Windows 8 Faces Hurdles in Tablet Market

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Windows 8 is now closer than ever to launching. The operating system is being shown off in release previews, users are able to test it and Microsoft is promising better and better experiences with each new launch. It s clear that Microsoft believes Windows 8 is one of its most significant launches in an awfully long time. Furthermore, it’s apparent that the company’s loyal followers are just as excited to get their hands on the software giant’s latest creation.

A key component in Microsoft’s strategy is tablets. Windows has so far been left out of the tablet market, causing an immense amount of concern among Microsoft’s investors. What s worse, the company’s vendor partners have continued to warm to Google’s Android platform, making some wonder if Windows’ chances of actually succeeding in the tablet market are far slimmer than one might expect.

Whether Windows 8 will succeed on tablets over the long-term is tough to say. However, if anything is clear, it s that, at least in the short-term, Windows 8 tablets will have some serious trouble competing in the marketplace.

Read on to find out why:

1. The analysts aren’t usually that far off

According to nearly all market researchers, Windows 8 will have an exceedingly difficult time breaking into the tablet market in the coming quarters. Although analysts can sometimes be wrong, they’re rarely so far off the mark that they should be ignored. Keep that in mind as you ponder Windows 8 adoption on tablets.

2. Consumer knowledge

Consumers know the iPad. And over the last several quarters, they’ve come to know (and in some cases, really like) Android on tablets. The issue for Microsoft is that not too many people have considered trying out Windows on tablets. That won’t change anytime soon. Until consumers change their attitudes about Windows on tablets, which is not a certainty, Windows 8 cannot succeed.

3. The enterprise s deployment schedule

In the short-term, especially, there seems to be no way that Microsoft will be able to get Windows 8 tablets into the enterprise to the degree to which it would like. Unfortunately for the software giant, corporate IT decision-makers are slow to make decisions and they only deploy products after they are thoroughly convinced a new product is a safe bet. That’s simply not happening anytime soon after Windows 8 launches.

4. They’re competing against Apple

If the mobile space has taught us anything, it s that competing against Apple can be extremely difficult. In fact, trying to take the company’s iPad or iPhone down is nearly impossible. Yet Microsoft is trying to do just that with Windows 8-based tablets. Unless the company has the magic bullet, don’t expect Windows 8 to take off in a big way.

5. Performance matters

There’s a big question mark related to Windows 8: how well will it perform on tablets? Windows 8 will be a winner for desktops and laptops and even Ultrabooks. But tablets are very different machines that require quick responsiveness, fast boot-ups and solid battery lives. Will Windows 8 be able to deliver that? Until customers can determine it, the platform won’t succeed.

To read the original eWeek article, click here: Windows 8 Tablets Will Have Trouble Catching On: 10 Reasons Why

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