Windows, Positive Brand, or Liability?

Now, this post is not about the product. My question is about Windows as a brand. Obviously, Windows has strong brand recognition, dating at least back until 1985.

My question is...is Windows a positive brand or a liability?

It has been around a long time, but isn't Windows the OS that we all love to hate?  We use Windows, but do we love the brand?

People love Apple. They loved Steve Jobs. Some will deny it and claim that they just love the products, but millions trusted Jobs enough to buy an iPad without ever having held one or knowing what they were going to do with it. Jobs said it was magical and millions lined up to give him money for something unlike anything they had used before.

Does anyone have that sort of trust in Microsoft? Well, you certainly would not know it from the sales of the Surface. Microsoft built an incredible product. They paired that product with an innovative new OS. The fact that the pairing works I will judge from the fact that I have yet to meet a dissatisfied Surface owner. Unfortunately, that puts the Surface in the same company as the Zune HD. A product that owners loved, but where sales were not high enough to make it a going venture.

So why aren't people buying more Windows RT tablets, and specifically the Surface?

For the last 25 years there has been no truly viable alternative to Windows. Yea, yea, yea, I hear all you Linux and Apple fanboys, but if you have the brains you claim to have, then you know that neither has been a true alternative to Windows...for the average user. Apples were too expensive and the average user does not want to fiddle with Linux, and no matter what you say, Linux requires fiddling.

The average person wants something that just works, and that leaves Linux out of the equation. Apple would do very nicely in the "just works" category, but they are too expensive. That leaves Windows.

But, how many of those people would buy Apple if the price were the same? And why would they choose MacOS over Windows? Because it just works.  I know more people who are frustrated by Windows than are totally happy with it. Some would say that Windows is the OS we love to hate, but I have never felt the love. Windows is the OS we use...but hate.

So, is Windows a brand name that really helps sell PCs? Microsoft thinks so, but I don't. I think that setting Windows as the OS on the PC you are buying is about the same as seeing that your car runs on Goodyear tires. It's a brand name you know (and probably like more than Microsoft), but you don't choose between cars based on the brand of tires, and we don't buy a specific PC because it comes with Windows. It's what we expect.

Now lets get back to tablets. Microsoft designed a premium tablet, gave it a few more features than an iPad and priced it like an iPad...and it didn't sell. Why?

I think that most users, when presented with the question of iPad or Windows tablet, had no trouble choosing.  Windows never stood a chance.  The iPad just works.  Windows is the OS we use, but hate.  Microsoft did a terrible job of selling the virtues of Windows 8 to the public.  And then, Microsoft foolishly put the basic price at $100 more than the iPad.  Yes, you did get the very cool TouchCover, but again, Microsoft did not bother to push at users that you were paying more, but getting more.  iPad users have been proving that they do not need extra ports, and SD card slots, and yet Microsoft seemed to focus on these as the selling points of the product.

Microsoft runs ads that show off the cool sounds of the kickstand and the TouchCover.  iPad ads show how you use the product.  They often do not say anything at all, just music, and visuals of the cool things you can do with your iPad.

Yes, Microsoft has some disadvantages that it cannot completely control, like the number of apps for Windows RT, when compared to Android and iOS.  But I think they have a much bigger disadvantage, something that goes way beyond Microsoft making the wrong step at every stage of the marketing of Windows 8 and Surface (which runs Windows RT).  I can state that disadvantage in one word...

Windows

The OS we use, but hate.  The OS they make jokes about.  The #1 PC OS in the world, and I might even call it the best PC OS in the world, but also the OS with the worst brand reputation in the world.

Microsoft has not been doing too well of late, in the area of brand names.  First, they had to give up using the name Metro, for the UI common to Windows Phone, Windows RT and Windows 8.  Now, they appear to have lost the name SkyDrive for their cloud service.  They need to come up with a name to replace SkyDrive and they still need to find a true replacement for Metro.  Excuse me Microsoft, but the Modern UI is just lame.  But, I have one more suggestion, and maybe Microsoft can kill three birds with one stone.

Throw out Windows.

At least for Windows Phone and Windows RT.  Neither of them is Windows, because neither uses windows.  Please pay special attention to that lower case windows.  Windows was the OS named after it's main feature, the floating application windows on the screen.  You could open lots of them, and they could overlap.  They let you see into the application.  But Windows Phone has no windows.  The apps take up full screen.  There is only one window, the screen.  Windows RT should be the same way.  Microsoft needs to do away with the Desktop in Windows RT.  Office needs to move to the Modern UI.  All the control panel and system administration applets need to move to the Modern UI.  In Windows 8, the Desktop serves a purpose, legacy apps, but Windows RT does not run legacy apps, so there is no reason for the Desktop.  Because of the Desktop, Windows 8 still uses and needs to use windows, so it can retain the name.  Windows Phone and Windows RT don't need the desktop, so get rid of it.

