Microsoft – Imperfect 10.

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Windows 10 is not about the user experience.

• The noise around Windows 10 is likely to be all about improvements being made to the user experience but it is what is under the hood that is really going to make the difference.
• At the E3 gaming conference there is plenty of chatter regarding the new UI for the Xbox on Windows 10 while the news flow around mobile is focused on the final tweaks being made to the user interface.
• Users will really only notice the user interface, but what it is really important about Windows 10 is the fact that the same code will run on all devices within the ecosystem.
• Devices, including PCs, smartphones, consoles, displays and so on that run Windows 10 will all be based on the same common core.
• This is a big step forward as even Apple is still running on 2 while Google and Android have almost too many different versions to count.
• Common code means that developers only have to write a piece of software once and they can also be reasonably secure that the code will run consistently on every device.
• This makes it much easier to provide a consistent user experience across multiple devices and deliver Digital Life services to users in a way that they will always recognise.
• This is a key part of having a successful ecosystem that users want to use and critically be willing to pay for one way or another.
• The Windows user experience on mobile still has a long way to go in terms of third party apps and certain functions, but the advent of Windows 10 should make it easier for Microsoft to address those issues.
• Furthermore, it should make the ecosystem much more attractive for third parties to develop to as the addressable installed base of devices will be that much larger.
• I do not have many fears for the success of Windows 10 mainly because history has shown that Microsoft gets the OS right every 2^nd
• Windows 8 was a disaster and from what I have seen, Windows 10 puts right almost all of its shortcomings.
• If Microsoft can combine this with the right marketing message to explain to users why they should be part of the ecosystem, then it should finally start to see some traction with its ecosystem.
• The good news is that Microsoft’s valuation is not pricing in any real success from the ecosystem meaning that there is plenty left on the table for those think that it might just have a chance.
• I am one of those.