Before I begin, let me explain the title and probably the reason you are reading this article. I definitely love Windows 7 and everything it has to offer and use it as my one and only operating system. It is a great OS for many reasons and will do great things for the tablet market, no doubt.
The only reason I wouldn’t want Windows 7 on my tablet PC is because I have been using the Zune HD for a while now and I can’t believe I have ever used a more intuitive, well-thought-out and stunning setup than what is offered on Microsoft’s fairly-new personal music player. Sure, the Zune would need more options and a bit more tweaking to be used as a pc-like OS, but it is made for touch and is as smooth and easy-flowing as anything out there (especially the iTouch and iPhone) and I’m not even talking about the hardware and look of the Zune HD, which is also incredible.
As far as the hardware: the Zune HD is thin, light, stylish and absolutely made with portability in mind. A tablet version would have to be larger and a few more hardware buttons would need to be added, but the potential is definitely there.
Zune HD
I have owned an iPod Touch and an iPhone and was initially enamored with the interface and physical look of each, but neither hold a candle to the Zune HD. In the last year, we have seen Microsoft shake the perception by most that the company was no longer creative and had “lost touch” with the user. Windows 7 alone proves that myth to be false. Microsoft then took a market dominated by Apple (the music player market) and created the device that we knew they could.
What is holding them back?
The Zune brand is not nearly as well-known as the iPod brand and this could change, but Microsoft will need to take the success they’ve created with the Zune HD and make phones and tablets with the same general OS and style. With the success of the Zune HD and it’s cult-like following I would have to imagine that we’ll see Microsoft take a step outside of the partnering realm and create their own hardware devices using the Zune HD’s software as a building block.
However, the main problems I currently see with the Zune expanding into other realms is the lack of applications and limited web-broswer. Currently, There are about 10-15 approved applications in the Zune Marketplace, which is not nearly enough and not growing as fast as it should, but that can change quickly with a development kit similar to what apple introduced with the appstore. The web browser could also use a few more features and enhancements if it wished to compete on a larger scale.
Does this mean that I wouldn’t want a tablet running Windows 7? Of course not, that title was just a shocking statement to draw readers. Windows 7 is as good a tablet OS as it is a desktop OS, but I believe that the steps Microsoft took with the Zune could make things interesting in non-traditional pc markets as well.
Am I totally off on this one or should Microsoft take advantage of a simply fantastic PMP with a great interface?