I wish I had a good suggestion for what to call the new OS.  Everything I come up with I reject almost immediately.  Actually, I like Metro, but that is off the table.  Tiles would be appropriate, but I do not like the sound of it.  The new tiled UI appears on Windows 8, RT, Phone, and XBox, so it really is not the Windows UI anymore, and I think that Windows needs to go away, on everything but PCs.  Not the OS, just the name.

Change the name for any OS that does not run on an Intel processor PC.  Let Windows Phone and Windows RT soar, maybe they can reach as high as the XBox without the anchor that is Windows.  Microsoft needs to wipe the fog from their eyes and realize that the brand, Windows, is confusing their customers and pushing people away from their superb tablet.  Lose nearly thirty years of baggage and let the tablet OS, Windows RT, take over in the new mobile market.

Book #24

I hope that anyone reading this will understand that I am not only way behind on my original goal, but way behind on getting my reviews posted.  I will try to change that, and to find something else to write about soon.

Just in case anyone is reading this.

Swords Against Wizardry

Fritz Leiber

I hope by book four of the adventures of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser that you are up to speed on the whole "Swords" link in the titles.

The first half of Swords Against Wizardry deals with their attempt to collect certain legendary gems and their adventures along the way, and what happens when they attempt to sell the gems they have acquired.  In keeping with the general pattern of the stories, they are equal to the task of acquiring a treasure and rubbish at turning it into gold that they can spend.  Out heroes start by climbing Stardock, the highest mountain in Newhon, and along the way they run into invisible adversaries, and even collect a reward from two invisible ladies...well, actually two rewards, but only one they can carry away when they leave.

This is followed by the story of how they swindled out of their reward, which leads each to take a contract to the distant land of Quarmall.  The Lords of Quarmall is the first of the stories that was written, and most, or at least a good bit, of it was not written by Fritz Leiber.  He gives his collaborator, or one might say benefactor, full credit, both in the dedication of the book, and in a short forward.  The first part of the story was written in 1936.  Fritz Leiber took up the tale 25 years later and finished it.  Our two heroes show themselves not only to be fantastic swordsmen, but also quite cunning.

More fun reading and there are still three to go.

Book #23

Swords in the Mist

Fritz Leiber

So, the third book of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.  More fighting, more wizards, and more fun.

This time round, our two heroes face a cloud of hate, Fafhrd becomes a disciple of Issek of the Jug, and then quite literally becomes Issek of the Jug, After that the two swordsmen take to the sea, where they find the sea a mistress they can share, and then find a hole in the water that leads to pleasant dealings with the Sea King's concubines, followed by adventures facing the Sea King's curse, and finally, Ningauble sends them to earth, yes, our earth, where they come finally to face a great evil in the Castle Mist. 

More fun, and more quick easy reading.

...and One Week with the Hisense Sero 7 Pro

So, I did actually buy the Hisense Sero 7 Pro, and yes, I did take back the Sero 7 Lite and got a refund.  So, I got to try out the Lite for a week, as I discussed in my last post, and now I have spent a week with the Hisense Sero Pro 7.

So, after a week, and I can say it is just as good as the Sero 7 Lite, which if you will remember, or just read right below this, I liked a lot.  The screen on the Sero 7 Pro is gorgeous, though to be quite honest I cannot see what all the fuss is about.  Is the 1280 x800 screen better than the 1024x600 screen?  Yes, but I really do not see a big difference.  Is the 7 Pro faster?  Probably, but not so that I would really notice.  Is the battery life better?  To be honest, I have not really noticed, but then I have not had time this week to really put it through its paces.

What will you really notice as differences between the Lite and the Pro?  Well, there is the pebbly back on the Pro, while the Lite had a back of smooth, some would say slippery, plastic.  The pebbly back is nice and grippy, but it also makes the tablet feel a little thicker.  Overall, yes the pebbly back is better.  The other difference you will notice is that there is a cover over the SD card slot...and it does not fit perfectly.  Oh, it fits well enough, but it is not completely smooth with the top of the tablet, when there is a disk in the slot. 

Now, if you were to hold them in your hand, you would notice something else.  The Sero 7 Lite has the power and volume buttons on the left side.  The Sero 7 Pro has the two buttons on the right side.  Obviously, you won't really notice that unless you hold them both.

So, the last difference to note is the camera on the back.  I have taken only one picture, and it was okay, but I do not plan to run around and take pictures with my tablet.  I did not mind that the Lite did not have a rear facing camera.

My conclusion is that Hisense has hit a homerun on their first try at a tablet.  Both of the Hisense Sero 7s are good tablets.  One is the equivalent of the HP Slate 7 or ASUS MeMo Pad 7 but you save $50-70.  The other is the equivalent of the Nexus 7, and you save $50 there.  In both cases, you get less storage, but you have the SD card to make up for that.  I think Walmart has a winner on its hands.

