MOBILE

Tablet Operating Systems (Part 3)

9/5/2013 5:37:30 PM

Windows 8

Although Windows 7 claimed some level of tablet support, it was never designed to support the kind of low-power, low-capability devices this segment of the market favored - to say nothing of the decidedly mouse-friendly interface. By comparison, Windows 8's interface was redesigned almost from the ground up to be used with a touch-screen, while the operating system itself was made available in a version specifically designed to run on low-power ARM chips: Windows RT. It's fair to say that Microsoft was making a definite play for the tablet market.

Several months after release, it's clear that things haven't caught on the way Microsoft hoped they would. Windows 8 has flopped in the desktop market, and tablet versions - whether the full- fat Windows 8 or the diet Windows RT version - are feeling the effects of its negative reception. While Android and iOS are both battling for market share in the 40-50% range, Windows (including Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7 and 8) is scraping by on less than 7%, less than half of which is represented by Windows 8-powered tablets.

Windows 8 has flopped in the desktop market, and tablet versions - whether the full- fat Windows 8 or the diet Windows RT version - are feeling the effects of its negative reception.

Windows 8 has flopped in the desktop market, and tablet versions - whether the full- fat Windows 8 or the diet Windows RT version - are feeling the effects of its negative reception.

Still, Windows 8 isn't a complete non-starter. In terms of providing a familiar environment to PC owners, it's instantly superior to both Android and iOS-based tablets. Windows 8 tablets are generally quite powerful and act much like a normal PC right down to running the same software - a definite bonus if you've got software suites you want to carry around with you. The corporate market in particular enjoys these features.

It's a good job too, because the main problem for users interested in a Windows 8 tablet is that they're expensive, largely because of the internal hardware required to house and run the operating system to the standards you'd expect of a desktop machine. Even the cheapest Windows 8 tablets are more expensive than the iPad. Not much of an incentive to buy one.

In stark contrast, Windows RT is design to run on the kind of ARM processors routinely found in smartphones and tablets. It looks and acts much like Windows 8, but dig a little deeper and you'll find a vastly different piece of software. Rather than running typical Windows software, it runs Windows Store apps. Some see this as negating the main benefit of a Windows-based tablet at all, but on the plus side it's much cheaper to buy a Windows RT tablet and will retain the Windows familiarity some users want.

In stark contrast, Windows RT is design to run on the kind of ARM processors routinely found in smartphones and tablets.

In stark contrast, Windows RT is design to run on the kind of ARM processors routinely found in smartphones and tablets.

The big problem selling any non-Android or non-iOS tablet in the current market is that the big two have been around so long that their software libraries are virtually untouchable. It doesn't help that the Windows Store looks practically empty compared to its Google and Apple siblings. In May, there were just 80,000 applications available and many large brands are missing entirely. There's no BBC iPlayer app specifically designed for Windows tablets, for example, even though both Android and iOS enjoy one.

There's no doubt that Microsoft is having a difficult time adjusting to the rapid pace of the tablet market after a slow start, and it'll be a while before we see whether it can build the tiny flame it's set alight into a roaring fire or whether it'll get snuffed out. Either way, it's a fight it can't possibly avoid and consumers should probably do their best not to get in the way of it until the dust has settled.

The Alternatives

Although 95% of tablets are powered by iOS, Android or Windows 8, that still leaves 5% unaccounted for. So what are they running on?

1.    HPIPalm WebOS 3.0

WebOS was launched in 2009 by Palm, which used it to power Its mobile devices. It was later acquired by HP, which used it to run the Touchpad tablet. A catastrophic reception for the device ensured that WebOS had no chance of denting Android or iOS' s leads, but the software has since been sold to LG and is still being actively developed with an eye to powering the company's smart TVs.

2.    BlackBerry Tablet OS / BlackBerry 10

Released in March 2013, BlackBerry 10 is the operating system charged with reviving BlackBerry's fortunes after years of the brand's declining performance due to increase competition. Available on smartphones now, the QNX-based operating system is expected to reach BlackBerry's tablets {which currently run the separate BlackBerry Tablet OS) later this year. Despite this, there's currently little reason to think it'll make any significant Impact on the market beyond its current showing.

2. BlackBerry Tablet OS

BlackBerry Tablet OS

3.    Microsoft Windows 7

Windows 7 is a fully touch-enabled operating system and one that has attracted much more goodwill than its successor, Windows 8. As with Windows 8, the low power of tablets means that the most affordable devices are poorly suited to running Windows 7, which limited the operating system's prominence in the field, and the release of Windows 8 means there'll be no more Windows 7 tablets. Despite this, it's still prominent enough to represent as much as 1-2% of the total tablet market, according to some estimates.

Other  
 
Video tutorials
- How To Install Windows 8 On VMware Workstation 9

- How To Install Windows 8

- How To Install Windows Server 2012

- How To Disable Windows 8 Metro UI

- How To Change Account Picture In Windows 8

- How To Unlock Administrator Account in Windows 8

- How To Restart, Log Off And Shutdown Windows 8

- How To Login To Skype Using A Microsoft Account

- How To Enable Aero Glass Effect In Windows 8

- How To Disable Windows Update in Windows 8

- How To Disable Windows 8 Metro UI

- How To Add Widgets To Windows 8 Lock Screen
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