a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by mk
mk  ·  4457 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Microsoft lock out other OS from Windows 8 ARM PCs/devices
But just yesterday, Qualcomm announced plans to produce Windows 8 tablets and ultrabook-style laptops built around its ARM-based Snapdragon processors. Unless Microsoft changes its policy, these may be the first PCs ever produced that can never run anything but Windows, no matter how Qualcomm feels about limiting its customers’ choices.

I would like to think that Windows users wouldn't stand for this. Part of why I am on PC rather than a Mac has to do with ease of configuration. My last laptop went Vista>XP>Ubuntu>XP.

At the same time, hardware is getting so cheap, the distinction between an device and an OS might not remain strong enough to stop this.





garyb  ·  4457 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I'm afraid that Windows users, in general, will be unaware of this. I also fear that informed users won't care enough to do anything about it.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'the distinction between a device and an OS might not remain strong'. Can you say a bit more about that?

mk  ·  4456 days ago  ·  link  ·  
I'm not sure what you mean by 'the distinction between a device and an OS might not remain strong'. Can you say a bit more about that?

Sure. Few expect to change the OS of their iPhone, or even Android phone, or their tablet. I assume it won't be long before few expect the same of their laptop. Instead, I see people buying a new device when they want a new OS. Like cars, I see these technologies becoming more 'hermetically sealed'.

Of course, there's good reason why this is bad, but I don't see the general populous motivated by those reservations. Actually, I'm surprised that laptop leasing plans aren't more widespread. You get a new computer, use it for 2 years, take it back, get your data (if there's any left that's not in the cloud) ported over, and you walk out with a new laptop. It will be terrible for privacy, but people will love it.

garyb  ·  4456 days ago  ·  link  ·  
That's what I thought you meant. So that is not the distinction between device and OS but rather the perception of the distinction as held by a typical naive user. I certainly agree that most don't perceive a distinction.