Book #22

Swords Against Death

Fritz Leiber

The second book of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.  Now, the fun really starts.  In this volume we see a living house that knows how to protect itself. We learn that dead thieves can be more dangerous than living ones, and that even death himself is no match for a well placed sword. They encounter a man plagued by the ghosts of those he killed.  While trying to return home our heroes encounter a sunken city, and seven priests protecting a sleeping god.  Back in their home city of Lankhmar they look into a rash of thefts and find themselves facing off against the high priestess of a bird goddess.

Now, something new is thrown into the mix here in the second collection, as we meet wizards, Sheelba of the Eyeless Face, and Ningauble of the Seven Eyes.  These two become the mentors of our two heroes, and in this volume.  We see them in the first story, which is more of a setup than a full story, and then the two wizards reappear in the final stories in the volume.  First, each wizard sends his hero after the Mask of Death, which leaves each sworn to kill the other to recover the mask.  Then, in the final story, the two wizards call their heroes to stop a threat to the world of Newhon.  Of course, things go wrong and it is Fafhrd who must rescue Mouser from the Bazaar of the Bizarre.

This is another fun read, lots of adventure, lots of action, and lots of fun.

One Week with the Hisense Sero 7 Lite

Walmart sold out of the Hisense Sero 7 Pro so fast that by the time payday rolled around they were sold out everywhere nearby.

Now, this leads to a quick aside, something that I find most annoying.  Walmart has a wonderful site, but they are so focused on supporting their stores, that it seems that many items cannot be purchased for shipment to your house, but are only available for ship to store delivery, which is a little annoying.  Mostly, if they do not have it in stock, some items cannot be purchased.  So it was with the Sero 7 Pro.

So, I bought one of the Lite models and hoped for the best.  Well, let me tell you, I was not disappointed.  Reviews have referred to the Sero 7 Pro as the poor man's Nexus 7, because it matches the processor, quad core Tegra 3, and the resolution, 1280x800, or the Nexus.  Well, if the Pro is the poor man's Nexus 7, then the Lite is the poor man's HP Slate 7, or Asus MeMo Pad 7.  The Lite has a dual core processor and a 1024x600 screen, to match those two tablets.

Well, having never seen or held the Nexus 7, all I can say is that the Hisense Sero 7 Lite did not disappoint.  The screen is bright, and the resolution is high enough that my old eyes did not notice a real difference.  One of my main uses for a 7 inch tablet is reading and the Kindle app looks beautiful on the Sero 7 Lite.  The performance is good, with only occasional delays, and during my week with the Sero 7 Lite, I did not have to restart it once.  It performed like a champ.  The only oddity was that the paypal app was not available for installation.

The tablet has a very nice feel in the hand, the weight is very low, but substantial enough to give you confidence in the quality of the product.  It is very thin, at least to my thinking, and it feels solid.  The back is plastic, but it is a solid piece and after a week, I have noticed only the tiniest bit of flexing in the chassis.  The back is a little slick, not enough to have it slip through your hands often, but enough to make it a little worrisome.

So, in conclusion, I feel like this is a great tablet, for $99.  I fully intended to keep it, but it looks like the Pro model has come back into stock and tomorrow I will see if I can get one of those and then return the Lite.  Walmart has a very nice 15 day return policy.

Book #21

Wild Wales, The People, Language and Scenery

George Henry Burrows

Wild Wales is the account of George Burrows' walk through Wales in 1854.  Now, we are not talking about a little walk, we are talking about months of walking across a major portion of Wales.  He starts in Chester and enters Wales traveling to Wrexham and then on to Llangollen.  He spends some time at Llangollen while he walks all over the surrounding area.  Then, a long journey takes him out as far as Holy Head on Anglesey, on a round trip that eventually totals nearly 200 miles, all on foot.
 

After covering North Wales, Burrows begins his journey through South Wales.  Now, while stationed at Llangollen, his wife and daughter came to Llangollen with with him.  They only take a couple of short walks with him, always staying behind at the house in town.  As he began his trip south, they returned to England to wait for him.
 

He started south as Fall started, crossing South Wales on foot.  He travels something over 200 miles south through Wales to Swansea and then east to Chepstow.  That is the end of his journey in Wales.

Aside from the description of the landscape, Burrows tells us much about the Welsh people that he meets.  He was a student of Welsh poetry, and many of his side trips are to visit the home or birthplace of some great Welsh poet.  He also tells us some very amusing stories about certain famous Welsh persons.  At least they were famous in the 19th Century.
 

Wild Wales is not a travel guide.  I cannot find most of the places that he mentions, so reconstructing his trip using Bing maps has been difficult.  It isn't really a travelogue either.  It could be called a travelogue, based on the descriptions of where he went, as well as the local history, but it is interspersed with tales of individuals he met along the road, and his reaction to them.
 

So, should you read it?  Probably not.  I read it in little bites over a long time, and I am not disappointed that I did, but I doubt I will ever read it again.