We have come to expect a new version of windows every 4 years and this being the 4th year since the launch of Windows 7 we are again expecting the new version to launch somewhere in October, but will the launch of the next generation of Microsoft’s OS kill sales?
We recently saw the official launch of ultrabooks and we are now finding these slowly appearing in stores on the high street, but not to the fanfare that Intel had hoped. Initial take up of the new breed of laptop has been slow with customers preferring to wait for the price to stabilise before spending their hard earned cash. Intel are continually applying pressure to the manufactures to lower the price to make the new Ultrabooks ultra desirable.
So how will Windows 8 affect the market? Traditionally we see a slump in sales as people hold on to their cash and wait out their new purchases so they can take advantage of the new OS. Windows 8 looks like it might be the first OS from Microsoft that might actually have a negative effect of sales of new PC’s. Microsoft have packed in enough new features to make the average end user rolling over themselves with glee, but all these new features will come at a cost. Manufacturers are struggling to keep costs down as the new features in Windows 8 call for more use of technologies. One of the main features of Windows 8 will be the ability to use a touch screen, as you would navigate a smart phone, but adding a touch screen to the new ultrabooks is sending manufacturing costs spiralling out of control.
With Intel pushing for lower costs and Microsoft pushing for the latest technologies something has to give. The question is what? To meet customer demand and supplier expectations manufactures are going to have to make sacrifices along the way.
Kitguru Says: Our bet is we will see the end of optical drives first and I/O ports soon after. What would you be willing to loose in the pursuit of the latest tech?
all these new features in windows 8 isnt just holding back sales due to higher hardware demands, but also holding back productivity and ease of use without a touchscreen.
after extensive testing ive come to the conclusion that the metro ui is a disadvantage on anything larger than 7 inches. it is uncomfortable, inefecient, space consuming, and an added layer between the user and the function
Shaw’s Principle: Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will want to use it.