Although the new ad campaign is done well, the desperation is still definitely there. MS desperately needs a release that is not a flop. This isn’t it, and it could help to further usher-in a world that expects performance and a degree of freedom/choice. In other worlds, a post MS, post Apple world. The duopoly needs MS to continue with the majority share in order to defend the status quo. Otherwise, users will look for (and find) better options. When most people simply used Windows because most people used Windows, there was a bit of safety… as long as FOSS was only a thin slice of the market share. The perception was of only two real options: economy with poor reilibility or reliability with poor economy. With both, performance was sadly compromised. As MS’ market share drops, more and more will realize that they can fork over more cash for an overpriced, underperforming Macintoy, but that won’t be the majority. Most don’t like licenses that amount to technological straightjackets, and most don’t want to overpay for what they get. Furthermore, most people actually like choices (although I have had cultmembers assert that the advantage of the Apple is that they don’t have to worry with having choices for what they might like best). As options build, and especially as MS deflates, Apple has three monstrous disadvantages from the starting gate. If Windows 8 doesn’t save Windows, then it will definitely also be a massive hit to Apple.

Windows 8 is a bit of a UI nightmare… it gives the competition an opening (yes, as Vista did). Apple capitalized on the opening before… now we shall see if the open source community can get their act together and get desktop Linux into a good enough state to compete with a bad release of Windows. If they can you will no doubt see HP and Dell making a lot more sales of desktop Linux systems.

I hope this happens. I think it would be great. But I am not holding my breath.