It's why 7-Eleven thrives. <P> There are limits to that, as 7-Eleven knows all too well. We'll only pay so much more for a carton of milk at a convenience store. Price it too high and we'll just put the carton back and head off to the supermarket. <P> Today, our browser functions as the equalizer, the great supermarket in the sky that keeps the convenience store operators honest. But that leverage fizzles once the platform provider closes off and controls everything from your hand to your head. Apple is already there. Microsoft and Google are close behind. And Amazon looks like it's joining the pack. <P> We still have an open Web and open PCs. But when it comes to mobile, it's so far looking like any countervailing open alternatives are DOA. Without them, consumers and companies alike are facing a dim prospect--paying far more for far fewer choices. <P> <em>Mike Feibus is principal analyst at <a href="http://www.feibustech.com/">TechKnowledge Strategies</a>, a Scottsdale, Ariz., market research firm focusing on client technologies. You can reach him at mikef@feibustech.com.</em>